Reforms to WA’s Residential Design Codes: What They Could Mean for Your Block
On 2 July 2026, WA’s Planning and Lands Minister, John Carey, announced proposed reforms to the Residential Design Codes (R-Codes), the rules that govern how homes can be built and subdivided across the state. If adopted, these would be among the most significant changes to the R-Codes since their introduction more than three decades ago.
It’s important to note that nothing has been confirmed yet. These are proposed changes only, open to public consultation before any final decisions are made. We’re sharing what’s on the table now so you understand the potential impact, particularly if your block is zoned R20.
What’s proposed for R20 blocks
The change with the greatest potential to open up existing suburbs applies to R20 and below zoning, the density code used for the most common suburban residential blocks across the Perth metro area.
Currently, subdividing an R20-coded block requires an average lot size of 900 square metres across the resulting lots. The proposed reform would replace this with a straightforward minimum lot size. In practice, this could allow R20-zoned blocks as small as 700 square metres to be subdivided, something not currently possible under the existing averaging rule.
The State Government estimates this change alone could make more than 50,000 existing Perth properties newly eligible for subdivision. Local government areas expected to see the greatest impact if the reform proceeds include:
- Joondalup
- Stirling
- Wanneroo
- Canning
- Cockburn
Other potential changes on the table
The R20 change is the headline item, but it forms part of a broader package of proposed reforms. Other items under consideration include:
- Reducing single-home planning approval timeframes from 60 to 30 days
- Removing minimum parking requirements for apartments and granny flats
- Reducing visitor parking numbers
- Exempting simple residential projects, such as single houses, renovations, patios and carports, from needing planning approval
- Allowing three storeys in R40 areas, up from the current two
- Splitting the R-Codes into three separate volumes covering single houses, grouped dwellings and multiple dwellings, to reduce duplication and make the rules easier to navigate
What happens next
The proposed changes are expected to enter public consultation later in 2026, with any final version not gazetted until at least mid-2027. Between now and then, the details may change. Nothing here should be treated as locked in, and we’d encourage anyone planning a project on their block to keep that in mind while the consultation process runs its course.
What this could mean for you
If you own a suburban block in the Perth metro area, particularly one zoned R20, these proposed reforms are worth watching. They could affect what’s achievable on your land, from the size of a future subdivision to how quickly a straightforward build is approved.
We’ll keep tracking this as it develops. In the meantime, if you’re considering your options for an existing block, our team at WACB is always happy to talk through what’s possible today and what to watch for as these proposed changes take shape.
The better building experience.
