A number of documents underlie broad strategic planning in WA, including the following:
■ State Planning Strategy 2050 - provides the strategic context for planning and development decisions throughout the State. The Strategy envisages a doubling of Western Australia's population by 2056 and outlines the role of the State's northern and central regions as hotspots for capital investment with an increasing contribution to Australia's Gross Domestic Product.
■ Directions 2031 and beyond - Metropolitan Planning beyond the horizon397 - a high level plan that establishes a vision for future growth in Perth and the Peel region. It is based on an expectation that the population of the city as a whole will grow to 2.2 million by 2025, a low figure given the rate of growth observed since the document was published in 2010. The document encourages a long-term approach to infrastructure provision. Further direction is provided in the Central Metropolitan Perth, Outer Metropolitan Perth and Peel sub-regional strategies.
■ building on the metropolitan plan, Public Transport for Perth in 2031398 identifies the public transport network needed to support Perth's growing population and links to and between strategic centres. It points to a doubling of public transport use in Perth from 2011 to 2031. The greatest need for investment is identified within 15 km of the city centre.
■ the Western Australian Regional Freight Transport Network Plan - articulates the Western Australian Government's planning, policy and project priorities to ensure the regional transport network continues to perform effectively.399
■ the WA Department of Transport has prepared a draft Moving People Network Plan to set out of the management of the metropolitan transport network over the coming decades. The draft Plan identifies a key role for Intelligent Transport Systems across a number of outcome areas for the safety and mobility benefits that it can provide.400
A number of regional plans also operate in Western Australia. The State's Regional Development Commissions are in the process of completing Regional Investment Blueprints, which anticipate infrastructure needs for regional growth to 2031 and in some cases to 2050. In addition, the Department of Planning has published Regional Planning and Infrastructure Frameworks as well as a State Planning Strategy.401
A key policy issue for the WA Government is whether population and employment growth should occur in the urban fringes such as south-west and north-west Perth, or whether increased densification and public transport use should be supported in the inner city and middle ring suburbs. Under the current projections, trips will be longer, congestion will be spread across multiple routes from the inner city to the fringes, and funding costs will increase.
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397. Western Australian Planning Commission (2010)
398. Western Australian Department of Transport (2011)
399. Western Australian Department of Transport (2013)
400. Western Australian Department of Transport (2014a)
401. Western Australian Planning Commission (2014)