Subdividing in Perth
What you need to know about subdivision in WA
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Subdivisions in Perth
Subdivisions involve creating new allotments on a block of land. You can increase the value of the block by breaking it up – creating profit for the owners. If you have a large block of land, it may be worth subdividing it.
Why You Should Subdivide
There are a variety of ways to grow your profit through your property investments. Subdividing is one of the easiest and most effective ways. With the ability to suit the needs, goals and budget of an investor, subdivision is the most popular property investment strategy.
One house on a large block of land isn’t the best way to make money.
Maximise Land Use
Subdivision provides investors with the opportunity to downsize the large block by turning one property into several – providing maximum use of the land.
Financial Reward
Subdividing land gives the investor the opportunity to make a profit from selling the newly developed properties. Alternatively, they may choose to rent the property instead. Regardless, subdivision provides investors with the opportunity for financial reward.
Get in Touch With Horizon Surveys
If you’d like to know more about any of our survey services, call us now on (08) 9387 8226 or email admin@horizonsurveys.com.au
How to Subdivide
Different types of subdivisions require different processes, but they all undergo the same basic procedure. Firstly, the subdivision process begins with classifying which category of subdivision the process will fall into:
- strata
- survey strata
- green title
For subdivisions in Perth, the Western Australian Planning Commission (WAPC) must be consulted. It is only upon approval from them that an owner will be permitted to subdivide on a lot. The process begins with the landowner submitting an application to the WAPC, who then refers the application to relevant local authorities for assessments.
They assess the application within 42 days, and if successful, the WAPC sends conditional approval to both local authorities, such as Western Power and the Water Corporation, as well as the landowner. Conditional approval generally depends on the levelling of the block, the demolition of the building, and other factors.
After conditional approval, the Water Corporation provides the landowner with an invitation to enter an agreement. The agreement outlines water and drainage requirements for subdividing, as well as relevant fees and charges. With all outstanding issues addressed, the landowner returns the checklist to the Water Corporation, who issue a clearance. You pass this onto the WAPC, who then issues final approval.
From here, a landowner must carry out a legal survey, which we can also assist with.
Once all the above steps are completed, the landowner can apply for land titles from Landgate.
Other Services:
Feature Surveys
Architects and Design Engineers require feature surveys prior to the initial planning and design phase of a project.
Detailed information about; roads, paths, buildings, retaining walls and vegetation will appear in a plan or digital report. The plans show Contours and levels to AHD (Australian Height Datum). Cadastral info (boundary) information is usually included as an overlay.
Re-pegs / Re-establishment Surveys
Original property boundaries may need to be re-established and marked by pegs. Such surveys can be time-consuming because the original boundaries and associated documentation could be 100 years old. A licensed surveyor needs to state that the work has been undertaken in accordance with current Survey Regulations.
Identification Surveys
Identification Surveys (always carried out by Licensed Land Surveyors) determine all improvements (buildings, awnings, garages and brick walls) in relation to the property boundary. Easements – such as; access, sewer, height restrictions – appear as comments in a report stating the legal description of the land and any encroachments by or upon the Land.
Lease Area Surveys
Commercial areas are often tenanted to third parties, and surveys may be required to calculate the area in question. A lease area survey can help determine the area under lease, using modern equipment and following the lease area guidelines from The Property Council of Australia. Depending on the tenancy, the Survey may be required to measure GLA (Gross Lettable Area) or NLA (Nett Lettable Area).
As-Constructed & Audit Surveys
As-constructed surveys and audit surveys are critical elements in deciding if a structure has been built to design specifications. The surveyor will draw up plans that reveal the dimensions and levels of a particular structure, including; roads, bridges, dams, excavation areas, or landfills. Audit Surveys are performed during the construction stage in order to verify positions for holding-down bolts, plinths, roads and structures.
Mining Tenement Surveys
A mining tenement survey is required to establish the extent of the actual mining lease area for mining tenements. The pegging on the ground needs to be found and any priorities of prior marking out need to be determined.
The Survey of a Mining tenement occurs after instructions issued by the Department of Mines and Petroleum are handed to Licensed surveyors who can then perform these duties noting the hierarchy of tenements.
Cadastral Surveys
Cadastral land surveying is a branch of land surveying that focuses on establishing your property boundaries. When Horizon Surveys conducts cadastral surveying on your land, we determine the actual Boundaries and place Boundary marks on the corners of your land.
There are several circumstances in which cadastral land surveying becomes a necessity. Many cadastral land surveys happen when boundaries need to be marked to determine new fencing lines or when buildings need to be set out at specific distances from the boundary. (ie a Parapet wall)
Most types of survey reports, any time.
Surveying is a suite of many facets including Contour and Feature Surveys, Subdivision of Land (Green title or Strata), Construction set-out as AsConstructed Surveys, Lease Area surveys, remarking of original boundaries and the Calculation of Volumes.
