WA floats Retain and Gain: 2nd lot on R10-R25 blocks, 300 sqm min
The proposal would let owners split off a backyard lot while keeping the house. Submissions on the R-Codes review close on 26 February 2027.
- Source Briefing
- Public record
The Western Australian Government said on 11 November 2026 that it is investigating a planning reform called Retain and Gain, which would make it easier for homeowners to create a second lot while keeping the existing house. It is a proposal, not a rule change. The Cook Labor Government says it will be considered within its broader review of the Residential Design Codes (R-Codes).
Why it matters
Under the proposal, owners of R10 to R25 land could create one extra lot smaller than the usual minimum lot size. The statement says the goal is more supply in established suburbs without knocking down homes, with downsizers and first home buyers named as beneficiaries.
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Planning and Lands Minister John Carey said plenty of properties could fit another home, yet today’s planning rules can stop sensible subdivision even if the original house remains.
The statement does not say when any change would take effect. It calls the pathway gentle infill that encourages downsizing in place and improves sustainability outcomes, and says the Cook Labor Government is committed to increasing land supply for housing.
The numbers
The statement sets out the conditions for the proposed pathway. An owner could cut off a backyard or divide a property into no more than two lots, as long as:
- the current house stays;
- one lot is at least the minimum size set for its density code and the other is no smaller than 300 square metres; and
- every other planning and servicing requirement is satisfied.
The government says the wider R-Codes modernisation would enable more than 70,000 additional lots for subdivision across Western Australia. It also cites a record $10.8 billion investment in housing measures since 2021. The statement presents Retain and Gain as complementing a previously announced change to remove average lot size requirements in R10 to R25 areas.
What’s next
Our earlier coverage of the R-Codes reform and its public comment period covers the wider review this proposal sits within.
The community and stakeholders can comment on the proposal at haveyoursay.dplh.wa.gov.au/r-codes-review. Submissions close on 26 February 2027.
The statement says the wider R-Codes package is also looking at extra development flexibility in return for keeping urban greening, for example an existing tree. It gives no detail on how that would work.
Quick answers
What are the key numbers in this story?
Minimum lot: 300 sqm; Extra lots: 70,000; Submissions close: 26 Feb.
Where does this information come from?
This story cites Government of Western Australia, media statement, including the public record (Government of Western Australia, media statement). Every source is linked on the page.
On the record
New pathway to unlock more homes in established suburbs
Government of Western Australia, media statement · wa.gov.au
Filed by the AusDev Perth Desk. How we report.