DEFINING WHAT WE MEAN BY “PERTH METROPOLITAN AREA”
__________________________________________________________
Introduction
Within the documents produced for the Review to date, the phrases “Perth”
“metropolitan area” and “metropolitan region” have used to describe the subject area.
Before the release of the Issues Paper, the Panel should agree on the terminology to
be used, and the area being described. The readers of the document should not be
confused between the City of Perth local government area and the broader Perth
region.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics defines metropolitan Perth as the Perth Statistical
Division. It contains 30 local governments. For maps, please see Attachments One
and Two.
Under the Local Government Act 1995 “Metropolitan Area” is defined as having the
same meaning as “Metropolitan Region” under the Planning and Development Act
1995 (Attachment Three). The area under the Planning and Development Act is the
same as the ABS’s Statistical Division.
However “Metropolitan Region” has a different definition under the Regional
Development Commission Act. The Shire of Serpentine-Jarrahdale is classed as
being in the Peel Region not the Metropolitan Region (Attachment Four).
The Department of Planning’s Directions 2031 and Beyond, Metropolitan Planning
Beyond the Horizon document covers both the Perth and Peel regions. There are
separate sub-regional strategies for the Central Metropolitan Perth region and the
Outer Metropolitan Perth and Peel region. The Central region covers 19 local
government areas and focuses on infilling established areas (Attachment Five). The
Outer sub-regional strategy covers 14 local governments and focuses on the planned
management of urban expansion (Attachment Six). The Panel should consider if it
wants to include the Peel region in its study area.

It is recommended that for the purpose of the Review, metropolitan Perth is
defined as the Perth Statistical Division according to the Australian Bureau of
Statistics.

It is also recommended that the subject area be consistently referred to as the
Perth metropolitan area, or the metropolitan area (not Perth, the Perth region, or
the metropolitan region) to avoid confusion with the Regional Development
Commission definitions, and the City of Perth.
Metropolitan Local Government Review
September 2011
METROPOLITAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT REVIEW
DEFINING WHAT WE MEAN BY “PERTH METROPOLITAN AREA”
1
METROPOLITAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT REVIEW
DEFINING WHAT WE MEAN BY “PERTH METROPOLITAN AREA”
2
METROPOLITAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT REVIEW
DEFINING WHAT WE MEAN BY “PERTH METROPOLITAN AREA”
3
METROPOLITAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT REVIEW
DEFINING WHAT WE MEAN BY “PERTH METROPOLITAN AREA”
4
METROPOLITAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT REVIEW
DEFINING WHAT WE MEAN BY “PERTH METROPOLITAN AREA”
5
METROPOLITAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT REVIEW
DEFINING WHAT WE MEAN BY “PERTH METROPOLITAN AREA”
6
METROPOLITAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT REVIEW
DEFINING WHAT WE MEAN BY “PERTH METROPOLITAN AREA”
7