Find information on the process for closing pedestrian accessways and roads, including approvals required and potential costs.
Closure of Pedestrian Accessway (PAW)
Pedestrian accessways (PAW) provide access to essential services and provide pedestrian and cycle access both within neighbourhoods and to local and district facilities including public transport, schools, shops, parks and community facilities. Requests to close a PAW, including on the grounds of security and amenity, needs to be balanced with maintaining appropriate resident access to facilities.
PAWs, just like roads, are owned by the State Government and require the approval of the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage (DPLH) to be closed. The land comprising the PAW must be purchased and amalgamated into adjoining landholdings. Before the DPLH will consider closure of a PAW, the support of the local government is required. The closure process can be lengthy and may take upwards of 12 months to obtain a decision from DPLH.
- Step 1: Obtain adjacent landowner’s consent - The request application must have adjacent landowners' written consent to share future costs. If all landowners do not consent, the application does not progress.
- Step 2: Lodge the application - The application can be lodged via the following methods:
- Online (preferred): apply through the online lodgement portal for efficiency and convenience.
- Email: send the relevant information through via info@joondalup.wa.gov.au
- Mail: alternatively, mail your application to the City at PO Box 21, Joondalup WA 6919.
- In person: this option is not preferred, however it can be available upon request to the Planning Services team.
- Step 3: Paying the application fee - A non-refundable application fee of $2,151 (including GST) is required at time of application. Payment details for each type of lodgement is provided below:
- Online: An invoice with payment instructions will be sent to you via email.
- Email: An invoice with payment instructions will be sent to you via email.
- Mail: If submitting by mail, include a cheque made payable to the City of Joondalup with your application.
- In-person: Payments can be made at the City’s Administration Centre using cash, cheque, EFTPOS, or credit card. Please note, a 0.5% surcharge is incurred for Visa or Mastercard transactions.
Important note: Refer to ‘potential additional costs’ covered below.
- Step 4: Service authorities' input - Upon receipt of your request, the City consults with utilities e.g. Water Corporation on the impact of the closure. Costs for any necessary infrastructure adjustments e.g. relocation of drainage or electrical services are communicated to the applicant and landowners.
- Step 5: Formal evaluation - The City advertises the proposal for public feedback, with the applicant covering the costs. The evaluation includes urban design, nuisance, and community impact assessments.
- Step 6: Council consideration - The City presents findings to the Council, which decides on the application's fate. Unsupported applications are terminated.
- Step 7: DPLH determination - If Council supports the closure, it progresses to the DPLH for a final decision.
- Step 8: Valuation and purchase - Following DPLH approval, a valuation is conducted. Landowners are then informed of the purchase cost and associated fees.
- Step 9: Amalgamation - The PAW land is bought by the landowners and consolidated into their properties.
Important note that the City of Joondalup is only involved in the first assessment of the proposed PAW closure and public consultation. All other procedures are the responsibility of State Government agencies.
Potential additional costs
In addition to the application fee, the process of closing a Pedestrian Accessway (PAW) incurs various expenses, detailed as follows:
- Advertising costs: The City of Joondalup advises on the necessary advertising expenses, which may include signage, and notifications through newspapers, websites, social media, and letter mailouts.
- Relocation of services/infrastructure: Costs associated with relocating or adjusting any services or infrastructure within the PAW, as determined by the relevant service authority.
- Land purchase: The cost of purchasing the PAW land is advised once the closure is approved.
- Licensed Land Surveyor: Fees for hiring a Licensed Land Surveyor to prepare subdivision/amalgamation plans.
- Other costs: There may be additional unforeseen minor expenses throughout the closure process.
Landowners involved in the PAW closure can choose to share these costs equally or have one party assume all financial responsibilities. A firm commitment to manage future costs is essential for the consideration of PAW closure requests.
The following documentation is required to be lodged with an application to close a pedestrian accessway:
- Cover letter addressing the need for the pedestrian accessway to be closed i.e. anti-social behaviour, security etc - including details on who will be responsible for the costs of the application.
- Evidence of the anti-social behaviour or security issues identified in the cover letter.
- A signed agreement by all adjoining landowners.
- Any other information deemed relevant to support the request.
Requests to purchase public land
Public land serves the community's interests and are managed by local governments to meet local needs. Find out about purchasing of verges and public open space.
Local governments manage verges (the land between the road and property boundaries), also known as nature strips. These areas are part of the road reserve and owned by the Crown.
Verges play a crucial role in:
- Providing necessary space for public amenities such as footpaths and bus stops
- Housing essential services, including utilities like power, gas, water, and telecommunications.
Given these critical functions, verges remain dedicated to public use and are not available for purchase by adjacent property owners.
Public open spaces are managed by local governments. These spaces are key to recreation, conservation, and enhancing community wellbeing.
Requests to purchase public open space are considered only if they offer a clear community benefit.
For more details, refer to the City’s Requests for Sale of Public Open Space Reserves Local Planning Policy (PDF).
Public road closure requests
Road closures depend on the road's classification, handled by either local governments for local roads or Main Roads Western Australia (MRWA) for main roads and highways.
Initial inquiry: Start by contacting the City to clarify whether the road is a local, state, or private road.
- Local road closure: For closures on local roads, contact the City to learn about the application process and associated fees.
- State road closure: If the road is under state jurisdiction, contact Main Roads WA for guidance on the application procedure and fees.
- Private road closure: Closure of private roads falls to the landowner or the entity in charge. Directly contact the owner for the necessary steps.
The process to close a local road is undertaken very similar to the process to close a PAW in sofar as the request is made to the City by way of an application. The application is subject to a non-refundable fee of $1,707.50 (GST inclusive).
- The City will process the request.
- A report is made to Council for either support or non-support.
- If Council support the request, it will be advertised to the community.
- Following advertising, the Council will determine whether it supports the road closure or not.
- If Council supports, the recommendation is sent through to Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage for final agreement.
Frequently asked questions - Request to close PAWs
In the first instance, speak to the other owners of properties adjoining the PAW to see if they agree with the idea of closing the PAW. This is because if the application is supported, the land must be purchased by the adjoining landowners. You should also refer to the City’s Closure of Pedestrian Accessways Local Planning Policy (PDF).
If the adjoining landowners agree with the idea of closing the PAW and would be prepared to purchase the land, write to the City outlining your reasons why you want the PAW closed, including signed consent from all land owners.
No. A PAW can’t be “blocked off” as it is a public thoroughfare, therefore it must formally be closed.
Yes, if you are concerned about hazards or the maintenance of a PAW, please report it to the City.
Refer to Pedestrian accessways webpage for further information.
A non-refundable assessment fee must be paid before the application will be progressed. This fee is outlined in the City’s Schedule of Fees and Charges.
If the application to close the PAW is successful, all costs associated with the closure of a PAW are passed on to the adjoining landowners who have agreed to purchase the land.
Yes, you can, although the City will still need to formally write to the service authorities once a PAW closure application is received. If one of the service authorities advises it has major services within the PAW that cannot be readily modified or moved, then you may need to reconsider making an application for closure, as closure could not be supported.
As a PAW is a public facility, it is important for people who use the PAW to know that there is a proposal to close it.
Generally, if an accessway forms part of a strategic link to community facilities such as bus routes, railway stations, shops or parks, or if it forms part of a safe and convenient pedestrian/cyclist network, it is unlikely the closure will be recommended. If there is evidence of unacceptable nuisance suffered by residents’ due to improper use of the PAW or anti-social behaviour, the City may support closure provided the accessway does not form part of a strategic link.
If Council supports an application, the City will write to the adjoining landowners. They will be informed about Council’s decision and advised that the DPLH will now be asked to determine the proposal. It takes approximately nine months to obtain a Council decision on PAW closure application. If Council does not support an application, the PAW cannot be closed. In accordance with the City’s policy, a new application may be submitted to Council for reconsideration no less than 18 months after the date of the original decision.
Council and DPLH both need to support the application for closure.
If the DPLH does not support an application to close a PAW, the closure cannot proceed. Once the City has received the DPLH determination, it will write to the adjoining landowners to advise them.
At least one adjoining landowner at each end of the PAW must agree to buy the land and pay all associated costs involved. If this agreement is not reached, it is not possible to close the PAW. The City will write to all adjoining landowners when it receives an application to close a PAW to find out if they support the closure and if they would be interested in purchasing a portion of the PAW.
The land that makes up the PAW is Crown land and the DPLH is responsible for providing land valuations. If closure goes ahead, it must be purchased and amalgamated into the adjoining landowner’s property. The DPLH will only provide land valuations once the closure application has been approved. However, the cost of the land is generally market value.
Once a decision is made to close a PAW, DPLH will advise the landowners of the actions needed to formally close the PAW, which includes an application to the Western Australian Planning Commission (WAPC) for the amalgamation of the land. This process adds to the time it takes to close the PAW and, again, all costs must be borne by the applicant(s).
More information and contact
For further advice on closure of public accessways and roads, contact the City's Customer Care team on 9400 4000 or email info@joondalup.wa.gov.au.