In 2023 the Shire of Capel employed Element Advisory to help them better understand the issues, interconnections and relationships throughout their district and to create their inaugural Place Plan, establishing a place-based approach to planning.

Positioned within enviable proximity of both Bunbury and Busselton, on one of the principle routes between Perth and the south-west, the Shire is experiencing increasing pressure to expand its small rural localities to meet the growing housing demand. A place-based approach to the region’s planning will provide the place-defining guidance needed to ensure that, as the Shire adapts to this growth and the changing needs of its existing community, the unique qualities of each locality are retained and enhanced.

The Shire of Capel is a multi-faceted region that encompasses expansive beaches, winding rivers, ancient forest, remote rural farmsteads, tight-knit village communities and active suburban neighbourhoods. The Place Plan brings these diverse qualities together in an overarching Sense of Place and establishes a set of Place Themes and guiding Place Principles that assist in defining the priorities for each of Capel’s Localities.

This Place Plan was defined through extensive in-person and online engagement with the community living and working in the Capel region. People of all ages and from all the localities contributed to the place definitions and the priorities captured in the Place Framework. Working with the Shire the document is aligned to the wider strategic policies and departmental objectives.

The Place Plan (2023-2027) is currently in draft awaiting Council adoption.

Element Advisory delivered community and stakeholder engagement to inform the definition of the whole Shire district and each individual locality. Wadandi Elder, Zac Webb, provided insights into the First Nation connection to the land within and around Capel. Through this engagement, site explorations and further research we created summary understandings of each locality which were verified by the local government staff.

Our team drew on their combined skills in urban design, architecture, community engagement and graphic design to create a thorough Place Framework that will guide the future delivery of services, infrastructure and activation across the Shire and establishes an approach that can be expounded through complementary design guidance for specific localities.