New fast-food outlets and drive-throughs in Mosman Park would be kept at least 400m from schools under a draft planning policy the Town of Mosman Park council has voted to put out for public comment.
Councillors unanimously endorsed draft Local Planning Policy No. 50 – Fast Food Outlets and Drive Through Premises at their ordinary council meeting on Tuesday 27 October 2026, clearing the way for community consultation before the rules can be finalised.
What the policy proposes
The draft sets out where fast-food outlets should and should not go across the riverside town, and what developers will need to provide when they apply. As PerthNow reported, key elements include:
- no support for new outlets within 400m of a primary or secondary school, other than in specific circumstances;
- consideration of how close a proposal is to childcare centres, recreation facilities, public open space and homes;
- avoiding an excessive concentration of outlets in any one area;
- no additional outlets on Stirling Highway unless they form part of a high-density, mixed-use redevelopment;
- on-site space for queues of at least 10 cars at drive-throughs, without spilling onto roads, laneways, parking or footpaths;
- possible limits on trading or delivery hours near homes, screened bin areas, and restrained signage and lighting.
Applicants may also need to supply traffic, acoustic, litter, landscaping and pedestrian movement reports, along with a map of existing fast-food outlets and sensitive land uses within 400m.
Why the town wants it
According to the council meeting agenda, town staff identified a gap in Mosman Park's planning framework for assessing new fast-food outlets, or upgrades and extensions to existing ones. Without a local policy, applications would be assessed largely against zone objectives and the State's design principles.
Under the town's Local Planning Scheme No. 3, a fast-food outlet is a discretionary use in the Commercial and Centre zones and is prohibited in the Mixed Use zone and all other zones. Depending on a project's value and the pathway an applicant chooses, a proposal could be decided by the town, a Development Assessment Panel or the State Development Assessment Unit.
The agenda report says the policy is also meant to protect land near the Mosman Park train station, the town centre and Stirling Highway for future housing, so that stand-alone "box" developments do not undermine plans for higher-density, mixed-use precincts. Staff said they drew on similar policies at the City of Rockingham, the Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale and the City of Greater Geraldton.
The report notes a local planning policy cannot impose mandatory requirements. Decision makers must give it due regard, but retain discretion when assessing an application.
A health angle
The town has linked the draft policy to its Public Health and Wellbeing Plan 2026–2031, which recognises the role of land-use planning in supporting healthier communities.
Mayor Paul Shaw, quoted by PerthNow, said the policy built on the town's existing restrictions on alcohol, gambling and fast-food advertising.
"(The draft policy) strengthens our focus on healthier communities." — Paul Shaw, Town of Mosman Park mayor
He said it would also help make sure housing was located where it best served the community.
What happens next
The draft policy is open for community feedback through the town's Your Say page until 18 November 2026. A hard copy is also available at the town's administration office. Submissions will be considered and the policy may be changed before it returns to council for formal adoption.
The policy would not close any existing outlets, but it would guide any future proposal for a new fast-food outlet or drive-through in Mosman Park, as well as upgrades and extensions to existing ones. With Stirling Highway and the train station precinct earmarked for more housing, it also signals the kind of development the town wants to see along one of Perth's busiest western suburbs corridors.
Photo: Orderinchaos via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0). File photo (2012) of Stirling Highway, Mosman Park.
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