Planning and development
The 220-kilometre city: Why Western Australia is giving up on infill
Mining billionaires might have made the state wealthy, but it’s developers’ decades of wheeling and dealing that continue to have the most impact on daily life.
- by Sarah Brookes, Hamish Hastie and Jesinta Burton
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Perth
Perth councils set to lose development approval powers in major reforms amid housing crisis
Decisions on bigger projects will go through beefed-up development assessment panels which developers will be able to access more easily thanks to a lower development application value threshold of $2 million.
- by Hamish Hastie
How to make Perth more family-friendly: Fewer ‘plastic fantastic’ playgrounds and big ovals
You know the drill: walk your kid to the local and get bored out of your mind, or all pile in the car in search of a better experience. But is there another way?
- by Emma Young
The construction boom has eased, so why are Perth new builds still so expensive?
“There’s a dramatic decline in the number of building approvals, so if that’s the case you would think that builders would have to get more competitive, but unfortunately ... that hasn’t really [made] an impact.”
- by Hamish Hastie
Locked and loaded: Controversial Fremantle police station gets the green light
Despite “unprecedented” pushback from the community and in the face of the unanimous objection of City of Fremantle councillors, WA Police’s new headquarters in the port city was approved by the state government’s development panel.
- by Mark Naglazas
People power(less): Freo has rejected its new cop shop, but who’s listening?
Fremantle’s WA Police Complex goes before JDAP on Friday. Will they listen to councillors and residents, who are demanding the $100 million edifice go somewhere else?
- by Mark Naglazas
South Perth ‘timber tower’ gets tick as panel overrides council
Is this 51-storey South Perth record-breaker an environmental marvel, or an undercooked overdevelopment? It depends who’s talking, the developer or the council.
- by Emma Young
South Perth’s 51-storey ‘timber tower’ faces knockback
The tower will be the tallest of its kind in the world, with most of its occupants sharing a fleet of electric vehicles. So, what’s the problem?
- by Emma Young
Concrete jungle: Plan to convert Perth car park to tower clears hurdle
Plans to turn a 1980s car park to a 19-storey apartment and office tower in a “significant regeneration” project have got the City of Perth’s blessing.
- by Jesinta Burton
Andrew Forrest gets green light for $30m Cottesloe heritage site facelift
One of Cottesloe’s oldest homes is set for a facelift and a new mansion next door courtesy of its new billionaire owner Andrew Forrest.
- by Jesinta Burton
Centre stage: How WAAPA’s move into the heart of the city will reshape Perth
Thirteen hundred performing arts students will be moving into Perth. Will the ever be the same again?
- by Mark Naglazas