Perth skyscraper plans in limbo as height ruling delayed
A high-rise project in Perth remains in limbo after a planning commission delayed ruling on possible height limits.
Developers Golden Group hope to build a series of skyscrapers up to 53-storeys high on the Belmont Park Racecourse site, on the Great Eastern Highway, but the West Australian Planning Commission was reportedly set to cap the height at 30 storeys.
But the commission recently asked for further information from the state architect and the City of Perth before making a decision, according to the minutes of a meeting.
A planning officer had recommended that the commission endorse the plan subject to conditions including a reduction of the maximum building height to 30 storeys.
Perth’s tallest building is Central Park on St George’s Terrace at 51 storeys.
Golden Group’s plans include 4,500 new dwellings, 31,000 square metres of retail space and 60,000 square metres of office space all on 22 hectares.
The $3.5 billion plans were designed by architect firm Foster + Partners.
The project design consists mainly of residential towers between four and 13 storeys tall with a few taller towers up to 53 storeys high.
A spokesperson from Golden Group was unwilling to talk about the project but confirmed the group was waiting on the commission's ruling.
Golden Group managing director Andrew Sugiaputra had previously said that according to the state government’s 2031 document, more than 320,000 dwellings were needed to cater for Perth’s growth, with 47% provided by infill development in the metropolitan areas.
“Extensive public consultation had been undertaken by our team and relevant stakeholders have provided support for our development in its current form,” Sugiaputra told The West Australian.
Sean Morrison, chairman of Future Perth, a development advocacy group in WA, said any height limits imposed would be an outrage.
“It seems to me that some bureaucrats have plucked this 30-storey limit out of the air to try and maintain the Perth CBD’s phallic bragging rights,” he told The West Australian.
“We don’t have caps on urban sprawl so why should we have caps on inner city residential developments?”
The site is three kilometres east of the Perth CBD, just over the Swan River.
The state government is spending $140 million rebuilding the nearby train station which also service Burswood Casino.
The site, in Burswood, is currently one of the two major horse racing venues in Perth.
The median unit price in Burswood is $697,500 according to RP Data, dropping 5.4% over the past year. The median asking rent is $380 per week, giving a gross indicative yield of 2.8%
The median house price is $789,000, increasing 11.3% over the past year. The median asking rent for houses is $1,050 per week, giving a yield of 6.9%.
Premier Collin Barnett had hoped to use the site to build a new 60,000 seat stadium, but has shifted plans to south of the Graham Farmer freeway.
Any height limits would be in stark contrast to the direction Melbourne is taking, with state planning minister Matthew Guy recently approving the tallest building in the southern hemisphere.