The Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA WA) has released a new report that identifies critical infrastructure requirements across three key growth corridors in Perth, which if funded could unlock land to bring forward supply and ultimately facilitate the delivery of close to 90,000 new homes.
The Growth Areas Infrastructure Requirements Report identified that an investment of $421 million in strategic, enabling infrastructure would unlock land to catalyse the delivery of new homes in North Ellenbrook & Bullsbrook, East Wanneroo, and East Wellard & Mundijong. These growth areas could ultimately accommodate up to 90,000 new homes but development is currently constrained by infrastructure needs.
The types of infrastructure requirements identified predominantly include wastewater pump stations and trunk mains, power substations and feeder networks, and intersection and road upgrades.
“UDIA WA is committed to providing specific, targeted recommendations that will support private industry in delivering the homes we need, to the people that need them, faster,” UDIA WA CEO Tanya Steinbeck said.
“WA has the fastest growing population in the country, there are plenty of job opportunities and our economy is strong,” Ms Steinbeck said. “The problem is we just don’t have the housing to adequately accommodate people.”
“Our Pre Budget submission late last year, and our recently launched State Election Campaign, identified how crucial it is that infrastructure coordination, funding and delivery align with development pipeline intentions for undeveloped urban zoned land and potential future urban land,” Ms Steinbeck said.
“That proper coordination would enable early planning and greater certainty for residential projects and more efficient delivery of much needed homes,” Ms Steinbeck said.
“This report takes our initial recommendations a step further, providing additional detail around what immediate priority enabling infrastructure is required and the initial investment needed within the next term of Government, as well as longer term infrastructure requirements,” Ms Steinbeck said.
The infrastructure requirements identified in this report are items/packages where Industry believes there is a direct correlation between the infrastructure funding and accelerated delivery to market, and there is currently no funding committed (unless otherwise stated in the report).
“There is a misconception here in Perth that land that has been zoned for urban or future urban use is plentiful and easy to bring to market, particularly in new (greenfield) areas,” Ms Steinbeck said.
“The reality is, there are a myriad of constraints on this land from infrastructure to environmental constraints,” Ms Steinbeck said.
“We need to overcome the infrastructure constraints in these three key areas through planning, coordination and delivery of infrastructure at the right time to catalyse development for the creation of new homes,” Ms Steinbeck said.
To identify the critical infrastructure building blocks for key growth areas, a Working Group was formed with members of UDIA WA’s Infrastructure and Masterplanned Communities committees. It comprised developers, engineers and planners to ensure broad expertise and a holistic view.
The Working Group analysed different development areas across the Perth Metropolitan region which could deliver significant housing supply but that were constrained by a lack of infrastructure.
The intent is for the report to be regularly refreshed for infrastructure requirements in other growth areas including Yanchep, Wungong, Karnup and the South West region to be considered further.
In launching the report, Ms Steinbeck noted the importance of delivering housing choice across a range of areas in Perth.
“While this report focuses on the delivery of housing supply in new areas, we absolutely recognise that infill development is a critical piece of the housing supply puzzle,” Ms Steinbeck said.
“However, the constraints on infill development are different in nature, and our Infill Development and Precincts Committee continues to also identify opportunities to increase the viability of medium and high density infill projects and accelerate the delivery of supply in that sector as well,” Ms Steinbeck said.
UDIA WA’s 2025 State Election Campaign features a range of recommendations to get the homes we need, on the ground, faster.
Read the UDIA WA Growth Areas Infrastructure Requirements Report.