Planning tick for bigger complex of ‘affordable’ units in affluent Perth suburb
An apartment building in the affluent suburb of Nedlands has been successful in its bid to boost unit numbers by more than a third to combat escalating construction costs and the state’s housing crisis.
The empty block at 95 Broadway was originally approved as a five-story, 38-apartment building in 2020.
95 Broadway (top, near) viewed in context with neighbouring developments.Credit: DAP presentation documents
But despite two-thirds of residences being sold off-the-plan, “unprecedented construction cost escalations” saw the project become financially unviable.
In a pitch to get the now seven-story, 60-apartment complex – including 20 studio apartments – approved, representative for the landowner Paul Simpson told Wednesday’s Metro Inner Development Assessment Panel meeting the proposal presented entry-level market opportunities.
“This pivot addresses a discernible demand for compact, attainable housing within this key quadrant of Nedlands, adjacent to UWA, the nearby QEII Medical Centre and public transport corridors,” he said.
“The resulting price-point, being significantly below $1 million for most dwellings, aligns with pressing social needs for affordable, high-quality housing, particularly for younger buyers.”
It also includes a mix of one, two and three-bedroom apartments with 64 car parking bays, one commercial office, a gym and residents’ lounge.
The development is being spearheaded by 95 BP Pty Ltd, which records obtained from the corporate regulator show is entirely owned by Melbourne-based developer Ying Zhang.
Zhang was also behind an eight-storey, 45-apartment proposal approved in September a short distance away at 89 Broadway.
Both 95 and 89 Broadway form a cluster of recently approved high-density residences, with others at 91 Broadway (seven storeys) and 81 Broadway (nine storeys).
The development application at the centre of the most recent approval was originally rejected by planners in June over height concerns.
But at Wednesday’s meeting, planners said the “attractive” and “well-designed” application would become an asset to the locality.
“I think the ripple effect it will have on the housing market and property supply goes quite deep, it will go right across the metropolitan area,” panel member John Syme said.
“More of this type of development is going to be common along both sides of Broadway which is going to become quite a handsome boulevard.”
Panel member and City of Nedlands deputy mayor Kerry Smyth voted against the approval in preference of the City of Nedland’s recommended deferral.
A deferral of 140 days was recommended by the city to see the landowner reduce the height of the building and increase the street, rear and side setbacks to separate the building from its neighbours and increase light.
Smyth also voted against an August approval of a 10-storey 27-apartment block off Stirling Highway, expressing frustration at delays in the WA planning system to limit building height in the area.
She said the delayed enactment of two local planning frameworks which impose eight and nine storey maximum height limits was leading some Nedlands councillors and the community to feel that their concerns were being ignored by state planners.
There is a trend emerging among Perth developers fighting to squeeze more units and floors into high-rise buildings in an effort to offset rising construction costs
On November 28, a South Perth high-rise was pulled back from the brink of collapse after a mercy plea to add six more units to the tower, for a total of 115, was granted.
The $150 million Lumiere apartment tower needed to increase its height by 0.97 metres – to 101 metres – and cut apartment size and commercial tenancies to make room for the additions.
In a last-ditch pitch to the Metro Inner Joint Development Assessment Panel, developers reasoned that without increasing the number of apartments the project would fall over.
Read more: