Frequently Asked Questions

Construction working hours are 7:00am – 7:00pm, Monday to Saturday - excluding public holidays.

From time to time, construction works will be required to be performed outside of hours. In these instances, an approved permit will be granted by the City of Perth and adjacent properties will be provided with advance notification.

The development is jointly funded by the Federal and State Governments, with equity contribution from the Community Housing Provider’s investment partner.

As the population continues to grow, DevelopmentWA understands that there is a need to contribute to a diverse range of quality housing options across Western Australia. In accordance with State Government policy, DevelopmentWA’s approach ensures a minimum of 20 per cent social and affordable homes in Government residential developments. Given the current demand, the State Government is focused on the delivery of new social and affordable housing that is well-located close to public transport, services and employment centres.

Social housing is the broad term that refers to homes that have subsidised rental and are provided to eligible low-income members of the community. Social housing includes public housing, which is managed by the Department of Communities, and community housing, provided primarily by non-government organisations referred to as Community Housing Providers. 

In support of the State Government’s commitment to deliver more social and affordable housing, we are working with the Department of Communities to identify and fast-track new development sites, as well as seeking innovative solutions to enable delivery. Working with a Community Housing Provider enables great opportunity for innovation in service delivery through the knowledge and experience of the community housing sector. DevelopmentWA aims to establish a sustainable and replicable build-to-rent model for the future provision of social and affordable housing in WA.

This is an established model in other countries and has been applied in the eastern states, where people experience rentals as forever homes that are managed by larger organisations that can manage the risks and opportunities associated with at-scale rentals more easily than ‘mum and dad’ investors. This means the project will provide long-term, secure rentals – a rental can truly be a home.

Rents are subsidised, based either on a discount to market rent or as a percentage of household income. Affordable housing rents will be set at less than 75% of market rent. There will be clear income eligibility criteria for accessing a subsidised rent home in the building.

Tenants are viewed as customers, and are supported in a holistic way to ensure their long-term tenure and stability. The mixed tenure model provides people with the opportunity for aspiration – for example, to be able to move from being a social housing tenant into affordable or market housing without disrupting their lives by being forced to move out of their home. Another benefit of the build-to-rent model is that its housing is likely to be maintained to a high standard, as building owners know that they will own the building for a long time and will be able to negotiate better deals with maintenance companies for timely repairs.

Community Housing Providers offer responsive, resident-centred tenancy and property management services and are committed to creating sustainable tenancies and building resilient, inclusive communities. They have extensive experience working with a range of service providers to support people facing challenges to their tenancy. Community Housing Providers are considerate of matching people to appropriate housing and integrating a placemaking approach to set people up for success.

DevelopmentWA is developing an inner-city, high-rise apartment complex on the northern portion of Lot 52 (195) Pier Street, Perth. The development will incorporate a mix of social, affordable, disability and market rental housing, to be owned and operated by a Community Housing Provider and their investment partner.

The development aims to create a new inclusive, diverse, thriving community on the fringe of the Perth CBD, offering a high quality and well-designed, high-rise apartment building.

The development features:

• A high-rise 29-storey apartment building, delivering 219 apartments, comprising:
  
  • 66 (30%) social homes
  • 44 (20%) affordable homes
  • 109 (50%) market rentals, including 10 Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) apartments
• A 3,099 square metre site (including a future Stage 2 opportunity)
• Close proximity to public transport, employment, shops and schools
• Access to some of Perth's best lifestyle attractions, including Yagan Square, Northbridge entertainment precinct, WA Museum Boola Bardip and RAC Arena.

The development will see the implementation of an innovative model for the State Government's delivery of affordable and social housing in collaboration with the community housing sector, providing long-term, stable leases and support for vulnerable residents.

As a pilot for the WA State Government, the project aims to establish a sustainable and replicable build-to-rent model for the delivery of social and affordable housing. It also aims to contribute the State’s much-needed housing stock, in particular, social and affordable housing for Western Australians in need.

DevelopmentWA is responsible for the construction of the building, which will be sold to a Community Housing Provider upon its completion. The Community Housing Provider will have an office presence onsite.

Construction will commence in September 2024, with an estimated 2.5-year construction schedule. Practical completion is anticipated by mid-2027.

The lot will be subdivided and developed in two stages. Stage 1 will be on the northern lot, comprising the proposed build-to-rent development. Stage 2 is a future development opportunity on the southern lot.

The development will contribute to the State’s much-needed housing stock in this challenging market, in particular, social and affordable housing. The State Government has invested a record $3.2 billion in housing and homelessness measures since 2021-22, which has already added more than 2,200 social homes, with a further 1,000 social homes currently under contract or construction throughout Western Australia.

The development is in line with the State Government’s Housing Strategy 2020-2030, which aims to provide Western Australians better access to affordable housing close to where they work and play.

DevelopmentWA is delivering 195 Pier Street as part of the government’s investment in housing. The development is aimed at building liveable and connected communities, close to transport infrastructure and employment. Tenants will have long-term rental opportunities and excellent access to public transport, employment opportunities and entertainment/sporting precincts – maximising their lifestyle choices and ability to gain and retain employment. These opportunities, as well as close proximity to the CBD, will be particularly beneficial for essential workers in the CBD.

The site is 200m north-west of McIver Train Station and 400m north-east of Perth Train Station and Perth Busport. It is close to Perth CBD, Yagan Square and Northbridge retail, dining, and entertainment. The location provides extensive employment opportunities such as Royal Perth Hospital, State Government departments, retail and hospitality. The site is also accessible to cultural facilities including HBF Stadium, the WA Museum Boola Bardip and Perth Cultural Centre.

The development will help to uplift the eastern end of the CBD, bringing life, vibrancy and activity into the CBD and surrounds, enabling activation of a site that has been dormant for many years.

The Pier Street project is expected to support approximately 1500 jobs during construction.

DevelopmentWA consults with local Prescribed Body Corporates regarding Aboriginal heritage on all of our sites. DevelopmentWA is committed to ensuring that cultural heritage is an important part of our processes for all of our projects.

An Activity Notice for the Pier Street site has been obtained, with consultation occurring with the appropriate Aboriginal groups. There are no recorded Aboriginal heritage values for the site.

Some minor soil remediation works are required to remove the top layer of fill on the development site, which will occur prior to the commencement of construction.

While development approval was previously granted in 2019 for a Build-to-Sell development, the current Development Application is for the Build-to-Rent development. This was approved by the City of Perth in April 2024.

The land is restricted to mixed commercial/residential use - for the construction of a multi-storey building, consisting of commercial uses and car parking at ground and podium levels, with residential premises on upper levels. The site’s proposed use is compatible with the existing, adjacent land uses (high density student and residential housing, businesses).

The development is planned to comprise 30% social housing dwellings, with the balance being affordable and private market rental homes (inclusive of specialist disability accommodation). The development will deliver a total of 219 high-rise apartments, comprising:

• 66 (30%) social homes
• 44 (20%) affordable homes
• 109 (50%) market rentals, including 10 Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) apartments

Construction impacts such as noise, vibration, dust and traffic changes will be managed though a range of approvals, guidelines and local government-approved management plans. Mitigation measures, such as monitoring and controls, will be in place to minimise inconvenience while still allowing the works to progress. The project team is committed to providing adjacent properties with advance notification of construction impacts and how these impacts will be managed.

Traffic management along Pier Street will be in place for the duration of construction works, and from time to time, public traffic movements will be temporarily paused by traffic controllers for a short period whilst construction vehicles are being brought into and out of the site and crane lift movements are in operation.

During major activities such as tower crane installation and demobilisation, there may be road closures and diversions in place. In these instances, appropriate approvals will be obtained and advance notification to impacted properties and road users will take place.

Pedestrians may be diverted to the eastern side of Pier Street during construction working times. Construction works will not affect access to any adjoining businesses and they will be able to remain open and operate as normal. DevelopmentWA is working closely with adjacent businesses to minimise disruption to their operations during construction.

The project team appreciates the works may have an impact on nearby residents, businesses and the local community. The works will be undertaken under strict approvals, guidelines and approved construction management plans. Mitigation measures will minimise any inconvenience while still allowing the works to progress.

The project team is working closely with key stakeholders, including adjacent businesses and residents and the City of Perth, to collaboratively manage and minimise construction impacts. The project team is committed to providing adjacent properties with advance notification of construction impacts and how these impacts will be managed.

Key stakeholders and the local community will be kept informed about the construction impacts, hours of work, project schedule and the achievement of key project milestones, through a range of communication tools, including a dedicated project web page and project updates.

People may register to receive project updates by clicking here. 

For enquiries or feedback, please contact the project team:

• Phone - 1800 413 120 (Monday - Friday, 8.30am-5:00pm)
• Email - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• Website - developmentwa.com.au/projects/residential/pier-st/overview

People may register to receive project updates via the following link:

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