The recent announcement by WA Government to expedite housing around key train stations is a welcome signal. But as anyone who’s delivered in precincts knows: planning frameworks don’t build homes - feasibility, infrastructure and governance do. Here’s our take, distilled for action.
The 3 Realities that will shape outcomes
1. Feasibility is still the gatekeeper
Some of the nominated stations sit in areas the market simply won’t support medium to high-density housing without incentives.
The western suburbs will definitely see traction, but that alone won’t deliver broader affordability.
Construction costs for multiple dwellings remain elevated, with only a handful of WA apartment builders and labour tied up in other sectors of the market.
Meaningful financial incentives that can adequately address the cost of construction should be considered in areas where there is currently market failure for multiple dwellings.
2. Infrastructure: the missing puzzle piece
A train station is just the start. Utilities, local upgrades, public realm and access networks shape feasibility far more than zoning alone.
At Redcliffe Station Precinct, TBB’s long-term work reinforced that supporting infrastructure is essential for unlocking actual development, not just planning frameworks.
The planning and funding of this infrastructure is a critical question that will arise in all of the identified station precincts, and one we anticipate will require legislative change and strong collaboration between State and local government.
3. Governance determines speed (and speed shapes value)
Improvement Schemes can be strong planning instruments, but only when the preparation of the planning framework keeps pace with policy ambition.
Developers planning in these locations should expect movement, but also uncertainty, until the State clarifies who leads what and how fast decisions will flow.
Delivery at scale will need:
- Sharper governance and clear leadership in decision-making
- One team coordinating planning and service upgrades across agencies
- Resourcing to run multiple precincts in parallel (not sequentially).
What this means across the network
- Several precincts already have advanced local frameworks. This work could and should underpin the preparation of Improvement Plans and may ultimately provide a suitable alternative pathway to an improvement scheme.
- Heavy rail is the backbone, but mid-tier transit and buses must stitch stations to universities, centres and jobs to make density liveable and viable.
- Community trust matters. Early, practical education around ‘what changes, what stays and why’ will reduce delays and align expectations with long-term benefits.
Our view on next steps
- Start with readiness, not rhetoric. Package each priority precinct with a funded infrastructure schedule, clear staging and approval pathways.
- Use Improvement Plans strategically to plug into existing local work where station precinct planning frameworks have already been advanced.
- Back early-phase delivery with targeted financial incentives in weaker markets to bridge construction costs and de-risk pre-sales.
- Establish a central coordination unit to oversee multi-precinct programming, data sharing, and decision-making.
If you’d like to talk through what this means for your next project, reach out to your usual TBB contact.
Planning frameworks don't build homes - feasibility, infrastructure and governance do.
3 min read
