Large land releases on the outer fringes of Perth – including in East Wanneroo where the state government plans to build 50,000 homes – will add to the sprawl.
Large land releases on the outer fringes of Perth – including in East Wanneroo where the state government plans to build 50,000 homes – will add to the sprawl.
By Holly Thompson
August 9, 2025 — 3.00am
Perth residents are more likely to build a home further from the city centre, new data shows, as the state’s population balloons and household budgets shrink.
The area with the most new building approvals for January-June 2025 was in Wanneroo, followed closely by the neighbouring Swan, then Mandurah to the south, further increasing urban sprawl.
Large land releases on the fringes – including in East Wanneroo where the state plans for 50,000 new homes in 50 years – will add to those numbers.
Greenfield suburbs remain more affordable than inner-city counterparts and are popular with young families, migrants and first-home buyers.
But they can be disadvantaged in terms of services, including public transport, schools and hospitals.
UDIA WA executive director of strategy and policy Sarah Macaulay said greenfield house and land packages are Perth’s fastest supply response to sudden spikes in housing demand.
“Like much of the country, Perth and WA is experiencing a housing supply crisis, and all levels of government and private industry need to be working together to unlock supply in both greenfield and infill locations to meet ongoing demand,” she said.
“It is no secret that Perth is one of the longest cities in the world. The reality is that much of Perth’s growth has followed the coastline to our west, and the darling scarp to the east. These natural barriers have channelled urban growth to the north and south.
“For many years, greenfield development has offered affordable, attractive homes for people seeking what has traditionally been viewed as the great Australian dream of their own home on their own, green title lot. Many master-planned communities offer excellent schools, recreation areas, sporting facilities, shops and other amenities in close proximity to people’s homes.”
Curtin University School of Design and Built Environment urban and regional planning associate professor Dr Garry Middle said he believed the East Wanneroo development was in an ideal location to support an increased population, given it was close to existing amenities in Joondalup.
“You have three options when it comes to housing more people – lengthening the city, often referred to as sprawl, creating infill or widening existing growth corridors,” he said.
“The latter option, like the East Wanneroo development plan, is ideal as you have existing infrastructure close by.”
Middle said this was “unlike Ellenbrook which was built in the middle of nowhere”.
He said the residents who would be moving in to the first three East Wanneroo precincts the WA Planning Commission approved last week would not overstrain the nearby infrastructure.
But with 28 precincts in total planned, there would come a point when more would be needed.
“The benefit of such a significant development is that it will take 50 years and at some stage the growing population will justify an extension of facilities, but there is time to plan for it,” Middle said.
“It is manageable if it is done properly between local and state government, they just need to make sure they are ahead of it and monitoring what is happening.”
Middle also said the benefit of building close to Joondalup was that it had always been destined to become a “second CBD” for Perth’s growing northern corridor.
“You need to allow for local employment and services for 150,00 people and there is enough space in Joondalup for this growth,” Middle said.
Planning and Lands Minister John Carey said the government had learnt from past planning mistakes in Ellenbrook – where the long-awaited train line, first promised to residents in 2008, eventually opened 16 years later, in 2024.
Planning for that region started more than 30 years ago and Carey said there had been “significant improvement since then in the way we go about detailed planning for communities, including for services and amenity such as public open space.”
He said the state government was doing “everything it can to ensure every West Australian has a home” which included pushing for greenfield development.
“East Wanneroo will provide affordable new options for families and first-home buyers at a time we need it most,” he said.
“Our government is working hard to release land for new homes and plan for vibrant and well-serviced communities.”
He said an infrastructure contribution plan for the full East Wanneroo district was being prepared to help fund future community facilities.
“Each precinct that is to be developed will be guided by a local structure plan that sets out internal road networks, transit corridors, public open space, parkland links and identifies future school sites and areas of environmental value to be retained,” Carey said.
He said a draft local structure plan for precinct three had been lodged with the City of Wanneroo and subject to endorsement by the City, would be referred to the WAPC for consideration.
Carey said the state government supported housing across the continuum.
“In Perth’s growing northern corridor this includes new estates in East Wanneroo as well as increasing infill in existing suburbs like Joondalup,” he said.
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Holly Thompson is a journalist with WAtoday, specialising in education.Connect via Twitter or email.
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