A new social housing development in Greenfields that is hoped to ease housing pressure in Mandurah has been approved by the Metro Outer Joint Development Assessment Panel.
The $11 million development by non-profit social and affordable housing developer Housing Choices WA was unanimously approved at the February 14 meeting.
Plans for the 4839sqm vacant site on Montsalvat Drive, behind the Mandurah Greenfields Shopping Centre and opposite Kangaroo Paw Park, will comprise 28 apartments and seven townhouses separated into four blocks surrounding a communal garden.
The development ranges from two to three storeys tall and includes one, two and three-bedroom dwellings.
A report by City of Mandurah staff said Housing Choices WA would retain the development long-term, which would use a build-to-rent model with tenants.
The model has previously been used in upmarket areas of Perth, including Subiaco, Scarborough and Shenton Park.
However, the Greenfields development will focus on affordable housing, with Housing Choices WA’s national parent body, Housing Choices Australia Limited, already managing 22 per cent of social and affordable homes in WA, accommodating nearly 3000 vulnerable people across the Perth, Peel and South West regions.
The company received an $8.14m grant in 2022 as part of the State Government’s Social Housing Economic Recovery Package to build the Greenfields homes, along with properties in Falcon and Viveash.
Belle Smithies, from Rowe Group, presented to the panel in support of the application and said it was hoped the development would contribute to easing housing affordability in Mandurah.
“The area is recognised as being affected by particularly low housing affordability,” Ms Smithies said.
“In 2016 … the WA Housing Authority ranked the City of Mandurah as second for social housing demand and fifth for affordable housing out of all the State’s metro local government areas.
“In the context of such high demand, the site was identified as being well placed for a community housing development given its proximity to public transport and connections to a range of services.”
The assessment panel unanimously approved the development, which was moved by City of Mandurah mayor Rhys Williams and seconded by deputy mayor Caroline Knight.
Mr Williams thanked Housing Choices WA for implementing a “quality” development.
“Housing is a real challenge for the Mandurah community, and so we’re really delighted to see this outcome,” he said.
“And I have to say, my particular gratitude goes to the proponent for putting forward a development that serves an important social challenge but also seeks to do that in a dignified way, which is actually a really lovely development.”
The development was approved despite having five visitor parking bays when six were required, and concerns raised in the city’s report that the minimum storage area for the three-bedroom townhouses was less than what was needed under the residential design codes.
Acting MOJDAP deputy presiding member Lee Donohue proposed amending a condition that planning approval would be valid for two years. The approval would lapse if development had not “substantially commenced” in that time.
Ms Donohue proposed changing the period to four years to align it with other development applications approved by the panel, which was carried unanimously.