The City is home to one of the fastest growing populations in Perth. Our population was 171,588 in 2023 and it is expected to soar to almost 300,000 by 2050.
We are focused on making sure current and future communities have the infrastructure they need to enjoy living, working and thriving in Swan.
We will continue to advocate, coordinate and deliver to meet the changing needs and aspirations of our growing community.
The Built Environment KRA covers three main outcomes:
- Planned and facilitated growth: Create community places to live, relax and work.
- Infrastructure that meets community need: Manage current and future assets and infrastructure.
- Community access: Advocate for and provide sustainable transport solutions.
The seven primary services that help us deliver our Built Environment KRA outcomes are asset planning and management services, building approval services, design and project delivery, construction and maintenance, fleet and depot, planning approval services and strategic land use services.
Other services that help us deliver this KRA include park and reserve maintenance, natural area management, leisure services and economic development.
| SCP Objective | SCP Measure | SCP Target | How we are tracking |
|---|---|---|---|
| B1.1 Create community places to live, relax and work | % of community who like living in their area | Maintain above 85% | 95% in 2024 95% in 2023 |
| B1.1 Create community places to live, relax and work | % of community satisfied with streetscapes and public spaces |
Maintain above 70% | 64% in 2024 65% in 2023 |
| B2.1 Manage current and future assets and infrastructure | % of community satisfied with roads | Maintain above 70% | 83% in 2024 83% in 2023 |
| B2.1 Manage current and future assets and infrastructure | % of community satisfied with community buildings |
Maintain above 70% | 79% in 2024 80% in 2023 |
| B2.1 Manage current and future assets and infrastructure | % of community satisfied with the City’s management of heritage |
Maintain above 70% | 84% in 2024 84% in 2023 |
| B2.1 Manage current and future assets and infrastructure | % of community satisfied with ovals and outdoor sports facilities | Maintain above 70% | 77% in 2024 81% in 2023 |
| B2.1 Manage current and future assets and infrastructure | % of community satisfied with parks | Maintain above 70% | 79% in 2024 81% in 2023 |
| 3.1 Advocate and provide sustainable transport solutions | % of community satisfied with ease of movement between points of interest | Maintain above 70% | 76% in 2024 75% in 2023 |
| B3.1 Advocate and provide sustainable transport solutions | % of community satisfied with footpaths | Maintain above 65% | 73% in 2024 76% in 2023 |
| B3.1 Advocate and provide sustainable transport solutions | % of community satisfied with cycle network | Maintain above 65% | 75% in 2024 75% in 2023 |
Planned and facilitated growth
We need sound planning processes in place to make sure our growing community has everything it needs now and into the future to live comfortably and thrive.
We have a range of strategies in place to support our future growth and guide the creation of vibrant community places where we can live, relax and work together.
In 2024, we reviewed and drafted an update on our Local Planning Scheme, which guides how land in the City is used and developed and includes provisions to coordinate infrastructure and development.
We reviewed Midland and Ellenbrook parking to address growing parking pressures, particularly with the impending opening of the Ellenbrook train station. Our Ellenbrook Parking Strategy was approved by Council in May 2024 and we are currently seeking community feedback on our Draft Ellenbrook Town Centre Parking Management Plan.
Our Midland Parking Plan and Ellenbrook Payment in Lieu of Parking Plan is currently being prepared to address parking shortfalls in future potential developments in Midland.
We reviewed local area plans for Upper Swan, Gidgegannup, Bullsbrook and Swan Valley to get a better insight and understanding of each community’s priorities to help us plan for the future.
Our environment is extremely important to us and our community, so we are focused on increasing our tree canopy across the City. Our Draft Tree Retention and Management Local Planning Policy will guide us through protected tree criteria, tree removal exemptions and the assessment and management of protected trees during the structure planning, subdivision and development application stages.
We meet regularly with various State Government departments, agencies and other stakeholders to discuss the supply and servicing of health and education, infrastructure and utilities so we can share information, advocate and help prioritise funding projects.
We have successfully created and maintained an environment our residents enjoy, with 95 per cent of our community telling us they liked living in their area in 2023 and 2024. This figure is well beyond our 85 per cent target.
Our advocacy efforts have paid off with regular meetings with the State Government resulting in the commitment of $288m towards crucial infrastructure.
Sixty-four per cent of residents were satisfied with streetscapes and public spaces, which is below our target of 70 per cent. We are working on making improvements in this space to increase our community’s satisfaction.
Our Draft Local Planning Scheme No. 18 will be advertised early in 2024/25, before a report on submissions and recommendations is presented to Council later in the financial year. Once approved by Council, it will be submitted to the WA Planning Commission for consideration, endorsement and gazettal.
We are developing a consolidated parking approach for the City which will guide all of our future parking management plans. After this guide is adopted by Council in August, we will develop parking plans for Guildford, Malaga and other areas where required.
Once our Swan Valley Local Area Plan (LAP) is finalised, we will prepare separate LAPs for Malaga and Ballajura. Annual updates will be posted to our website to keep our community up-to-date on their progress.
We are having conversations with Development WA and working on a Precinct Structure Plan for the Midland Activity Centre to make sure Midland is ready for the opening of the new train station.
We will update our sustainable growth model to track the City’s economic sustainability and inform infrastructure and employment centre expansion advocacy. This is important in enabling the growth of employment centres and employment in general.
We have developed a detailed analysis of future road and rail requirements in Bullsbrook and North Ellenbrook that will support future residential and industrial growth and the expansion of the State’s freight network.
This will inform advocacy discussions to be held throughout 2024/25 with relevant State Government agencies such as Main Roads WA, Water Corporation, Western Power, and the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage.
The City will continue to routinely meet with various State Government departments, infrastructure suppliers, industry bodies and developers to advocate for and deliver enabling infrastructure and services for our residents, businesses and visitors.
Infrastructure that meets community need
The City’s asset planning and management services, design and project delivery, and construction and maintenance services are key to the management of current and future assets and infrastructure to meet community needs and improve quality of life.
With such a diverse range of cultural and demographic groups in our community, it is our responsibility to make sure each has their needs met now and into the future.
To support the delivery of our outcomes and ensure we are planning for the future, we have developed asset management plans, local area plans, a City-wide community infrastructure plan and more.
It was a big year for boosting our community’s health and wellbeing with the completion of two major sport and recreation projects.
We opened the $30m Dayton District Open Space which features sports pavilions, youth facilities, sports ovals, hockey fields, netball courts and other play areas.
We also cut the ribbon on the $30m Swan Active Midland refurbishment after upgrades to the gym, indoor pools, sports courts creche, changing rooms and more.
Our road networks are also a major focus for us as we work towards better connectivity, less congestion and safer roads.
The $71m Stock Road extension was opened to the public, improving connectivity, diverting trucks out of the Bullsbrook townsite, and unlocking significant commercial development opportunities for surrounding land.
After the installation of local area traffic management (LATM) measures in Midland and Ballajura in 2023, we have completed LATM studies for Beechboro, Kiara and Lockridge, which will soon be presented to Council.
Our Safe Active Street proposal is gaining traction and has received a WA Bike Network Grant. We successfully consulted the community on the proposal to connect the Tonkin Highway pedestrian shared path and Ballajura Central Shopping Centre, which will also provide better pedestrian/cycle access to the Ballajura train station.
Our Community Infrastructure Plan (CIP), which outlines our methodology and principles for planning to meet community needs, will soon be presented to Council. Once adopted, it will be uploaded to our website and projects of significance will be mapped on the City’s projects in your area page.
Our commitment to providing the best heritage management, road connectivity, community facilities sport and recreation facilities has paid off.
Our community is very satisfied with how we manage heritage (84 per cent), our roads (83 per cent), buildings (79 per cent) and parks (79 per cent).
Seventy-seven per cent of our community is satisfied with our ovals and outdoor sporting facilities.
We will continue striving to boost our community’s health and wellbeing as we progress the Swan Active Ellenbrook project, start construction on the Ellenbrook Community Hub and complete the Ballajura Intergenerational Playspace this financial year.
Construction of the Gnangara Road duplication from Pinaster Parade to Henley Brook Avenue will start this financial year, including a second carriageway to ease traffic.
Works will progress on the Safe Active Street project, which will be designed in 2024/25 and delivered in 2025/26.
Community access
In order to thrive in Swan, our growing community needs easy access to schools, employment, parks and recreation – whether by road, rail or path.
We prioritise sustainable transport solutions, and we advocate for the State and Federal governments to help us deliver these solutions.
METRONET’s Morley-Ellenbrook railway line and the new train stations that come with it will be transformative for public transport in Swan. They will significantly increase connectivity for our community.
We will continue to work with and provide assistance to projects teams including contractors, the Public Transport Authority and Development WA, to do what we can to make sure these projects run smoothly and on time.
We are engaged with the State Government about our Cycle Plan, specifically the proposed cycle connection between Whiteman Park Station and West Swan Road and funding for cycle access to the new METRONET stations for the next four years.
Our extension of the Whiteman Park tram to Whiteman Park train station will promote heritage, sustainability and tourism.This project will see a new tram platform built south of the METRONET Whiteman Park station, using approximately 85 per cent recycled materials. The tram is expected to be operational when the METRONET Morley-Ellenbrook Line opens later this year.
We are developing Safe Active Street projects in Guildford and Ballajura as part of our infrastructure plan to increase accessibility and safety.
Our community has recognised our efforts to create an accessible and connected City, with 76 per cent satisfied with ease of movement between points of interest. This has increased from 75 per cent in 2023.
They also gave our cycle networks and footpaths the tick of approval with 75 per cent and 73 per cent satisfied, respectively. These are well above our target of 65 per cent.
In 2024/25, we will examine our long-term transport infrastructure planning as part of the five-year review of our Local Planning Strategy.
We will build on the detailed analysis of future road and rail infrastructure requirements in Bullsbrook and North Ellenbrook and continue to advocate and collaborate with State Government agencies.
