Fremantle Council recommends improvements to Davis Park structure plan

Fremantle Council has put forward a number of recommendations on how plans for a major redevelopment of Davis Park in Beaconsfield could be improved.

The Davis Park precinct is an area of 10 hectares of land bounded by South Street, Lefroy Road, Caesar Street and Fifth Avenue consisting of mostly state-owned social housing.

The proposed redevelopment aligns with the Department of Communities’ policy to decentralise large pockets of social housing and redevelop the land to create a range of more diverse and affordable housing options. 

The structure plan submitted by the Department of Communities includes three distinct residential precincts and a mixed-use commercial precinct, and shows details such as where roads and public open space will go.

Fremantle Council last week recommended the Department’s structure plan for the project be approved, but with a number of modifications.

Fremantle Mayor Brad Pettitt said the council’s recommended changes to the structure plan reflected the feedback received from the local community.

“That part of Beaconsfield is pretty old and run down so we welcome that fact that the Department of Communities is looking to redevelop it,” Mayor Pettitt said.

“As part of the broader vision outlined in the Heart of Beaconsfield masterplan, we see Davis Park as being an important residential and commercial centre along the South Street rapid transit corridor.

“This ties in with our push to get light rail or trackless trams running along South Street between Murdoch and Fremantle, as well as our desire to see greater density and housing diversity in Fremantle.

“It makes a lot of sense to have a higher number of dwellings next to key transport routes, where people can walk to the shops, walk to the park and catch public transport into town.

“We will continue to work with the Department of Communities to ensure the Davis Park project delivers a good outcome for residents and the community.”

Redevelopment of the Davis Park area is a key part of the broader Heart of Beaconsfield planning project, which will guide the redevelopment of surrounding areas like the Lefroy Road Quarry and the former South Metropolitan TAFE site.

As the authority responsible for local planning, the City of Fremantle’s role is to assess the Davis Park structure plan and make a recommendation to the WA Planning Commission, which will make the final decision on whether the plan is approved or not.

A key recommendation from the council is for the structure plan to specify a minimum of 550 dwellings in total for the project, and also a minimum number of dwellings in each precinct, to ensure the desired residential density is achieved.

Another recommendation is the inclusion of objective statements to provide greater certainty and guidance as to what is trying to be achieved in each precinct, and the inclusion of sustainability design requirements for lower density development.

The council has also recommended a reduction of the retail floor space proposed for the new local shopping centre as the area is already well serviced and an additional shopping centre of the scale proposed in the structure plan is not required.

The WAPC will consider the council’s recommendations and make a final decision on the structure plan in the next few months.