WA Suburb Profile: South Melbourne

STATE SPOTLIGHT: WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Suburb Report: Scarborough Western Australia Auction Schedule Cedar Woods Buys $28m Site Western Australia Listings

Home to one of Perth’s most adored beaches, Scarborough is an attractive and lively coastal suburb around 12km northwest of Perth’s CBD. From sunrise to sunset, this residential hotspot is teeming with people from all over the city, enjoying the active yet laidback scene. Surfers, cyclist and families intermingle at hip cafés, parks, retail strips and (of course) the beach, while the more hedonistic keep the vibe going right into the late night.

RESIDENTS

Scarborough’s median age of 34-years has remained consistent from 2011 to 2016, compared to the rest of WA; 36-years and AUS; 38-years. Census data reveals an overall increase in population by 8.4% to 15,467.

Overall 26.5% of the population in Scarborough are between the ages of 25 and 34, and when compared with the rest of the state, there are a lower proportion of people aged above 45. Adding to this, there is a higher proportion of couples without children and young emerging families compared to the rest of WA.

CULTURE

It’s hard to talk about this suburb without first discussing Scarborough Beach. An abundance of the social activity throughout

the year is centred around its Indian Ocean coastline, as revellers and relaxers enjoy every aspect of its offerings from dawn until dusk.

Inland, families and sports enthusiasts are appeased with a selection of parks and reserves. Additionally, there are two primary schools, a library and a community recreation centre.

The sought-after hillside streets off Scarborough Beach Road offer stunning views amid 60s-era houses, post-war red-brick dwellings, 90s townhouses and recent development projects.

PRICE

Houses: Over the past three years, median house prices have remained reasonably steady, decreasing 1.6% to $738,000 amidst a series of minor rises and falls. However, the number of sales has risen from 153 sales in October 2017 to 206 sales in January 2019. The weekly median advertised rent is currently $500.

Units: Median unit prices have experienced an overall decrease of 5% over the past three years. Similarly to houses, the number of unit sales has seen a consistent increase, albeit not including a rather weak January, with 224 sales in November 2017 and 270 sales in November 2018. The weekly median advertised rent is currently $400.

SIGNIFICANT PROJECTS

The Beach Shack: Developer Norup + Wilson, along with Plus Architecture, are bringing this two building, mid-rise apartment development to Scarborough’s shore (171 West Coast highway). With expected completion in July 2020 the towers will have nine and eleven storeys respectively, offering a total of 99 dwellings.

Iconic Scarborough: This new $450 million, mixed-use development is being managed by 3 Oceans Property and designed by Hillam Architects. The multi-faceted two-tower project (43 and 33 storeys) will offer 314 apartments, a 119-room hotel, a 900-person convention centre, 2,982sqm of retail space, a three-level public observation deck with restaurant and exhibition space, and 720 car spaces plus a further 313 public car parking bays.

Situated on the former Contacio site at 10 Scarborough Beach Road, this project is currently in construction phase.

The Beach Shack.

Image Credit: Plus Architecture

SUBURB REPORT: SCARBOROUGH