HIGH RISE IS HERE TO STAY So by now it’s pretty clear that the State Government are not going to back down on their insistence on infill on the city’s doorstep so the discussion now should be around what, where and how. My belief is that the placement of high rise apartments should only be allowed where there is no destruction of established homes, no immediate impact on peoples present living circumstances, and where the demographic is relevant. Right now what seems appropriate and pretty obvious for placement of high rise and apartment living that does not destroy the lifestyle of present residents would be the land at Montario Quarter which is presently being developed, the old TAFE site which has done nothing for anyone for over a decade or more, land around the Subiaco Oval and the most obvious - the old Princess Margaret Hospital site. Now if we can’t reach our infill obligations in those areas, then there is something seriously wrong with planning in general. It seems no one can really explain why we have infill obligations of these proportions anyway - I mean who made them up in the first place? And based on what? The other thing I feel strongly about with developers is that they should ‘give back’ something to
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the community. It’s not “ok” to just throw up a high rise with no thought to how people will move around it, shop or what communal benefits there will be, and most of all how it will impact surrounding residents. Well, now thankfully at least the Pavillion Market Site is going to be turned into a drawcard for Subiaco if the new proposed complex goes ahead. This is a great example of
reason to come back to Subi and this is great news. This will put us right “up where we belong” when it comes to being one of WA’s top destinations. Yes, it’s going to need some extra height to make it viable but let’s face it - once you have 16 storeys you may as well have 24, and there will be a lot fewer apartments, just larger ones which will fill a need for downsizers from large Western
At last there can be a vibrant hub of markets, cafes, eclectic shopping, and interesting laneways... “giving back” to the community - something that has long been lacking in Subiaco - and the absence of which has been the downfall of Subiaco. At last there can be a vibrant hub of markets, cafes, eclectic shopping, and interesting laneways that will be a weekend drawcard for non-locals and an active hub all week for the nearby residents. It will give people
Suburb homes who right now have very few options. It will be like Crawley but with all the facilities at your doorstep and bring a great new demographic into Subiaco to help the restaurants, bars and retail.
quality, attractive, community orientated, sympathetic with our suburb, and generous. I will pick this any day against 16 storeys of cheap, unattractive rubbish that we were destined for before Paul Blackburne acquired the site as the result of a last minute Malaysian withdrawal. If I was Paul I would be really nervous about “getting it right” and placating the aggravated locals who have been looking at this eyesore for over a decade. From what I’ve seen so far this is a huge step in the right direction so let’s now support this option on this very important site that no one else has been able to make viable and look forward to the creation of a quality, well thought out, active destination that will attract tourists and locals alike and bring our beloved Subiaco back to life!
by
Niki Peinke
Real Estate Advisor
So, I believe we should all back this concept if we want something on this site that is
212 Nicholson Road, Subiaco 9388 3988 niki@thepropertyexchange.com.au