perthwaterfront.com.au

01.]: What are the main benefits?
02.]: What is the Government and Private Sector's anticipated investment?
03.]: How much will the project cost taxpayers?
04.]: What are the time frames for development?
05.]: Who is behind this project?
06.]: Who is designing the development?
07.]: Do the design renderings represent the final building designs?
08.]: Will the Perth Waterfront block views from Kings Park?
09.]: What is the make-up of the area?
10.]: What are the main land uses?
11.]: Why this much development?
12.]: What is the function of the tall tower right on the water?
13.]: How much public green space will be lost to this project?
14.]: What would happen to ANZAC Day and other Esplanade Events?
15.]: How will the project affect other major events?
16.]: Will public access to the area be restricted?
17.]: Will the Heritage of the area be recognised?
18.]: How is Aboriginal heritage being incorporated into the project?
19.]: Will the Esplanade Trees remain?
20.]: How will Perth Waterfront integrate with the PCEC?
21.]: How will the project affect the Bell Tower precinct?
22.]: Does the project affect the City of Perth's proposed 'culture precinct'?
23.]: Are residential apartments compatible with night activities?
24.]: Will there be permanent boat moorings or marinas?
25.]: Why not sink Riverside Drive?
26.]: What is proposed for Riverside Drive?
27.]: What are the major changes to the foreshore road network?
28.]: How will the road modifications affect traffic?
29.]: How will sea level changes affect the Mounts Bay development?
30.]: Will the circular water body in the middle be able to be kept clean?
31.]: Will the area be too windy for major public spaces?
32.]: Has the community been consulted on the development?
33.]: Has the environmental impact of the project been assessed?
34.]: How can I record my thoughts on the project?
35.]: What happens next?

Perth waterfront answers:

What are the main benefits?

The new development will:

be a gathering place for the people of WA
boost tourism and the reputation of Perth
revitalise an under-utilised area and help to energise the Perth CBD
attract and retain workers
capitalise on the excellent public transport access - rail, bus, ferries.
create more than 5,000 construction jobs and;
create almost 25,000 ongoing jobs in the project area.

02	What is the Government and Private Sector's anticipated investment?
	At this early stage it is anticipated that the Government will invest $300million into the Stage1 public infrastructure which is expected to be funded by the sale of development sites. This would leverage a collective private sector contribution of between $2-3billion overall.

03	How much will the project cost taxpayers?
	The Perth Waterfront will create a major public asset to be largely paid for by the sale of development sites rather than diverting funds from other Government priorities. The project feasibility will not be determined until a final plan is prepared following the public consultation period - however it is possibly a cost-neutral project to the taxpayer.

What are the time frames for development?

Key timings are:

The statutory approval phase would likely take 36 months, however efforts will be made to shorten that timeframe.
Stage 1A development starts with the Esplanade area in mid 2011, together with an expanded Supreme Court Gardens.
Stage 1B is the main waterfront circle constructed between mid 2012 and mid2013.
Stage 2 - Mounts Bay would be developed from 2016.
A full build-out is expected to take 15 - 20 years depending upon economic conditions at the time.

Who is behind this project?

The project is managed by the State Government's property developer LandCorp and will be mainly developed by the private sector under strict development conditions.

This plan has the combined support of the State Government, City of Perth, WA Planning Commission and the Department for Planning and Infrastructure, and is underpinned by a thorough feasibility process.

06	Who is designing the development?
	A highly experienced consultant team is working collaboratively to deliver a feasibility and project development strategy to the State Government. A design consortium headed by Ashton Raggatt McDougall together with Professor Richard Weller, Roberts Day Group, Hocking Planning and Architecture and Occulus has been appointed to develop the project concepts.

Do the design renderings represent the final building designs?

The design renderings are a preliminary indication of what the built form could look like. However, the final designs of the buildings are likely to change.

All built form development proposals within the project area will be subject to strict controls and will be required to meet high quality design requirements, addressing not only the aesthetics of the development but also sustainability and how the development will promote and enhance the public realm.

08	Will the Perth Waterfront block views from Kings Park?
	The project should add to the vista from Kings Park with its interesting shapes and structures and reduce the dominance of the PCEC. The buildings on the Mounts Bay foreshore reduce in height with gaps between. There is a potential cable car link to the foreshore. No element of the Perth Waterfront development will block the view of the sunrise on 25 April each year State War Memorial at Kings Park.

What is the make-up of the area?

Buildings = 8.4ha
Public Areas = 7.7ha
Roads = 4.4ha
Water area = 2.1ha

TOTAL = 22.6ha

What are the main land uses?

The overall theme is mixed-use.

The new development will be a gathering place - a central hub - for the people of WA. The ground level will be highly public and provide opportunities for active uses including retail, services, hospitality (restaurants, cafes, bars, and short stay/hotel accommodation), cultural, leisure and recreational pursuits.
The project will encourage the development of the next generation of office buildings through environmentally sustainable design. This will enable the central business area to grow in a way that includes office and business as a part of a rich activity mix rather than in separate zones.
The proposed inner city living component would take the form of apartments, to boost the inner city residential population and help enliven the city. The Perth CBD is under-populated compared to other cities - this project would add 5,000 people to the current central population of 12,500.

Why this much development?

There are several reasons:

Only a large population of people will create a fully energised precinct - the project will inject around 25,000 workers, 5,000 residents and 1,000 hotel occupants into the area, and many more daily visitors.
The Perth Waterfront will ensure the future growth of the central city. In particular there is a lack of larger sites in the CBD to cater for the next generation of major office buildings beyond those currently planned.
Businesses such as restaurants require a permanent year-round population to trade successfully, hence the need for residential and hotel accommodation as well as world class facilities to appeal to metro, regional, national and international audiences.

12	What is the function of the tall tower right on the water?
	The building is intended to be a world class architectural design. The top of the building will be specifically designed for public access to allow locals and visitors to experience the magnificent views of the entire city, stretching from Rottnest Island to the Hills. The tower building is designed to also offer a mix of hotel accommodation and apartments. The ground level could also feature significant public space.

13	How much public green space will be lost to this project?
	The circumference of Perth Water contains 137ha of publicly accessible grassed areas. Following the implementation of the Perth Waterfront project, the area of grass will be reduced marginally by 2.8ha, however will be replaced by 2.4ha of very usable, higher quality, urban waterfront public space for the community's enjoyment.

14	What would happen to ANZAC Day and other Esplanade Events?
	They would relocate to a revamped Supreme Court Gardens in attractive, expanded facilities. Consultation is taking place with the RSL to ensure the best possible opportunities are created to celebrate this very important day in Australia's national heritage.

15	How will the project affect other major events?
	The new waterfront environment will support the major national and international events such as Australia Day fireworks and the Red Bull Air Race by providing facilities for the public before and after these events.

16	Will public access to the area be restricted?
	There will be full public access to the area including the entire river foreshore.

17	Will the Heritage of the area be recognised?
	The waterfront area has tremendous cultural importance to the Aboriginal community and European settlers who landed in this area. The heritage of the area is not well celebrated at the moment, leaving the opportunity for much greater recognition of the importance of the area in the project design.

18	How is Aboriginal heritage being incorporated into the project?
	LandCorp's consultation with the appropriate representatives of the Aboriginal community has begun. The river and foreshore areas have significance to the Aboriginal community - the project team will work to help identify appropriate ways of communicating these.

19	Will the Esplanade Trees remain?
	Development has been set back on both William and Barrack Streets to enable a majority of the existing trees to remain.

20	How will Perth Waterfront integrate with the PCEC?
	A proposed building at the Esplanade Station would provide key linkages from the PCEC concourse and bus station to the Esplanade station and waterfront areas.

21	How will the project affect the Bell Tower precinct?
	The project will bring the city closer to the river and be taming the traffic flow, the Barrack Street jetty traders will benefit from increased visitor numbers.

22	Does the project affect the City of Perth's proposed 'culture precinct'?
	The design concept has been discussed with the City of Perth, which views the project as complementing their plans for a cultural precinct.

23	Are residential apartments compatible with night activities?
	Most cities in the world have a vibrant mix created by residents living in central locations. Those who chose to live in this area will do so because of this lifestyle choice and will be well informed about after-hours activities. Building guidelines will also mandate minimum noise insulation requirements - here are many excellent techniques available.

24	Will there be permanent boat moorings or marinas?
	No - the plan envisages a range of casual moorings for anyone to use on a temporary basis.

Why not sink Riverside Drive?

There are several reasons why not:

The Graham Farmer Freeway (GFF) was originally constructed to relieve pressure on Riverside Drive caused by regional bypass traffic (eg traffic not using the city)
The estimated cost is several hundred million dollars to sink the section through the project
Riverside Drive traffic volumes are no higher than other city streets - 27,000 vehicles per day (vpd) vs St Georges Terrace - 25,000 to 30,000 vpd
It is busy only for short peak periods.
The ramps required for a tunnel would sterilise large areas from safe crossing and be a visual blight.
It would attract more traffic, reversing GFF benefits by placing pressure back on the Causeway and at-grade sections of Riverside Drive.

What is proposed for Riverside Drive?

As follows:

Riverside Drive will be slowed down and treated as a shared zone for vehicles and pedestrians through the project.
It will change from being a freeway on-ramp to a 4-lane City Street similar to St Georges Terrace or William Street - you wouldn't sink those streets so you don't need to sink Riverside Drive
It is expected to reduce the through-traffic - which would choose other routes such as the GFF.
Street treatments such as flat kerbing that will allow Riverside Drive to be closed for special events creating better open spaces onto the water.
There will be a number of pedestrian crossing points provided with traffic lights.
Comparison with streets immediately adjacent to Federation Square in Melbourne is no different:
- Flinders Street - 46,000 vpd (6 traffic lanes plus 2 tram lines)
- St Kilda Road - 35,000 vpd (6 traffic lanes plus 2 tram lines)

What are the major changes to the foreshore road network?

Changes to the road network include:

Closure of the direct Mitchell Freeway connections to Riverside Drive
Consolidation of the Kwinana Freeway entry ramps from Riverside Drive and Mounts Bay Road to a single intersection
Opening of William Street to two way traffic
Opening of Mounts Bay Road between Spring Street and the Esplanade to two way traffic; and
Opening of The Esplanade to two way traffic.

How will the road modifications affect traffic?

The modifications will

reduce through traffic,
improve pedestrian amenity and safety
Be supported by the excellent public transport and pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure

29	How will sea level changes affect the Mounts Bay development?
	An allowance for possible sea level rise in the coming century is included. The buildings will be around 3 metres above the current day mean sea and river water level. This is higher than some existing riverside developments and will provide additional security against any river flooding of the development.

30	Will the circular water body in the middle be able to be kept clean?
	Yes - the water body is connected to the river and is designed to flush.

31	Will the area be too windy for major public spaces?
	No - the circular space is designed to moderate the wind and create more protected spaces than are currently possible.

32	Has the community been consulted on the development?
	Extensive consultation has occurred with key stakeholders. The community has been exposed to the concept of this development for over 20 years. The public comment period for the design concept closes on March 25.

Has the environmental impact of the project been assessed?

The environmental impact of the development will be assessed as part of the statutory approvals process. A range of design requirements in the planning for buildings will reflect the most up to date sustainability innovations.

The development of the Perth foreshore area will actually improve the quality of water entering the Swan River as more appropriate drainage and storm water management and recycling will be provided.

A full environmental report will be collated by experts to advise the best way to accommodate wildlife needs.

34	How can I record my thoughts on the project?
	There will be a number of opportunities for community feedback during the formal planning process. The first of these opportunities, which called for comments on the initial Perth Waterfront masterplan design concept, was held over a 6-week period from February 13 to March 25 2008. Over 1,300 individual comments were received from members of the public, with further submissions from various groups and organisations. The results are being compiled and analysed but initial indications suggest overwhelming support for the redevelopment of the Perth Waterfront area. We would like to extend a huge thank you to all those who took the time to submit their comments.

What happens next?

Comments that were received as part of the 6-week initial public comment period are currently being assessed. All of the key themes raised will be summarised in a report, anticipated for completion by June 2008.

All feedback is invaluable in helping shape and refine the Perth Waterfront concept plan. As a result of the comments received during the public comment period, there will be a design review of the concept plan. It is anticipated that the full planning process, which includes detailed design, zoning changes, environmental, heritage and a range of other approvals will commence mid 2008. To stay up to date with the project please visit www.perthwaterfront.com.au


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