Burswood project gets green light

The State Administrative Tribunal’s recent approval of an $80 million 12-storey development for Hawthorne Place in Burswood has set the wheels in motion for a transformation of the Causeway precinct.

The approval is a small victory for developer Campion Design Group and its client, Avalon West Pty Ltd, which has watched as tensions escalated between Town of Victoria Park council members and a group of local residents over height issues, resulting in the rejection of the proposal in March.

Avalon West member Julius Solomons told WA Business News he had been confident from the beginning about the appeal’s chances.

“Had we done something wrong like proposed a 15-storey building then we would suffer the consequences, but we stuck with the rules and consulted with every division of the town and every authority and we still had to go through this,” Mr Solomons told WA Business News.

“It’s cost us $150,000 a month in rising construction costs plus another $70,000 to $75,000 in legal fees.”

Avalon West bought the 4,486 square metre site at 2 Hawthorne Place in 2000. It plans to build a 12-storey residential tower comprising 31 two-bedroom and 40 three-bedroom apartments adjacent to a four-storey building with 1,721sq m of office space.

Campion Design Group managing director Andrew Campion said the project would be a significant addition to the Causeway precinct.

“The tribunal found that our submission complied with the council’s urban design study and zoning guidelines for the precinct, and would make a positive contribution to the urban environment,” Mr Campion said.

The soon-to-be named project will join at least two residential/ commercial developments mooted for the Causeway precinct, which is currently characterised by low-scale warehouses and service industries.

Private developer Mimi Wong is understood to be proceeding with a 12-storey mixed-use development on the Sands & McDougall site at 53-63 Burswood Road, while next door at 43-47 Burswood Road, Campion Design Group has another residential project called ‘Gateway’, which it has designed for a Perth-based Singaporean client.

The client is refurbishing an existing four-storey office building on the site and will shortly begin construction of two, 12-storey towers featuring 68 apartments, which have almost sold out off the plan.

Also active in the area is residential developer Finbar, which is in the preliminary design phase for a seven-storey mixed-use residential and office development on the Nutrimetics site at 59 Albany Highway.

Town of Victoria Park manager of planning and development services, Rochelle Lavery, said the rejuvenated Causeway precinct would be a significant office/residential node close to the city and would play a major part in connecting the Burswood peninsula.

“It’s totally underutilised now, but in time you will see lot more interest in that area as those Vic Park people with significant land assets begin to consolidate,” Ms Lavery said.

Council is in the process of conducting a review of its Causeway Precinct Plan, in consultation with its Design Review Committee, ahead of planned public consultation in the New Year.

Ms Lavery said the town hoped to issue a building licence to the Hawthorne Place applicants in time for Christmas.