City of Mandurah backs $12m waterfront plan

The City of Mandurah has backed a $12 million plan by Fremantle-based retail property investor Silverleaf Investments to build a six-storey shopping precinct and apartments on the town’s waterfront.

The development application, lodged by Meyer Shircore Architects on behalf of Silverleaf, comprises a mixed-use development featuring a restaurant, five offices, a shop and 30 serviced apartments at the site of the Smart Street Mall.

The proposal is earmarked for three lots spanning 1,200 square metres on Mandurah Terrace and Smart Street.

It builds on the city’s $22 million Mandurah Waterfront Project, a series of infrastructure and amenity upgrades designed to drive investment in the city centre, create more local jobs and draw more tourists.

The development is one of the first to be proposed at the site under the city’s updated precinct plan.

Fifteen submissions were received during the public consultation period for the project, with some residents raising concerns about the height and scale of the building, subsequent overshadowing and the impact of the development on the character of the coastal town.

Despite the height proposed exceeding the limits outlined by the city’s own planning scheme, officers said the plan aligned with the future vision for Mandurah and recommended it be conditionally approved.

A final decision on the project is expected to be made when the Metro Outer Joint Development Assessment Panel meets next week.

Silverleaf, spearheaded by Gerard O'Brien, owns and manages 6,000 hectares of farmland in the Avon Valley and several shopping centres, with more than 350 retail and industrial tenants.