Rockingham apartments get under way

Diploma Properties has joined the ranks of WA developers capitalising on the demand for apartments along Rockingham's waterfront, with plans to launch a new project later this year.

The company will build 60 apartments on a 5,600 square metre site it bought from LandCorp in April, located opposite the Rockingham Oval on Flinders Lane.

While plans are yet to be finalised, the building will contain a lifestyle retreat for residents, located on the top floor, with facilities including a spa and barbeque area.

It will overlook LandCorp's redevelopment of the oval, called Rockingham Waterfront Village, which will contain 100 apartments and 59 houses when complete.

Diploma's project is the latest addition to a wave of new apartments in the Rockingham Beach Road precinct and adjacent streets.

Developer Paul Ogilvie, director of DevX Pty Ltd, is one of the main players in the area, preparing two sites for development.

The first of these, formerly home to the Ramada Hotel, was zoned to allow a 12-storey building under a now-expired development application.

The company is believed to be awaiting a decision from Planning Minister Alannah MacTiernan on whether the DA can be revived, to overturn the current height limit of eight storeys, which applies along the foreshore.

DevX owns another site adjacent to Cedar Woods' Aria apartments (pictured) on Rockingham Beach Road - the first in the area when it was built in 2002 - which is yet to be awarded development approval.

Mr Ogilvie is also understood to hold the seabed lease at the end of Wanliss Street, where he hopes to construct a marina.

To be a smaller scale version of Hillarys Boat Harbour, the marina would feature a number of boat berths and some retail space.

The project is believed to be awaiting environmental assessment from the Department for Planning and Infrastructure.

At the opposite end of the foreshore, the mooted Point Perron marina is also awaiting environmental review.

If constructed, the marinas would bookend the CBD foreshore area.

Meanwhile, SDR Australia has been appointed as construction manager for a mixed-use development on the old Commonwealth Bank site.

The eight storey building will contain ground floor commercial space and residential units above, and is currently under construction.