Rockingham is shaking off its industrial image with a massive council works program and a number of residential and commercial developments concentrated on its foreshore precinct.
Rockingham is shaking off its industrial image with a massive council works program and a number of residential and commercial developments concentrated on its foreshore precinct.
Rockingham’s proximity to major industry has tarnished its reputation somewhat, but mayor Barry Sammels said people were now buying million dollar apartments there and tourists were flocking to the city’s beaches.
“With industry comes job creation and we’re seeing this convert to lower unemployment levels. Land is still reasonably priced so young families are increasingly attracted here, making the average age of residents about 32 years.” Mr Sammels said.
Rockingham’s current population of 85,000 is forecast to reach 240,000 by 2025, and the city is busy planning for its future on the back of a $96 million council budget.
Council is investing $22 million in a new regional sport and recreation centre at Lark Hill, incorporating $8 million club rooms, a horse racing academy and cricket pitch.
A further $4.5 million is being spent on the development of a two-storey community centre on the site of the 45-year-old Flinders’ Hall, complete with conference facilities, arts exhibition space, and a re-located tourist authority.
Developers are currently eyeing city foreshore sites occupied by shops and bars along Rockingham Beach Road, with the potential for multi-storey projects between five and eight storeys.
Listed Perth-based developer Cedar Woods was an early entrant to the Rockingham market, building the 10-storey, 43-apartment Aria tower on the foreshore in 2002.
Cedar Woods chief executive Paul Sadleir said that, before its Aria development, the company’s board was sceptical of the potential market for high-rise in Rockingham.
“The board was not sure what the response would be because, at the time, the Rockingham area was not as highly regarded as other coastal towns,” he told WA Business News.
“They wanted to be convinced there was a market there, so we did some preliminary design work and teaser ads and were very encouraged by the response from locals and the ‘lock and leave’ buyers.”
After strong sales of Aria, the company launched stage one of its mixed-use Nautilus project on a neighbouring lot, building a 12-storey, 62-apartment complex that has almost sold out.
To the rear of the complex, work is under way on 24 apartments in Nautilus 2, a four-storey residential/commercial project fronting Kent Street, which has sold out.
Local developer Paul Ogilvie of DevX is another to move early in the coastal city, having built the eight storey Sails apartments in 2004, followed by the smaller Seaside apartments to the rear.
His latest development along the strip is Spinnakers, a seven-storey residential complex featuring 23 apartments, all of which have sold off the plan.
DvX is also behind a plan for a jetty complex at the bottom of Wanliss Street featuring 4,000 square metres of commercial space and 460 boat pens.
At nearby Mangles Bay, council has undertaken a strategic environmental review and spent $750,000 on a plan to build a marina, with the final decision resting with the state government in the new year.
Plans are also in place to realign the causeway between the city and Garden Island to open up the groyne and allow for improved water filtration into the sound.
Mr Sammels said Rockingham’s status would continue to rise with the opening of the Perth-to-Mandurah rail line, the completion of a $100 million expansion to Rockingham City Shopping Centre and more residential lots being released to market by the state government and private developers.
