Murdoch Activity Centre – Cost Benefit Analysis in support of Optimal Development

The City of Melville has been active in ensuring that the current planning for the Murdoch Activity Centre (MAC) provides the foundations to support the long term vision for optimal development of this strategic specialised centre.

In support of this objective, the City commissioned a cost-benefit study examining infrastructure costs to support an optimal development scenario versus sub optimal development of the MAC. 

The study demonstrates, at optimal development levels, the MAC would be expected to return overall marginal benefits in the order of two to three times the amount expended on supporting infrastructure.

Key benefits were identified with respect to reduced congestion, improved accessibility to jobs and services, housing affordability, reduced infrastructure pressures across the network and benefits of collaboration and agglomeration.

The City’s examination of wider costs and benefits associated with differing development scenarios at MAC is pertinent to the current discussion with respect to provision and timing of supporting infrastructure.

Traffic studies indicate the road network at Murdoch will be severely congested with the opening of the Fiona Stanley Hospital in 2014, with failure of the wider network by 2021.

The City is making the findings of its cost benefit analysis available to inform this discussion and to emphasise the wider benefits of providing a level of infrastructure capable of supporting optimal development.