The current plan for the Melville City Centre was set to expire in October 2025. However, a request has been submitted to the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage (DPLH) to extend the plan for an additional two years, allowing time for the necessary review process. Under planning regulations, these types of plans are required to be reviewed every 10 years.
Recent development proposals in the Booragoon precinct highlight the need for an up-to-date planning framework to guide informed decisions on future developments. Notably, an expansion of Westfield Booragoon was approved in February 2023, which includes retail growth, additional car parking, and public realm enhancements.
In addition, we have committed to developing a new library and cultural centre within this precinct.
In Western Australia, a Precinct Structure Plan (also known as an Activity Centre Plan - ACP, or Structure Plan) plays a critical role in shaping the development of mixed-use areas such as city centres, town centres, and other hubs of activity.
These plans help ensure that development within these centres occurs in a coordinated, sustainable and strategic manner. They set the framework for managing growth and development, ensuring it aligns with the strategic objectives and community needs over time.
The Plan must:
- Comply with state and local planning policies
- Promote sustainability
- Support community well-being
- Address transport, infrastructure, and public space needs
- Encourage economic growth
- Accommodate population changes
- Ensure development is appropriately scaled and integrated with its surroundings.
The Booragoon Precinct (previously known as the Melville City Centre) is classified as a ‘Secondary Centre’ under the State Planning Framework.
A Secondary Centre is multi-purpose, offering a diversity of uses, services, facilities and employment opportunities. They perform an important role in the regional economy and provide essential (day-to-day) services to their residential catchments (typically up to 150,000 people). They have a medium to high density urban area within the core, with activated pedestrian-friendly street frontages and public spaces. This is typically surrounded by low to mid-rise buildings, pedestrian scale streets and landscaped character.
Other examples of secondary centres in WA include Claremont, Cockburn, Karrinyup, Leederville, Kwinana, Subiaco, Victoria Park and Whitfords.
The Booragoon Precinct boundary, as shown on the map below, is located between Marmion Street North, Riseley Street, Davy Street North and Almonbury Road in Booragoon.
The review has commenced, and at this stage no individual has been appointed by the City to lead its development.
The final decision for the Plan rests with the Western Australian Planning Commission (WAPC) in consultation with the City and relevant State agencies.
The final decision maker for the Master Plan of the City’s landholdings is the City of Melville.
The preliminary engagement for the Booragoon PSP was undertaken as a separate project from the LPS6 review. LPS6 applies to the entire City of Melville and proposed changes to R-coding near, but not within, the Booragoon PSP boundary. While LPS6 includes density coding for the centre, it relies on the Melville City Centre Structure Plan to guide detailed development controls within that area. The formal review of the Booragoon PSP, which will update the Structure Plan, will separately address development controls for the precinct. Although these processes are managed independently, related issues were acknowledged and considered during the preliminary engagement. Further information is available on the LPS6 engagement page.
Local Planning Scheme 6 engagement