PROPERTY company Australand has received a boost to its plans for higher-density development at its Jindowie project in Perth’s northern coastal corridor, with confirmation from the state government that a railway station will be built at South Yanchep.
While the timing of such infrastructure depends on longer-term planning and state government policy, Australand was known to be upset by the previous draft plans, which had left the South Yanchep station off the map.
The state government confirmed the South Yanchep station had been provisionally included in its plans but would not commit on the roll-out of that station or any further development of the northern line beyond the existing extension to Butler.
There has been significant debate among the planning, development and transport communities about the extension of the line to Yanchep, including the number of stops after the existing railway, which ends at Clarkson.
The state government has already ruled out two previously considered stations at Butler, which has been consolidated at the former Brighton site, and Shoalhaven, where developer Peet is operating.
A station is expected to go in at the area hub of Alkimos.
Another debate is over timing. There are known to be some sectors pushing for an early extension of the line to Yanchep to encourage it to grow as a major regional centre before backfilling the line with stations at a later stage.
Australand has a significant development project at its Jindowie site at the intersection of Marmion Avenue and Yanchep Beach Road. Its company presentations show it has 1,137 lots for development in the area via a 50:50 joint venture.
At the heart of that project is Santorini Square, where the company is also already marketing one- and two-storey townhouses close to the proposed railway site. The Yanchep Central Shopping Centre is also due to open by late 2012.
“The delivery of public transport services to South Yanchep is the critical element in encouraging owner-occupiers to choose higher density forms of living,” Australand Property Group WA general manager residential Tony Perrin said.
Australand has found high-density offerings near railway stations surprisingly popular in traditionally low-rise Perth.
Mr Perrin said more than 50 per cent of buyers at its Clarkson transit orientated development were owner-occupiers.
The group had also claimed strong sales at its apartment complex on the doorstep of Cockburn Central train station.
