Frequently Asked Questions

• What is Riverside?
• What is the vision for the project?
• What was the feedback from the 2004 Master Plan public comment period and how did the project team amend the Master Plan?
• What will it look like?
• At what stage is the project now?
• What is the investment figure for the project?

 

• What is Riverside?

  The 40-hectare Riverside project on the banks of the Swan River is transforming the city's eastern gateway into a cosmopolitan waterfront community with a range of entertainment, commercial and residential opportunities.
  
  The project area borders the Swan River to the east, Plain Street to the west, Adelaide Terrace and the Causeway intersection to the south, and Waterloo Crescent to the north.
  
   

• What is the vision for the project?

  The vision for Riverside is to be a bustling, vibrant place made up of a range of entertainment, commercial, retail, community, civic and residential uses that takes advantage of its unique location.
  

• What was the feedback from the 2004 Master Plan public comment period and how did the project team amend the Master Plan?

  EPRA undertook a review of its 2004 Riverside Master Plan, incorporating the results of engagement with landowners and stakeholders over 18 months, changing demographics, population growth projections and sustainability opportunities.
  
  The Riverside Master Plan Review found that the vision and objectives of the 2004 Master Plan remain valid but enhancements could be made via more density and improved building guidelines.
  

• What will it look like?

  There are eight precincts within Riverside:

Queens

Queens will form an integral part of the Riverside community where residents and visitors can engage in the vibrant entertainment lifestyle or relax in the tranquil surroundings of the nearby Queens Gardens.

Plans for the Queens site include residential accommodation, a short-stay hotel and apartment suites. A bustling ‘main street’ will extend along Plain Street, between Adelaide Terrace and Hay Street and include a supermarket and multiple eating and shopping facilities and will become a meeting place for local residents.

Waterbank

The four hectare Waterbank site is located on a man-made foreshore at the eastern entry to the Perth CBD, adjacent to the Causeway Bridge. It will become an activated, prime visitor destination on the waterfront, with a lively blend of entertainment, commercial, retail and residential uses.

The precinct aims to extend and engage the river, enabling as many visual and physical connections between the public and private realms and the water as possible. An outdoor public swimming pool will be created to allow shared recreation space and make the most of the setting.

WAPS

The WAPS Precinct is a 2.1 hectare site bounded by Hay Street and the WACA to the north, Adelaide Terrace to the south, the Queens Precinct to the west and Waterbank precinct to the east. It will be redeveloped as a mixed-use precinct that will include the heritage-listed Western Australian Police Services (WAPS) site refurbished as a commercial building.

Hillside

The 3.9 hectare Hillside Precinct is bounded by Plain Street, Waterloo and Nelson Crescents and Gloucester Park and is located immediately north of Queen's Gardens and the WACA.

Proposed residential development involves a series of apartments set back from the street on generally 3 level podiums to avoid overshadowing. These residential lots will offer commanding views of Queen's Gardens, the WACA and beyond to the Swan River. A multi-storey car park is proposed to be set into the hillside, providing up to 850 car bays. Community facilities are envisaged for the top of the car park, including recreational sports courts.

Queens Gardens

Queens Gardens was officially opened in 1899 by then Mayor of the City of Perth, Alexander Forrest, MLA, to provide a calm sanctuary in the heart of the city. Prior to this, the area between Nelson Crescent and Plain Street was a clay mine and brickworks.

This precinct provides a landscape refuge within the Riverside project and will be well framed by development between three and six storeys on all frontages. Taller buildings will rise as the ground level rises north (to Waterloo Crescent) and south (to Adelaide Terrace). Design Guidelines will be applied to ensure that Queens Garden is protected from overshadowing.

Key landowners – WACA, Gloucester Park, Trinity College

The Riverside Master Plan considers the development aspirations of the key landowners - the Western Australian Cricket Association (WACA), Gloucester Park and Trinity College.

Paramount to the project’s success is ensuring private development by landowners integrates with the surrounding areas and is consistent with the project’s vision. EPRA will work with each landowner to ensure development potential is maximised.

WACA

The Western Australian Cricket Association (WACA) ground has been the home of cricket in Western Australia since the early 1890s. Throughout its history, the ground has also been used for a range of activities other than cricket, including AFL, Soccer, Rugby League, athletic carnivals and music concerts.

In November 2008, WACA revealed its plans to redevelop the grounds into a world-class 25,000 capacity venue. This also includes commercial, retail and residential development opportunities to see it remain as the home of cricket in Western Australia, whilst securing the financial viability of the sport in this state.

Gloucester Park

At 14.7 hectares, Gloucester Park is the single biggest landholding in the Riverside project area. Owned by the Western Australian Trotting Association (WATA), Gloucester Park has been the home of harness racing in Perth for over 70 years and is listed on the State Register of Heritage Places.

Gloucester Park presents an opportunity to house a substantial new urban community integrated with Claisebrook Village to the north and Riverside to the south west.

Trinity College

Trinity College is a Roman Catholic day school for boys located within the Riverside project area. The College is entered via Trinity Avenue, an extension of Hay Street, and comprises sporting grounds, a senior school for Years 7 to 12 and a junior school for Years 4 to 6.

Trinity College is undertaking a strategic analysis of the development potential of their site. Given the anticipated increase in student numbers and facilities, the campus is likely to become more vertical in scale.

• What is the investment figure for the project?

  Riverside is expected to involve up to $130 million investment from EPRA and approximately $750 million from the private sector.