Western Suburbs Locals and Businesses Brace for High-Density Train Station Overhaul

Western suburbs business owners fear for their livelihoods, while local residents fight to preserve their neighbourhood's character, as both groups prepare for major disruptions after the State Government announced it will strip local councils of planning powers to enforce high-density housing around Perth train stations.

The Cook Government's controversial planning reforms give the Western Australian Planning Commission control over building heights and zoning densities within an 800-metre radius of 10 stations, including Cottesloe, Mosman Park, and Peppermint Grove.

The rezoning aims to fast-track housing construction amid a severe state-wide property shortage, overriding council regulations to streamline approvals.

Roger Bishop, a 30-year Cottesloe resident, has been closely monitoring the rezoning with other residents. Bishop fears massive population spikes will threaten the area's heritage character and village feel.

“It won’t be Cottesloe, it will be a mass of units and be very dark,” Mr Bishop said. “All it means is you’ll get many more people in one small area, and the building of these very tall blocks of units is the thing that’s going to destroy it.”

Bishop is also concerned high-density living will jeopardise his family's financial future and the long-term stability for his adult children.

"My kids will be affected by the market value," he said.

Beyond property values, Bishop warned that current infrastructure cannot cope with a sudden influx of residents.

“Traffic will be terrible because it’s pretty awful at the moment," he said.

That fear of severe traffic congestion is echoed along Napoleon Street, a narrow one-way commercial strip where parking is already a problem. Lesley Wright, assistant manager at Decjuba, said the rezoning threatens to drive away their regular shoppers.

“The parking is one of the main ones that everyone complains about because you've got one-hour parking on Napoleon Street and four-hour parking on Railway,” Ms Wright said.

“Once the high density comes in, you're going to lose that parking, then you’re going to lose your customers that are already in the area."

Wright said her team is deeply concerned about their economic viability.

"We think it will make a difference to us," she said. "The locals say they don't want the high-rise... they worry how it's going to impact stores like us and that it will take the small community away.

"This is just a little strip that's been here forever."

Bernie Brinkmin, who frequently visits Cottesloe with his wife, fears the leafy, heritage-rich suburb is under threat.

"I don't want to see a Gold Coast or anything," he said.

Amid a sustained housing crisis, CoreLogic data shows that Perth real estate values shot up over 24 per cent last year, while the Real Estate Institute of Western Australia reports rental vacancy rates hovering at a critically low 2.2 per cent.

Andrew Brazonski, manager of Vans Cafe, offered a double-edged perspective. He welcomes high-density living along transport corridors, acknowledging growth means more customers. However, Brazonski said that the WAPC is not doing its job properly by pushing rezoning before delivering essential upgrades.

“To me, it sounds like an absolute no-brainer - you need to have the infrastructure there first, or at least develop it at the same time,” Mr Brazonski said.

"If the facilities and amenities aren't there, there's no point in bringing the people in."

Town of Cottesloe Mayor Melissa Harkins has been actively campaigning against the WAPC's approach, publicly demanding the State Government address the cumulative impact on the existing road network and improve public transport connections before any construction takes place.

The community now waits for WAPC's finalised improvement plans to see exactly how high the new developments will climb.