Ghostgum Ave Treeby Development Update

Thank you to the 28 people who joined the one-hour online Treeby Community Information Forum on Tuesday 5 May 2020 at 6.30pm about the new housing development. The event was hosted by me and facilitated by Claire Paddison from Elton Consulting, the forum was an opportunity:

  • to provide a project update and address concerns about the new housing development
  • for the community to find out how they can shape some aspects of the future planning and design process for the public open spaces within the new development.

The Department of Communities in collaboration with property developer LWP Group (LWP) are in the early stages of planning a 20-hectare housing development on the corner of Ghostgum Ave and Armadale Road in Treeby. The development will offer a range of housing types and price points to create a vibrant and diverse community comprising approximately 300 to 350 dwellings, public open space, over 55’s senior’s living and a child care site.

To watch a recording of the forum please click here, and to the view the slides click here. During the forum attendees asked numerous questions which were answered by the panellists and a full list of those questions and answers about the development from the forum can be found here.

Q&A From the Forum

Please see below the questions and answers asked during the forum:

Q: What percentage of housing will be social housing?
A: The Treeby development will include up to one in nine (11 per cent) of homes for social housing. An additional four per cent of homes will be retained by the Department of Communities and offered for sale as affordable housing opportunities. Sale prices for these properties will be based on valuation. Overall, the development will provide housing for a range of people, including seniors, families and singles, to help build a diverse and vibrant community. The vast majority of lots will be sold to private owners.

Q: Will all of the lots will be owned by the Department of Communities?
A: A maximum of 11 per cent of the lots will be retained by the Department of Communities for social housing, the rest will be sold on the private market.

Q: Will the social housing be limited to the town houses or will some of them be on single house lots?
A: The social housing will be spread at a ratio of up to one in nine lots throughout the development.

Q: Do you have any idea how much the blocks will sell for in comparison to land values in the Calleya estate?
A: They will be similar.


Q: What is the large parcel of land blocked out on the map displayed on slide 9 in the Treeby Community Forum presentation, adjacent to Ghostgum?
A: This will be used for a retirement or lifestyle village for people over 55.

Q: Will there be any shops and town centre in the new development?
A: No, there is no town centre in the new development, however there is a planned neighbourhood centre in Calleya including a small café within walking distance. For people who have a variety of shopping needs, the Cockburn Gateway Shopping Centre is located 2km to the west of the site.

Q: What will the traffic impacts on the surrounding roads be from the development? Including long-term traffic generation from the east, and will Liddelow Road open up?
A: Given the small scale of the development, traffic generation from this site is not considered to have a significant impact on the existing road network. The City of Cockburn’s District Structure Plan identifies opportunities for additional entry and exit points on Armadale Road including Liddelow Road. However this road is outside the landholding of the new development and will be subject to planning by others. Please contact the City of Cockburn’s Engineering Services on (08) 9411 3444 or email [email protected] for updates on this roadworks.


Q: Is there any pedestrian/cycle access from the south side of the development to the cycle path on Armadale Road? People could potentially access the Cockburn Central train station through this path.
A: Yes, there will be both pedestrian and cycle access via a path from the main entry as well as pedestrian access through the retained conservation park onto Ghostgum Avenue to the south of the main entry.


Q: Could we connect the footpath to the surround Bush Forever?
A: Yes this is possible.


Q: Will people living on five acres nearby be able to develop their land into smaller housing lots?
A: The (questioner’s) land is located in the Jandakot/Treeby Planning Investigation Area (PIA). A PIA is an area that requires further investigation to determine whether it is suitable for a change in land use – whether that be for housing, employment, open space. Alternatively the land could be identified as not being suitable for a change in land use. A land use within the Sub-regional Planning Frameworks does not change the current zoning or existing land uses on the site – this would require rezoning under the Metropolitan Region Scheme. The Jandakot/Treeby PIA has a number of key planning issues that need to be investigated including, but are not limited to, the impact on the Jandakot Groundwater Mound and implications on public drinking water supply, regional road network implications, identification, avoidance or protection of significant environmental values, Australian Noise Exposure Forecast (ANEF) noise contours from Jandakot Airport. These investigations are being led by the State Government, and are progressing in accordance with the project plans. It is intended that the planning investigation areas will be considered prior to the review of Perth and Peel @ 3.5 million land use planning and infrastructure frameworks, which is anticipated to commence in 2021.


Q: Will there be a mobile tower going up around Treeby?
A: Telstra will be installing telecommunication infrastructure onto the existing Vodafone phone towers on Harper Road in Banjup and the works will be completed sometime this year. We will share information as we know more.


Q: When will the road works on Jandakot Road and Louisiana Glen be completed?
A: The City of Cockburn is installing a right-turn lane from Jandakot Road into Louisiana Glen, Treeby. Completion of the works require a component of Western Power works. The Western Power works were rescheduled, and the City of Cockburn is awaiting completion of these works so that they can finish their works. No specific timeframe has been indicated but Western Power has advised that they are currently liaising with their contractor for the works.


Q: When will there be public transport in Treeby and do you know which route the bus will take?
A: Jandakot suburbs are growing rapidly with up to 10,000 people forecast to be living in Treeby in just another 15 years. That’s why I’ve been working hard with the McGowan Labor Government to ensure our current and future community has the infrastructure it needs. Treeby needs a dedicated bus route that travels through the Calleya Estate to Cockburn Central Station and I have been campaigning with the community to make this a reality for some time.

Due to COVID-19, the campaign was put on hold, but community members are still signing the petition for a new bus service. I will be presenting the petition in Parliament in the next couple of months, along with a Grievance to Transport Minister Rita Saffioti. I am confident that we will be granted this additional route, but we need to continue to make the community’s voice heard on this issue. This is why we’re running a petition, and why I will be door-knocking in Treeby again once COVID-19 passes.


Q: Where are the proposed shops and town centre going? As all the land has been used for townhouse multi-storey units?
A: The Treeby Town Centre is flanked by Clementine Boulevard, Mudstone Road and Turquoise Boulevard. Stage 1 of the town centre was completed in September, with this stage including the Nido Early School centre, the new Mooba Café, the car parking for both stages, and temporary landscaping over the Stage 2 area. Stage 2 is situated between the café and the newly completed Terraces homes, and Stockland has development approval in place for a supermarket to be included as part of Stage 2 of the town centre and are currently working through the retail mix as part of the detailed design process. Unfortunately Stockland can’t commit to any timeframes as yet, but they are working to deliver this amenity to residents as soon as possible. There are no current plans to develop this area as townhouses.


Q:We are getting big noise of planes flying over Treeby so would like to know if it’s possible that they can fly to the other side of Treeby?
A: Jandakot Airport is the major general aviation airport in Western Australia, and is one of the busiest airfields and largest training bases in Australia. Airport movements include pilot training and major service organisations such as the Royal Flying Doctor Service, Police Air Wing, RAC Rescue Helicopter, and the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) / Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPaW) bushfire water bombers.

Jandakot Airport Holdings Pty Ltd (JAH) is required to manage the airport in accordance with the Airports Act 1996 and Airports Regulations 1997. Under the Airports Act, JAH 5 must prepare a Master Plan every five years. The Master Plan includes an Australian Noise Exposure Forecast (ANEF) for 20 years into the future.

While it is impossible to stop aircraft noise emanating from an airport, measures such as the Fly Neighbourly voluntary code of conduct for pilots, recognises that there are opportunities to reduce the effect of aircraft noise on surrounding communities.

The City of Cockburn and local resident groups are represented on the Jandakot Airport Community Aviation Consultation Group (CACG) which provides a forum for appropriate community engagement on airport planning and operations. Perhaps the questioner might seek to become the representative on the Jandakot Airport CACG for the Treeby Community Association to ensure Treeby residents’ concerns about aircraft noise are heard.

Noise complaints can be directed through Airservices Australia’s Noise Complaints and Information Service (NCIS).