Mirvac Tapped for 1500-Home Southern Perth Masterplan

Mirvac has landed the contract to deliver 1500 homes as the first stage of a major masterplan to transform a 484ha tract of horse country into an urban centre.

The 155ha project is being spearheaded by state development agency DevelopmentWA at Karnup, 60km south of the Perth CBD, in partnership with Mirvac after the developer successfully tendered for the job.

The semi-rural suburb in the City of Rockingham local government area was opened up for development last year when the WA Government launched an expressions-of-interest process to attract developers to major new greenfield sites. 

The Karnup site is part of the City of Rockingham’s District Structure Plan area.

▲ A concept rendering of the new high street at the Mirvac development.

It has been earmarked for long-term urban development under the South Metropolitan Peel Sub-Regional Planning Framework, but has been identified as a growth area since the 1980s. 

Karnup has a population of 2096 people, according to the last census, but the new mini-city masterplan would bring 10,000 more people to the area with the delivery of 4000 homes. 

Mirvac’s first stage would include social and affordable housing, market-rate units and land lease housing. 

The developer will deliver a primary school and commercial centre as well as the initial tranche of homes. 

The wider urban growth plan for Karnup outlines a new district centre, a 50ha regional sporting facility, and a future railway station and transit-oriented development on the Mandurah Line. 

▲ A new defence precinct for Henderson was announced last year.

Mirvac development director WA David Parsons said the area had “strategic importance” as part of Perth’s south-west growth corridor, given its proximity to the Henderson Defence Precinct, 30km to the north.

The precinct is a major Federal Government initiative to create a shipbuilding and sustainment precinct, which would employ 10,000 people over the next two decades. 

“Karnup’s proximity to the naval base and defence precinct makes it a critical location for future housing,” Parsons said. 

Mirvac will now enter an Exclusive Working Period with DevelopmentWA to progress planning and approvals, with construction expected to commence in the coming years.

Prolific Sydney-based developer Mirvac has increased its presence in WA in recent years, having already progressed its Bullsbrook development in Perth’s north-east corridor, an 83ha project of 1200 homes.