ECU Mount Lawley Redevelopment – Precinct Structure Plan

The ECU Mount Lawley PSP area relates to the area outlined on Plan 1 – PSP Map (see here) which is bounded by Central Avenue to the north, Bradford Street to the south, Stancliffe Street to the east and Alexander Drive to the west. The total land area is approximately 18.75 hectares.

A PSP is a land use planning document that guides future land use and development and is an early step in establishing or redeveloping urban areas.

A PSP can show details such as housing density, road networks, areas of public open space and commercial areas. A PSP indicates the way in which an area is to be developed and provides a framework to guide Council when it considers subdivision and development proposals.

The planning framework in Western Australia requires a decision maker to have ‘due regard’ to a PSP when considering any development applications received.

In the context of the PSP, a decision-maker needs to demonstrate that the PSP has been considered, and if a there is a departure from the PSP, there needs to be a compelling reason to depart from the standard.

The City or the owner of land may prepare and submit a PSP. In this instance, the ECU PSP was submitted by consultants on behalf of the State’s development agency, Development WA, and the landowner (State of Western Australia).

The PSP sets out the location of land uses, road and pedestrian networks as well as public open space areas. The PSP proposes residential development, public open space, commercial, community and retail uses as well as a primary school site. The road layout and distribution of land use areas are shown on the attached Structure Plan map.

The PSP proposes:

• Between 700 (base growth) and 1100 (high growth) dwellings comprising single and multiple dwellings – this would depend on the market

• A future projected population between 1360 (base growth) and 1954 (high growth) residents which will depend on the extent of development

• Approximately 1,900 – 2,400m² shop/retail NLA floorspace (including a local-scale supermarket)

• Approximately 2,600m² of other commercial floorspace

• 2.64ha of Public Open Space

• A future Primary School in an ‘Inner City’ format

• The reuse of a number of existing buildings on site for community uses, some of which are yet to be determined.

The proposed PSP is structured around three ‘character’ areas or precincts which have distinct features and land uses. The main components of the character areas include the following:

• Gateway – As the name suggests this precinct will form a prominent landmark entry to the precinct which seeks to deliver a mixed-use urban environment to include apartments, neighbourhood scale retail as well as commercial and community land uses. Primary vehicle access is provided from Alexander Drive with proposed active commercial frontages to this road. The precinct provides a central public open space area that provides opportunities for passive and active recreation. The minimum residential yield for the Gateway Character area is 175 dwellings with a maximum plot ratio of 4.5. Plot ratio sets how much building floor space can be developed compared to the size of the land. In simple terms, it limits how big a building can be overall, rather than setting a strict number of storeys.

• Creative Campus Character Area – To reflect the legacy of the site, retention of significant buildings has been incorporated into the identity of this area which includes a designated primary school site and allows for the introduction of new residential buildings which consider the existing building scale and materiality. Bradford Street is to be the main entry into the Creative Campus precinct with a green forecourt, retention of the WAAPA building and retention of mature canopy trees. The precinct includes connections between the surrounding public transport routes and pedestrian pathways. The minimum residential yield for the Creative Campus area is 230 dwellings with a maximum plot ratio of 3.5 for new development.

• Garden Living Character Area – The key objectives of the Garden Living Character Area are to create a mix of new medium density housing and enables the adaptive reuse of the retained student housing to provide residential diversity. Green linkages are included to create shady walkable areas that connect to public open spaces. The village design delivers a contemporary and sustainable residential environment which includes preservation and enhancement of the ephemeral water body in the north-east as a defining landscape featur The minimum residential yield target for the Garden Living Character Area is 295 dwellings with maximum height limits ranging from 4 -7 storeys across the character area.

If you want to provide comments on the PSP, you can do this by lodging a written submission, giving the reasons for your views on the PSP. The City must receive your submission by 24 April 2026. You can email your comments to the City at cityplanning@stirling.wa.gov.au or write to the City at:

City of Stirling

(ECU Mount Lawley Redevelopment Precinct Structure Plan)

25 Cedric Street

Stirling WA 6021

You can also provide your comments online at the City’s Community Consultation Submission Form.

The proposed PSP contains a number of technical documents that need to show that the area is capable of being developed. The PSP documents relate to matters such as traffic movements, environmental considerations and retail impact assessment. An assessment of these documents will be undertaken by City Officers during the advertising period.

Once the advertising period has concluded, the City Administration will review all of the submissions received. A report to Council will then be prepared, which will include the City Administration’s assessment of the proposed PSP documents and address all the comments received during the advertising period.

Council is to consider the report and subsequently provide a recommendation (within 60 days of the conclusion of advertising) to the WAPC on whether the proposed PSP should be approved by the Commission, with or without modifications. The WAPC will make a final decision to approve or refuse the PSP. This process can take several months and the City will advise submitters of the Commission’s decision when it is advised of the outcome.

If the WAPC decides to approve the Structure Plan, it comes into effect immediately.

It is anticipated that the area will be developed in stages, and is expected to be built out by around 2040.