$280M Perth CBD Redevelopment Adds 1,200 Apartments by 2028

The Perth CBD is about to get considerably more crowded. Three separate developments totalling $280 million in combined investment will deliver 1,200 new apartments across the city centre over the next two years, according to planning documents filed with the City of Perth this month. The question now is whether local infrastructure-from bus routes to primary school places-can absorb the influx.

The timing matters. Perth's CBD population has hovered around 8,500 residents for the past five years, but these projects alone will push that figure toward 10,000 by late 2028. That's a 18 percent jump in a neighbourhood still built largely around office workers and weekday commuters. Schools in the Perth CBD catchment area have already reported enrolment pressure. Guildford Primary, the nearest primary school, is currently at 97 percent capacity according to Education Department records obtained by this newsroom.

The biggest development is the transformation of the former Docklands site on the corner of Murray Street and Barrack Street. Developers plan to convert the six-storey office building into 480 apartments, with ground-floor retail and a public plaza. Construction begins in September. Two blocks south on St Georges Terrace, another consortium is converting office space into 360 apartments across two buildings. A third project on Hay Street will add 360 more apartments in a mixed-use complex with co-working spaces and a rooftop garden.

Where the Strain Points Emerge

Parking emerges as the flashpoint. The Murray Street and Barrack Street project provides just 240 parking bays for 480 apartments-a ratio of one space per two units. Perth CBD residents currently own 1.3 cars per household on average, according to the 2023 City of Perth transport survey. That means roughly 240 vehicles will be circling the neighbourhood each day hunting for street parking, or crowding into surrounding residential streets like Milligan Street and Hay Street, where residents already complain of spillover parking from office workers.

The City of Perth has issued 16,400 residential parking permits as of June 2026, but capacity in off-street facilities is finite. The Hay Street car park operates at 89 percent occupancy during peak hours, council minutes from May show. The development projects propose either expanded public parking or reliance on ride-share and public transport, but neither guarantees relief on the ground.

Transit is another pinch point. Transperth estimates the current bus fleet serving the CBD operates at full capacity during morning and evening peaks. The Stihl Building bus station on Barrack Street handles 24,000 daily boardings. Adding 1,200 apartments-each potentially housing 1.5 residents-could push that figure beyond current routing capacity by 2028, according to modelling the transport authority shared with council in April.

What Happens Next for Local Residents

The City of Perth planning committee will vote on the final two projects in August. The Murray Street and Barrack Street development has already received conditional approval, subject to design refinements. Residents concerned about parking or traffic impacts can lodge submissions during the August consultation window. The planning department operates a public notification portal at the City of Perth website where all development applications are posted 14 days before committee decisions.

For families currently living in the CBD, schools availability is the practical issue demanding urgent attention. The Education Department has not yet confirmed whether additional primary school capacity will be funded before 2028. That silence from government will likely force some families toward private schools or relocation to outer suburbs where space exists. Guildford Primary's waiting list currently sits at 47 children.

These projects reflect broader confidence in Perth CBD as a residential destination. Apartment prices have climbed 12 percent over two years, reaching a median of $485,000 for a two-bedroom unit as of May, real estate data from Real Estate Institute WA shows. But confidence from developers doesn't necessarily translate to liveable conditions if basic services lag behind population growth. The next two years will test whether the city's infrastructure catches up to the concrete.