Melville council voted 7–3 to defer its own precinct planning for Murdoch and Bull Creek stations while it begins discussions with the WA Planning Minister and the Western Australian Planning Commission (WAPC). The vote followed the state’s announcement of proposed housing reforms around 10 train stations; it did not transfer control of these two precincts to the state.
What did Melville council decide?
At its November 18 meeting, the City of Melville council voted 7–3 to retain the existing approach to the Murdoch and Bull Creek station areas and open discussions with Planning Minister John Carey and the WAPC. PerthNow reported the vote on December 12, 2025, but its surfaced report does not specify the year of the November 18 meeting.
The decision was a deferral of the city’s own planning work, not a rejection of housing near the stations or a completed state takeover. Councillor Nicole Robins said the city was not opposing residential development, but wanted key conversations and further work before changing zoning. PerthNow’s report describes the council decision and the state’s proposed framework.
What was the state proposing?
PerthNow reported that in November 2025 the state announced plans for reforms intended to enable more housing within 800 metres of 10 train stations. Under the proposal as described in the article, the WAPC would set precinct guidelines and decide whether future development proposals, including high-rise apartment complexes, should proceed.
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That account describes an announced future policy, not confirmation that the reforms were later adopted or implemented. At the time of PerthNow’s report, none of the station precincts the state had revealed were in Melville. The final station list, precinct boundaries, rules and subsequent status of the proposal are not established by the report.
Why did councillors disagree?
Ross argued local planning could protect the city’s influence
Cr Clive Ross proposed starting precinct plans for Bull Creek, Leeming and Murdoch, with building heights capped at six storeys. His motion was defeated 4–6. The six-storey proposal was separate from the 7–3 decision about deferring the city’s work for Murdoch and Bull Creek, and it included Leeming as well.
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Ross argued that deferring could invite state intervention and reduce the city’s ability to shape where height and density went. He said local plans could also address congestion and open space. Those were his arguments, not demonstrated outcomes. He put the estimated cost at $150,000 per precinct previously and $500,000 per precinct after delay, attributing the increase to the delay; PerthNow’s account does not independently validate those estimates.
Other councillors questioned duplication and coordination
Cr Karen Wheatland warned that locally funded plans might be superseded by state precinct plans, wasting the expenditure. She also said Melville was already carrying substantial density at Canning Bridge. Cr Jennifer Spanbroek described preparing plans without state-agency involvement as irresponsible.
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The council report, as quoted by PerthNow, said precinct planning required coordination across levels of government and infrastructure agencies, and that a city-led approach was unlikely to attract “meaningful” private-sector investment. It also assessed that the stations were unlikely to be a state priority in the short to medium term. These are findings attributed to the council report, not an independent evaluation of either planning approach.
Growth was also discussed in relation to traffic
Deputy mayor Matthew Woodall wanted high-density development in the city’s south investigated as a way to take pressure off Canning Highway, Bull Creek and Murdoch. That was his stated rationale; the report does not establish that development would reduce traffic or quantify any effect.
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Will high-density development happen at Murdoch or Bull Creek?
The available account does not establish that it will, or give a confirmed construction timetable. The council report forecast that high-density development around the stations might not become commercially viable until 2035–2040. That is the report’s attributed forecast, not a guaranteed start date or an independently verified market prediction.
For now, the reported decision leaves the city’s own planning work deferred while discussions with the state are pursued. Whether a state framework will apply to these precincts, what rules it would set, and when any development might proceed remain unresolved in the cited report.
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