DriversRecommendedOutdated drivers can make a good PC feel brokenScan driver issues before chasing fixes manually.Scan NowOctober DealsAmazon USOctober deal check: compare before you payAmazon US: current deals, useful picks and tech finds.Check DealsSlow PC?RecommendedPC slow today? Run a repair scan before it gets worseResolve common Windows issues and optimize system performance.Scan Now×
Skip to content
Bettesworth Construction
build-to-rent

WA Planning Commission Approves Plan to Replace Stirling Towers in Highgate With Social Housing

The WA Planning Commission approved the Smith Street Build-to-Rent Project replacing Stirling Towers in Highgate: 109 social, affordable and specialist disability homes, with a staged delivery timeline.

By Bettesworth Construction Team 3 min read
Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

The Western Australian Planning Commission (WAPC) has approved the public-works development application to redevelop the former Stirling Towers public housing site at Lot 501, 49–67 Smith Street, Highgate. The State Government announced the approval on 5 November 2024. The replacement is the Smith Street Build-to-Rent Project: 109 one- and two-bedroom homes split between social, affordable, and specialist disability and onsite overnight assistance tenures. This is a planning approval, not a finished project. The construction timetable and its limits are set out below.

What the approval covers

  • Decision: WAPC approved the application. The State Government announced it on 5 November 2024.
  • Pathway: The land is state-owned, so the proposal was handled as a public-works development application. The Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage (DPLH) assessed it before the WAPC made its determination.
  • Council reference: City of Vincent application 5.2024.242.1.
  • State reference: DPLH reference 10-50303-1.
  • Supporting material: The applicant’s planning report, prepared by Element Advisory, describes the proposal and includes architectural, landscaping, sustainability, waste, transport and acoustic documentation.

The 109 homes: tenure and bedroom mix

The City of Vincent project record gives the detailed breakdown. The state’s project page describes the same 109 homes as one- and two-bedroom social, affordable and specialist disability rental units, and the two sets of figures agree.

By tenure

Tenure category Dwellings
Social housing 78
Affordable housing 22
Specialist disability and onsite overnight assistance 9
Total 109

By bedroom count

Bedroom count Dwellings
One bedroom 42
Two bedrooms 67
Total 109

The published breakdown does not list a separate market-rent category. The minister’s statement (quoted below) refers to market rental arrangements within the build-to-rent model, but no dwelling count is attached to that tenure. Readers should not assume that every home is public housing: the official allocation is social, affordable and specialist disability accommodation.

Timeline and delivery stages

Delivery is staged. The table below separates completed milestones from scheduled ones and names the source for each.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
Stage Date or status Source
Demolition of existing buildings approved By May 2024 City of Vincent project record
Demolition contract awarded Announced 3 July 2024 State Government statement
WAPC approval of the development application Announced 5 November 2024 State Government; City of Vincent
Demolition and site preparation Described as in its final stages in the City’s record (undated in the source material) City of Vincent project record
Construction commencement Scheduled for August 2025 WA Government project page, last updated 28 May 2026
Completion Scheduled for Q4 2027 WA Government project page, last updated 28 May 2026
Management handover Completed apartments to be managed under a ground lease by Community Housing Ltd WA Government project page

Reading the construction schedule

The state’s schedule was last updated on 28 May 2026, yet it still shows construction starting in August 2025. That start month has already passed, so the page should be read as a plan that may have moved. The public material reviewed does not confirm whether construction has begun, and the City’s page carries an older expected start date. Check both pages before relying on any single date.

Demolition and remediation

The former complex included a vacant 12-storey building and a smaller three-storey building. The Government said the site needed significant remediation before redevelopment could proceed. The City’s project record describes demolition as in its final stages, with work paused at one point to relocate electricity infrastructure and reduce disruption. Because site status changes quickly, confirm it against the council’s project page before publishing or relying on it.

Who delivers and manages the homes

  • Consortium partners: Tetris Capital and Community Housing Ltd.
  • Management: Completed apartments will be managed by Community Housing Ltd under a ground lease.
  • Program: The project sits within the State Government’s Housing Diversity Pipeline. The Government describes the site as close to the Perth CBD, transport, shopping and other amenities.
  • Construction contractor: The official material reviewed does not name the building contractor.

What the minister said

The Government’s demolition-contract statement of 3 July 2024 quotes Housing Minister John Carey:

“Redeveloping the Stirling Towers site as a build-to-rent model will assist tenants through social, affordable and market rental arrangements, supported by on-site tenancy management.”

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

Where the figures and addresses differ

Specialist disability homes

PerthNow’s December 2024 report said seven dwellings would be used for disability accommodation. The City of Vincent’s current breakdown lists nine specialist disability and onsite overnight assistance dwellings. The news report was published at the time of approval, so the council’s detailed allocation is the more current figure.

Site address

Use 49–67 Smith Street or Lot 501 Smith Street, Highgate. One news report gave 49–68 Smith Street, but government and council records use 49–67.

Rank #4

Practical points for contractors and industry readers

  • Confirm the current construction start with the state’s project page, since the published August 2025 date has passed.
  • Use the applicant’s planning report and the council file for scope, including the architectural, landscaping, sustainability, waste, transport and acoustic documents.
  • Plan around the staged sequence: demolition and remediation first, then construction, then a ground-lease management handover.
  • Expect the tenure mix to be social, affordable and specialist disability housing, with no separate market-rent count in the published figures.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

More from the Site Office

Recommended PC Tool
Recommended PC Tool
Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?Free driver scan
PC Slower Than It Used to Be?Free scan - under a minute

Two free Windows tools

One Free Minute Could Fix That PC

Before you go - each of these free tools takes about a minute and tackles what quietly slows a Windows PC down.

Special offer. View Outbyte info, uninstall instructions, EULA, and Privacy Policy.