The Perth City Deal, which could see a new university campus created in the city’s CBD, will likely be delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Western Australia’s planning minister Rita Saffioti has said.
Aimed at increasing population density in the CBD, the City Deal would see the federal government chip in with funding for a number of landmark projects.
In preparation for one potential project, the state government has been in talks with Perth’s universities to relocate a campus to the city, in an effort to boost economic activity in the hospitality and retail sectors.
The state government had planned to announce the final project list in the coming months, but at an event focused on the deal held by the Property Council of Australia on 13 March Saffioti said the announcement would be pushed back, according to local media.
“Budget processes are all a bit up in the air … we will continue to work on the City Deal but I can’t make any further commitments,” WA Today reported her as saying.
Other proposals mooted to be a part of the deal include an outdoor pool in East Perth, a reworking of the Western Australian Cricket Arena (WACA) and new inner-city schools.
In a statement, Saffioti said “When you look at some other cities across Australia, they have more amenities within their CBDs and this is critical to attracting and keeping more inner-city residents.
These are often the basics like more schools, playgrounds, parks, pools, seniors’ facilities and childcare. These are the things that make CBD living more viable for more people – including families.”
A memorandum of understanding signed in April 2018 outlined a number of key areas for investment and reform, including “increasing infill housing within Perth’s existing footprint,” and “exploring value capture opportunities” to help fund the WA government’s Metronet public transport projects.
Perth City Deal follows other agreements made for Geelong (for a convention and exhibition centre and a number of tourism-centric developments), Townsville (for the construction of a new stadium by Cox Architecture and 9point9), Western Sydney (for Badgerys Creek airport), Launceston (for the now-approved construction of a new University of Tasmania campus), and Hobart.
