Land & Property Surveying
Urban infill development
PROJECT: Urban Infill Development | Perth, WA
CLIENT: Heyspring Holdings
THE SITE
Australia has experienced a significant housing market boom over recent years, which has resulted in an exponential increase in the demand for land across the nation. In Western Australia, it is forecasted that the city of Perth will have a 15% growth over the next 10 years. To accommodate the anticipated increase in demand for residential dwellings, the focus will be on limiting unsustainable urban sprawl and encouraging higher density residential housing.
Located just 15km from the Perth CBD, Maddington is a well-established suburb and comprises a mixture of residential and commercial zones. Due to its close proximity to major road and rail arteries, significant areas with larger lot sizes have been rezoned to allow higher density residential housing as infill developments.
THE CHALLENGE
Heyspring Holdings identified an opportunity when two large adjoining lots came onto the market with an R30 residential zoning. As an investment plan their aim was to maximise the combined land area across the site with multiple dwellings.
With a limited knowledge of the subdivision procedure, and the legalities pertaining to the process, they sought assistance from a licensed surveyor with professional knowledge. In the early meetings the client described their vision to develop the site and offer house and land packages.
Naturally time was a major consideration in bringing the development to fruition to balance the financial equation. Potential delays in seeking approvals, and submitting plans to the relevant authorities (which can lead to unexpected costs in the overall process), was highlighted to the client.
THE SOLUTION
With all facets and requirements of the project considered, MNG advised that a survey-strata development would be the preferred solution. Completing the development as a green title was considered, however it was deemed not the most favourable option as it would require new titles to be created prior to the granting of a building license. Survey-strata, on the other hand, would allow for construction to proceed once the land was amalgamated and relevant development approvals were obtained. Site works, servicing and building construction could also be completed simultaneously, which would result in real cost savings for the client.
Following the initial boundary reestablishment and feature surveys of the site, the legal subdivision / amalgamation process could commence. A design for 18 townhouses on survey-strata, plus a common driveway to service the lots was presented. The pre-calculation of the survey-strata plans was compiled which formed the backbone of the development.
The development approval was submitted to the local government authority, with detailed site plans for the construction of the townhouses. MNG prepared and submitted the Western Australian Planning Commission (WAPC) survey-strata application for the new lots and common property.
Subsequent to the approval from Landgate and the WAPC, the land was now held within one lot, ready for the creation of the new survey-strata titles and common property. This provided the developer flexibility with the final outcome, in the most time effective manner.
THE OUTCOME
The client has been granted a building license and was able to commence the construction phase of the townhouses.
MNG prepared and submitted the planning application, provided land tenure consultancy and completed the legal survey to subdivide the property, along with other construction set-out requirements. Once the dwelling construction and site works have progressed, MNG will complete the survey-strata subdivision.
The consolidation of professional services offered by MNG resulted in the client being able to complete their development in the most efficient and cost-effective manner.
“We had concerns about the site as there were several steps required to achieve subdivision, however the project proceeded smoothly thanks to MNG’s in depth knowledge. MNG were professional and easy to deal with throughout the entire project.” – Yee Chia (Director, Heyspring Holdings)
