Good design and the density debate

Perth’s footprint now stretches 1 kilometres along the coastline and is double the size of Tokyo. Infill is essential, but quality is the key, says the Property Council’s WA president Tanya Trevisan.

Tanya Trevisan has worked on thousands of apartments in London, Berlin and Australia over a 30-year period, so it’s no surprise that multi-unit residential development is her passion.

Elected president of the Property Council’s WA division in 2017, Trevisan is a vocal advocate of the state government’s 47 per cent infill target for new housing along Perth’s major transport corridors.

WA’s soft economy over the last four years has slowed city-building in the state, “but it feels like we’ve turned a corner”, Trevisan says. She points to the positive data in the latest ANZ/Property Council Survey as evidence, which records a remarkable 42-point rise in confidence in WA over the last year.

“It’s now time to plan for our city’s growth and potential as we gear up for the next boom.”

There’s a “mood for change” in the air, Trevisan says. “People are starting to embrace infill – although admittedly from a very low base.”

West Australians have been slow to embrace infill, with just 6.6 per cent of the city’s population living in apartments, compared with the national average of 13.1 per cent.

Perth hasn’t had the same constraints as other cities, such as Sydney, which is geographically constrained by the Blue Mountains.

“But we’ve reached a point where the commute is very long and the roads are very full. People don’t want to travel one hour each way to get to their jobs. And that is the first trigger to look at other housing options.”

Trevisan’s day job is managing the design, planning and construction of property development operations for TRG Properties. Chief operating officer of one of Western Australia’s most successful apartment developers, Trevisan has deep insights into selling the benefits of infill housing to skeptical communities.

“You initially capture people’s interest through location – and because infill can deliver more affordable housing options, price can be another factor too” she explains.

“Our typical buyer is selling an older, high maintenance home, and downsizing to a smaller apartment with well-designed quality spaces and finishes, in a better location. And they are banking some money in the process.

“It’s also a question of lifestyle. For young people, for example, it’s about convenience, access to employment centres and public transport so they don’t spend long periods of time each day commuting.”

The economic benefits are clear. Research from the Property Council has found the state government could save $95 million for every 1,000 infill lots built around existing activity centres and transport infrastructure. Another study has found that achieving a 60 per cent infill target would save the state government coffers $23 billion by 20.

The environmental argument is just as obvious, Trevisan adds.

“As Australians, we all like to think we are protective of our environment. We are very proud of our lifestyle: beaches, bushland, flora and fauna. Infill is a more sustainable way to grow our cities because it uses less land so it protects the things we value.

“Yet, we often see that missing in arguments about infill. All you read in the paper is that a five-storey building is going up next to a primary school. We need to get better at sharing the positive message, look at the good examples and not create extreme cases.”

Trevisan is quick to emphasise that increasing infill doesn’t mean Perth won’t also need further greenfield development. “We need both. It’s about offering more housing choices.”

After she graduated from university, London beckoned, and she became interested in large-scale apartment projects.

“Then in 1991 when London shut down because of 14 per cent interest rates, I moved to Berlin, and began working on a massive $5 million mixed-use project which included apartments – which is a lot of money now but even more so in 1991.”

Since then Trevisan has “lost count” of the number of projects she’s worked on – from luxury living to community housing “and everything in between”.

“I really believe in the importance of creating diversity in our housing choice. Our cities are growing. Providing great infill options can help us manage that growth and ensure people – old, young and in between – have homes in the communities they love.”