The former health and fitness centre at 680 Wanneroo Road, Balga, was constructed in 1977 on a 3,437m² property adjoining Fieldgate Square. The land appears to have previously been used for market gardening, with one shed constructed during the early 1960s and another added towards the end of the decade. Both were later demolished to make way for the building that eventually became the Balga Goodlife Health Club.

 

Health club building

The two-storey building appears to have been purpose-built as a recreation centre with squash courts, a swimming pool, gym, change rooms, showers, sauna or spa facilities and reception areas. Balga was also used as a venue for major squash competitions during the sport’s boom years.

 

The property remained zoned Medium Density Residential R40 until the late 1990s. In December 1997, the City of Stirling advertised a proposal to rezone Lot 80, 680 Wanneroo Road, from R40 to Public Amusement. The rezoning was approved by the Planning Minister on 24 July 1998 and gazetted the following week.

 

From Fitness First to Goodlife

The centre later traded as the Balga Health and Fitness Club before becoming Fitness First Balga. Fitness First operated a full health club from the building, including the gym, pool, spa, group fitness classes, personal training and childminding facilities.

In August 2014, Goodlife Health Clubs purchased all eight Fitness First clubs in Perth for $32.5 million. The Balga, Cannington, Floreat, Innaloo, Myaree, Brookfield Place, Murray Street and Subiaco clubs were subsequently rebadged as Goodlife. The company also announced plans to spend another $5 million upgrading the newly acquired clubs.

 

Goodlife Balga was promoted as one of the company’s few clubs with an indoor swimming pool. Its facilities included cardio and strength equipment, a functional training area, group fitness classes, yoga, personal training, a spa and a crèche.

 

Anytime Fitness continues to operate as a separate international gym franchise.

 

The closure of Goodlife Balga

Goodlife Balga operated until early 2018 when the property began appearing in commercial rental listings. The building’s age, large swimming pool, wet areas, outdated squash-court layout and considerable maintenance costs would have made it difficult to reuse as a modern gym but Goodlife’s own reason for closing the club has not been confirmed.

 

The closure was unrelated to Goodlife’s controversial decision to remove childcare services from its remaining clubs in 2022. By then, the Balga centre had already been vacant for several years.

 

Redan Pty Ltd owned the property before selling it to Invox Pty Ltd for $5.1 million on 12 April 2006. The property was offered for lease several times during 2018, including one campaign that remained advertised for about 249 days but no lasting new tenant appears to have been secured.

 

Vacancy and vandalism

The specialised building was difficult to adapt for other uses and continued to deteriorate while vacant. By March 2022, much of the interior had been damaged by vandals, including the squash courts, mirrors, ceilings, pool area, gym, offices and change rooms.

 

Invox eventually placed the property on the market as a redevelopment or refurbishment opportunity. The sale campaign described a 1,650m² building with 33 car bays and promoted its potential for commercial, medical, office or residential use. The land was zoned Business, while the City’s proposed Local Planning Scheme No. 4 identified it for Neighbourhood Centre zoning with an R80 residential coding.

 

Plans for Specialist Disability Accommodation

Doublecrest Holdings Pty Ltd purchased the property for $2,997,500 on 10 February 2025. This was more than $2.1 million below the amount Invox had paid in 2006, without allowing for inflation.

 

Doublecrest moved fairly quickly after the purchase. A development application was lodged in 2025 for 22 multiple dwellings and one consulting room. The proposal was prepared by URPS, with Abel Property representing the landowner and Kyria Design responsible for the building design.

 

The $5 million project was designed as Specialist Disability Accommodation for NDIS-eligible residents. It included 22 apartments over two levels, with two bedrooms and two bathrooms in each dwelling, along with a carer’s apartment, consulting room, reception, office, communal indoor space, landscaped courtyards, accessible pathways, ramps and lifts.

 

Community response and DAP approval

The plans originally proposed retaining and refurbishing parts of the former gym, including existing walls, roof sections and floor slabs. The City of Stirling Design Review Panel supported the reuse of the structure but requested further work on landscaping, shade, privacy, access, communal areas, storage, air-conditioning equipment, boundary walls and the building’s presentation to Wanneroo Road and Fieldgate Square.

 

Strangely enough, the panel also suggested retaining or reinterpreting some of the building’s graffiti as public art connected with the history of the site.

 

Public consultation attracted seven submissions supporting the proposal and seven opposing it. Three of the objections raised concerns about antisocial behaviour.

 

The Metro Inner Development Assessment Panel approved the proposal four votes to one on 28 January 2026. Balga ward councillor Michael Dudek cast the only opposing vote. He raised concerns about residential density, antisocial behaviour, management of tenants and the development’s location beside Dan Murphy’s.

 

The remaining panel members considered the property suitably located near shops, public transport and Culloton Wanneroo Reserve. They also believed the redevelopment would replace a badly damaged building that had itself become a source of local problems.

 

Approval conditions included privacy screening, additional balconies, an accessible connection to the adjoining reserve, revised landscaping, protection of street trees, acoustic treatment, lighting, traffic-noise notifications and a construction management plan covering dust, noise, vibration, parking, waste, security and construction traffic.

 

Demolition

The former squash and health centre was demolished in July 2026. Although the approved planning drawings proposed retaining substantial parts of the building, the extent of the demolition suggests that later structural investigations or building-permit requirements may have changed what could be reused. No amended plans confirming the reason have yet been located.

 

The redevelopment approval remains valid for four years from January 2026.