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Westgate-Point Street Carpark
A Temporary Reprieve
By this time, the Westgate carpark had largely sat empty for nearly ten years. In March 2023, part of the garage reopened to the public after refurbishment works. The facelift included graffiti removal, a coat of fresh paint, new lighting, CCTV cameras and signage, along with a mural by artist Sam Bloor celebrating Fremantle’s nautical and civic symbols.
Winning Approval
In December 2023, the Metro Inner-South Joint Development Assessment Panel (JDAP) unanimously approved the $100m proposal. The City of Fremantle supported the plan, despite public concerns over:
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The height (eight storeys versus the five-storey guideline).
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The loss of public car bays (with no replacement planned).
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Potential traffic disruption and construction noise.
The panel judged the building appropriate, pointing out that nearby complexes such as Johnson Court and Little Lane Apartments were of similar scale and that the design had been praised by the City’s Design Advisory Committee for its quality and heritage sensitivity.
October 2022
What It Means for Fremantle
For Sirona’s managing director Matthew McNeilly, the project is about more than apartments. He’s argued for years that Fremantle’s weekday economy struggles because too few people actually live in the CBD — only about 1,500, when a European city of the same size would have ten times that. Bringing more than 500 new residents into the east end could finally shift that balance, making the city centre more vibrant, seven days a week.
Building Costs at Breaking Point
Western Australia’s construction industry has been riding a cost wave that makes even seasoned developers nervous. Concrete, steel and timber prices have soared thanks to supply chain delays and global inflation. In practical terms, this means a modest two-bedroom apartment in Fremantle might have to sell for close to a million dollars just to break even, a price point that would test even Perth’s most cashed-up buyers. For a project the size of Point Street, the financial risk of locking in today’s prices could sink the whole venture.
August 2023
The Labour Bottleneck
It’s not just materials — it’s people. WA’s ongoing shortage of skilled builders, electricians and tradies has driven wages through the roof. Many are lured away by higher-paying mining projects in the north, leaving residential developments scrambling for what’s left. Even with approval in hand, Sirona would struggle to guarantee a steady, affordable workforce to keep the project on schedule.
The Fragile Market
On top of this, the housing market itself isn’t cooperating. Fremantle has plenty of charm but its apartment market is smaller and slower than the Perth CBD. Developers usually rely on off-the-plan sales to unlock finance but with interest rates climbing and buyers holding back, those sales aren’t easy to achieve. Sirona has floated the idea of going build-to-rent instead, which avoids pre-sales but ties up huge amounts of capital and requires confidence in long-term rental demand.
A Balancing Act
Put it all together and the delay makes sense. Sirona is caught in a balancing act: start building now and risk runaway costs and sluggish sales, or hold off and hope the market settles into something more sustainable. For Fremantle residents walking past the tired old carpark, that can feel like déjà vu but for the developer, it’s a matter of survival.
November 2023
