Rowe Group

The draft R-Codes have now been released for public consultation.

Rowe Group has been involved in the Stakeholder Reference Group that has helped guide the review process, and we are pleased to see a number of positive reforms reflected in the draft. Our Planning and Design teams will be undertaking a detailed review over the coming weeks to better understand the practical implications and opportunities arising from the proposed changes.

Some of the key highlights include:

A shift in assessment terminology and approach, moving away from “deemed-to-comply” provisions toward “deemed exempt” provisions.
Local Planning Policies that are supportive of development outcomes (such as increased building heights) no longer requiring WAPC approval.
Greater alignment between Parts B and C requirements, including more consistent setback and site coverage requireemnts.
An increase in the maximum floor area for Ancillary Dwellings from 70m² to 90m².
Replacement of RAC coding with a new Low Rise (LR), Medium Rise (MR) and High Rise (HR) coding framework.
Increased maximum building heights, with plot ratio controls only to High Rise (HR) codes.
Removal of minimum car parking requirements for apartments.
Removal of average site area requirements for lots coded R-20 and below within the Perth and Peel Region.
These proposed reforms have the potential to influence housing delivery, development feasibility and residential design outcomes across Western Australia.

If you’d like to discuss what the draft R-Codes could mean for your project, we’d be happy to help.

Rowe Group is pleased to share that development approval has been secured for a transformative build-to-rent community at 200 West Coast Highway, Scarborough.

Progressed through the State’s Significant Development Pathway, the development will see the delivery of 246 rental apartments across a 26-storey building, along with small-scale ground floor commercial tenancies, and communal amenities including landscaped gardens, rooftop pool, gym, and co-working and lounge areas.

This approval responds to strong demand for rental housing across Perth while enabling significant redevelopment in Scarborough, where existing height limits have constrained growth. The increased building height supported through this approval will deliver additional housing in this prominent coastal activity hub.

We wish to congratulate client Meadpoint Pte Ltd for this significant milestone, along with the design and project team Plus Studio, Howells, See Design Studio, Stantec, Talis Consultants, Herring Storer Acoustic, FORM, Summation & RWDI.

Rowe Group is proud to have contributed to two winning projects at the UDIA WA Awards for Excellence 2026.

Atwater Rockingham by Cedar Woods received the Residential Subdivision Award, while Rivière Residences by Edge Visionary Living won the Apartments (High-Rise) Award. These achievements recognise the vision of our clients and the collaborative work behind two distinctive residential developments.

Atwater Rockingham – Residential Subdivision Award

Located beside Lake Richmond Reserve, Atwater has transformed the former Palm Beach Caravan Park into a thoughtfully planned coastal community.

Developed by Cedar Woods, the 1.8-hectare project comprises 54 green title lots and 28 turnkey townhouses. Its tree-led design retained 41 mature tuart trees, with roads, infrastructure and a 0.4-hectare public open space carefully arranged around the existing vegetation.

Rowe Group coordinated statutory authority engagement throughout the application process, including securing subdivision approvals from the Western Australian Planning Commission and pretraining and detraining City of Rockingham consents for the Structure Plan and Local Development Plans.

Project team: Cedar Woods, Ant Marketing, Arbor Centre, Cachet Homes, JBS&G, MGC Civil, Plan E, Pritchard Francis, Rowe Group, Urbaqua and Veri.

Rivière Residences – Apartments (High-Rise) Award

Rivière Residences has transformed a prominent Swan River foreshore site into a landmark residential address in Applecross.
Developed by Edge Visionary Living in collaboration with Hillam Architects, the project comprises three architecturally sculpted towers containing 217 residences. The design creates view corridors and improves access to natural light, ventilation and river views, complemented by resort-style amenities and active hospitality spaces at street level.

Rowe Group played a key role in coordinating engagement with the City of Melville, Western Australian Planning Commission, Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage, and Department of Water and Environmental Regulation to secure the required development approvals. A detailed understanding of the Canning Bridge Activity Centre Plan was essential to achieving approval for the proposed building heights and associated development concessions.

Project team: Edge Visionary Living, Aspect Studios, Blank Canvas, Brandform, Cardno, Cundall, Element, Engineering Technology Consultants (ETC), PACT Construction, Herring Storer Acoustics, Hillam Architects, Inhabit Group, Ionic, Resolve Group, RM Surveys, Rowe Group, Stantec, Talis and Xero Fire & Risk.

Congratulations to Cedar Woods, Edge Visionary Living and both project teams on this well-deserved industry recognition.

Perth’s conversation around height and density has matured, but what makes infill development successful beyond building height and dwelling numbers?

In his latest article, published by Business News, Rowe Group – Planning and Design Director George Hajigabriel reflects on how Perth’s approach to density has evolved.

Drawing on Raffles Waterfront in Applecross and Incontro in Subiaco, George explores how thoughtful planning and design can support housing choice, strengthen established neighbourhoods and build greater community acceptance of change.

Read ‘Planning beyond height: How Perth’s approach to density has matured’ https://rowegroup.com.au/news/planning-beyond-height-how-perths-approach-to-density-has-matured/

Rowe Group – Planning and Design planners Alyssa Read and Lena Jaetschmann took to the stage at the PIA WA State Conference 2026 to present ‘The Voices of Perth’s Future’.

Alyssa, an Assistant Planner, and Lena, a Senior Town Planner, joined fellow PIA WA Emerging Planners Committee members to explore the experiences and priorities of young people across Perth. Rowe Group Assistant Planner Eamon Ryan also contributed to the project, collaborating with Alyssa and Lena to collect the conversations and experiences that informed the presentation.

Drawing on discussions with 56 young people, the presentation examined housing affordability, urban sprawl, public transport and what the next generation wants from the future of our city.

Several Rowe Group team members also attended the conference and were proud to support Alyssa and Lena as they contributed to this important industry conversation.

At Rowe Group, we encourage our people to pursue their professional interests, build on their strengths and take opportunities to grow, whether they are beginning their careers or developing their industry leadership.

Interested in growing your career with Rowe Group?
Explore our current opportunities https://rowegroup.com.au/about/career-opportunities/

On 19 August 2026, the Metro Outer Development Assessment Panel unanimously approved an application submitted by Rowe Group to construct a new $70 million neighbourhood shopping centre on Beeliar Drive in Cockburn Central.

The development was proposed by Windsor Knight Pty Ltd and designed by Place Fabric, with the application process managed by Rowe Group Director George Hajigabriel. The new centre will feature two supermarkets, a liquor store, a range of speciality retail tenancies, food and beverage tenancies, drive-through food outlets and a service station. A new north–south road connection will be provided as part of the approved development, improving local accessibility.

A landscaped piazza will be constructed at the southern entrance to the centre, adjoining the food and beverage tenancies and providing an informal meeting and public amenity space. Extensive landscaping will be provided throughout the centre and within the adjoining road reserves, facilitating the retention of several existing large trees together with the planting of a further 117 new trees, boosting the local tree canopy and improving pedestrian amenity.

The centre will provide a high-quality, modern amenity for the local and wider community, offering a range of retail, health and ancillary services that will complement the surrounding mixed-use area. The project has been carefully designed to offer convenience and functionality with a high level of pedestrian amenity. Rowe Group congratulates Windsor Knight Pty Ltd and the project team on a well-considered project, and we look forward to seeing the centre take shape over the coming months.

Project team
Owner and Applicant – Windsor Knight Pty Ltd
Town Planning – Rowe Group
Architectural Design – Place Fabric
Bushfire – WA Fire and Safety
Environmentally Sustainable Design – Summation
Landscape Architecture – KDLA
Retail Needs Assessment – Pracsys
Traffic – Urbii
Waste Management – Talis Consultants

Costco Alkimos has received development approval, marking a significant step towards delivering the retailer’s first warehouse in Perth’s northern metropolitan region.

Led in our office by Associate | Principal Town Planner Jeremy Hofland, Rowe Group provided planning expertise for the Application for Planning Approval through the design review and assessment processes. This included responding to matters raised by the City, Main Roads Western Australia and the Department of Fire and Emergency Services.

The Metro Outer Development Assessment Panel approved the proposal on Tuesday, 4 August 2026. Securing approval required careful planning for a major regional facility within an emerging urban area where much of the surrounding development and road network is yet to be constructed.

The development will become Perth’s third Costco warehouse, joining the existing locations at Perth Airport and Casuarina.

Located on Romeo Road, approximately one kilometre south-east of Alkimos Station, the development will include a Costco warehouse of approximately 14,234 square metres, 870 car parking bays and a dedicated fuel station.

The warehouse will also feature a bakery, rotisserie, sushi bar, optometrist, hearing aid services and a vehicle tyre repair and fitting centre. Once operational, it is expected to create approximately 250 jobs.

We congratulate Costco and acknowledge Abdul Deeb, together with the broader consultant team: Jacob Whiting of ESS Australia, Donald Veal of DVC Consultants, Daniel Panickar of Terravias, Roberto Gutierrez of Colliers and Steven Wong of ACOR.

The approval represents an important milestone for the project and the continued growth of Perth’s northern corridor.

At Rowe Group, we know that great outcomes are achieved through great people. As we continue to grow and evolve, we’re delighted to welcome four new team members whose diverse experience, fresh perspectives and enthusiasm will further strengthen our multidisciplinary team.

Joining us are Emma Burke, Tracey Cooney-Walshe, Narissa Hribar and Alex Cauble, each bringing their own unique skills and experiences across planning, urban design, administration, and digital design.

Emma Burke joins our Design Team as Principal Urban Planner, bringing extensive experience delivering complex, place-based projects across both government and the private sector. Having held senior roles with Aurecon and Transport for NSW, Emma has led multidisciplinary teams through strategic planning and project development, with a strong focus on collaboration, stakeholder engagement and creating places that strengthen communities. Her integrated approach to design and planning will be a valuable addition to our growing Urban Design team.

Joining our Planning Team, Narissa Hribar brings a wealth of experience across planning administration, local government and project coordination. She brings a practical understanding of planning processes, a proven ability to support complex projects and stakeholder outcomes and will be a valuable addition to our growing Planning Team. Narissa’s extensive knowledge of planning processes, combined with her strong organisational and administrative background, will provide valuable support to our Planning Team and clients.

Tracey Cooney Walshe joins Rowe Group from the City of Kalamunda and brings significant experience to our Planning and Urban Design teams having dealt with a range of complex urban and rural projects, across a range of sectors including commercial and industrial. Tracey is particularly passionate about achieving sustainable environmental outcomes and brings a collaborative, outcome focussed approach to her work which we know will serve our clients well.

We also welcome Alex Cauble as our new Assistant CAD Designer. Having recently completed his Bachelor of Design at Curtin University, Alex joins Rowe Group at the beginning of his professional career with skills in digital design, 3D modelling and animation. We’re excited to support Alex’s development as he gains hands-on experience working alongside our Planning and Urban Design teams on a diverse range of projects.

The addition of Emma, Tracey, Narissa and Alex reflects Rowe Group‘s ongoing investment in both experienced professionals and emerging talent as we continue delivering planning, urban design and project solutions across Western Australia.

Please join us in welcoming them to the Rowe Group team. We look forward to the knowledge, experience and fresh ideas they will bring as we continue shaping communities together.

Ahead of National Tree Day, members of the Rowe Group and Proven Project Management teams joined Trillion Trees Australia at Guildford Meadows, also known as Mandoon Moitch, for a morning of planting, learning and community connection.

Our teams rolled up their sleeves to plant native species and contribute to the long-term restoration of land once cleared for grazing. The broader initiative aims to establish tens of thousands of native trees and rebuild the area’s flooded gum woodland, wetland and riparian ecosystems.

Restoring this important landscape will help create habitat for native wildlife, including black cockatoos and rakali, while protecting Noongar cultural sites and the waterways connecting the Gnangara Water Mound with the Derbal Yerrigan (Swan River).

The morning gave our teams an opportunity to step away from their usual day-to-day responsibilities, spend time together outdoors and gain a greater appreciation for the practical work involved in restoring local ecosystems.

For people who help shape places and communities through their everyday work, it was a valuable reminder that creating a more sustainable future also means protecting and repairing the natural environments around us.

Thank you to Trillion Trees Australia and its dedicated volunteers for welcoming our teams and sharing their knowledge. We were proud to contribute to the restoration of Guildford Meadows and look forward to seeing the landscape flourish in the years ahead.

What does it take to create a new community?

Often, the answer isn't measured in months or even years, but decades.

As part of Rowe Group's 35th anniversary series, Director Rod Dixon reflects on the journey behind Oldfield Station in North Ellenbrook, a project more than 30 years in the making and one that highlights the value of long-term vision, enduring partnerships and collaboration.

The article explores the shared commitment of Rowe Group, Parcel Property and landowners including Dale Alcock and Gary Brown Neaves, whose vision for the area dates back to the mid-1990s. Together, they have helped guide the project through decades of planning, infrastructure coordination and change to reach this important milestone.

More than a story about one development, it is a reflection on how communities are shaped over time and the patience, perseverance and partnership required to bring them to life.

Read the full article on our website: https://rowegroup.com.au/news/planning-a-community-three-decades-in-the-making/