Case Studies
The Village at Wellard

Design Feature

Type of project
Structure Plan
State
Western Australia
Location
Urban
The Village at Wellard is a mixed-use development covering 320 hectares south of Kwinana. The centrepiece of the estate is a Village Centre established around Wellard Train Station. At the heart of the Village Centre is the budding Wellard Square shopping precinct with a supermarket and 18 specialty stores. The shopping precinct complements the estate’s many other residential, commercial and community facilities including a sports ground with pavilion, a private school and childcare facility.

It is a sustainable, transit-focused development, combining regional and local connectivity to create a user-friendly movement network. The community’s clever design ensures most residents live within 800 metres of the Wellard Train Station, and the inclusion of shops, public open space and schools means all residents have access to required amenities. The Village at Wellard is a joint venture between Peet Limited and the Department of Communities.
Liveability at its finest
Peet Limited partnered with the Department of Communities to create The Village at Wellard and deliver a full catchment, purpose-built, greenfield transit-oriented community.

The detailed design of the project occurred concurrently with the detailed design of the Perth to Mandurah Railway line.

Originally, the Wellard Train Station did not form part of the State Government’s plans for Stage 1 of The Village at Wellard, however extensive negotiations and detailed analysis resulted in the early delivery of Wellard Train Station.
This was achieved through:
  • A structure plan based on transit-oriented principles, including increased residential density (R80) adjacent to the Wellard Train Station;
  • Liaison and collaboration with relevant authorities to deliver necessary infrastructure to service Wellard Train Station; and
  • A commitment to the staged delivery of The Village at Wellard to support the financial viability of Wellard Train Station.


Integrating the Wellard Train Station with the broader design of the estate has been key to providing a strong movement network between public open spaces, the surrounding bushland, schools and the Village Centre. By promoting connectivity through design, the development promotes a healthy, active community that’s less reliant on cars. Peet Limited continues to work with key stakeholders, including the City of Kwinana, State and Federal Government departments, and the local community to promote healthy and active lifestyles within The Village at Wellard and the broader community.
Since the project’s inception, several successful initiatives have included:
  • Retaining mature trees in roads, street verges and public open spaces to promote walkability through the provision of shade;
  • Designing interesting and useable public open spaces to encourage use and activity;
  • Opening up pedestrian access to the adjacent Leda Reserve and Henley Reserve, via bushland walk trails;
  • Installing public gym equipment at the Wellard oval;
  • Installing a BMX pump track within the estate, to promote healthy lifestyle and living.
  • Installing a Calico fitness track to encourage recreational walking/running through the estate
  • Innovative community engagement and community support/sponsorship programs.
  • The Village at Wellard is designed around the Wellard Train Station, allowing for a convenient movement network


Each of these initiatives, integrated with the urban design framework, have engaged a community that prioritises physical activity and healthy living. The Department of Communities and Peet Limited are committed to activating the Village Centre through healthy living principles, community capacity building and economic revitalisation based on access and connectivity.
Project team
  • Department of Communities
  • Peet Limited
  • Creating Communities
  • Creative Design and Planning
  • EPCAD Landscape Architects
  • MNG Surveyor
  • Tabec Engineering
  • Taylor Burrell Barnett Planning
  • Burson Cohn & Wolfe

Project Cost
Unknown 
Health value
  • The design of the development supports residents to be healthy and active, with ample opportunities for a wide range of activities for play and recreation. There is an established network of pathways, landscaped parks and natural bushland to promote walking and cycling.
  • Innovative wayfinding, in the form of attractive public artworks, and electronic time and distance markers encourage the community to be active and explore.
  • Community health and well-being is further supported through events, such as the annual City of Kwinana PETScapade walk which is held at the estate and Go Wild in Wellard, nature-inspired activities designed to challenge kids of all ages and get them playing creatively in the great outdoor spaces around Wellard.
  • The Village is also an attractive proposition for CBD workers with the Wellard Train Station offering a convenient and direct commute to Perth.
  • Residents also have access to the Wellard Square shopping precinct where they find daily fresh and healthy food options. Already proving popular is the John Wellard Community Centre, where residents can socialise and gather. This combination of offerings – all within walking distance - encourages a healthy lifestyle.

Economic value
  • The Village at Wellard not only offers affordable housing but affordable living through access to a Village Centre, train station, community services and schools. The excellent public transport links provide an affordable, convenient transport option for those working in the CBD, Mandurah and anywhere in between.
  • The Village Centre contributes to the local economy by providing business opportunities and employment. The project itself has contributed millions of dollars to the WA economy over more than a decade through the creation of jobs during planning and construction. Millions more have been invested in new recreation and leisure facilities plus new road networks and service infrastructure.

Environmental value
  • The project has successfully delivered an urban design, which encourages residents to interact with the natural environment while maintaining an urban lifestyle. The community has walking trails that weave through 28 hectares of landscaped parks and 10 hectares of conservation wetlands.
  • The movement network is not restricted to the urban environment, with the 17 hectares of enhanced native bushland adjacent readily accessible via established walk trails.
  • The design of public open spaces and street scaping is centred on the retention of mature trees, with the provision of shade identified as critical to encouraging physical activity and active use of the public realm.

Social value
  • The Village Centre is designed to provide a focal point for the community to gather and interact. Pedestrian permeability from the broader estate into the Village Centre is a major design feature of the project, facilitating social interaction to improve the community’s quality of life.
  • The piazza-style meeting area, gardens and a community centre making up the Wellard Square shopping precinct creates a bustling community hub.

Use value
  • The Village Centre, including the John Wellard Community Centre, attracts a variety of different users via the community’s integrated movement network. Residents access the Village Centre daily to shop, socialise and gather, while commuters accessing the train and bus services benefit from the use of an established and well planned movement network.

References
Creating Communities 2010, The Village at Wellard Local Economic and Employment Strategic Review, Creating Communities Australia Pty Ltd, Perth.

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