Transport Authority's $25m hub assessed

A new $25 million Transport Operations Hub, expected to form the nerve centre of Perth’s rail system is another step closer to fruition, with the City of Vincent recommending its approval.

Planning consultancy Urbis has filed plans on behalf of the state’s Public Transport Authority of WA for a six-storey, 4,100 square metre office building on the state government-owned 12-hectare site on West Parade in East Perth.

The operations centre, designed by architecture firm Woods Bagot, will feature office space for PTA staff and contractors, a purpose-built operations control centre for traffic management, service planning and incident response, and a centralised signalling equipment room. 

The new transport hub, which will be built adjacent to the East Perth train station, will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

According to the documentation filed in support of the application, the PTA intends to have the development complete and start operations from its new premises in 2023.

The City of Vincent has recommended the applicant be granted planning approval, subject to a suite of conditions covering traffic, parking, landscaping, waste management, and a public art contribution.

Several objections were received from surrounding residents, who have raised concerns about the scale of the development in what is predominantly a residential area, the impact of increased traffic on the existing road network, the fact that it overlooks adjoining residential properties, and noise levels during construction.

The Metro Inner-North Joint Development Assessment Panel is expected to consider the proposal when it meets next Monday, March 15.