Madigan Road Residential Estate, Karratha

The State Government’s ambitious Pilbara Cities plan aims to see Karratha evolve from a resources town to a dynamic, revitalised, modern city with a potential population of 50,000 people. Supporting this vision, the Madigan Road Residential Estate aims to create a sustainable and affordable urban area providing for diversity of housing types.

Client
LandCorp – the Western Australia Government’s land development agency.

Scope of work
The 67.7ha Madigan Road Residential Estate will deliver an estimated 1250 new dwellings and provide for a mixed-use local neighbourhood centre comprising up to 1000m² of new ground floor retail.

Benchmark Projects was engaged to provide complete project management services to the project and has overseen the preparation of a Development Plan, engineering design, statutory and agency approvals, as well as construction.

Challenges
In response to unprecedented growth and forecast expansion of major resource sector projects in the State’s Pilbara region, the expedient release of quality, affordable land in Karratha is a priority for the State.

The directive to fast track the development has resulted in construction occurring in advance of critical infrastructure improvements planned by service providers and has required the use of nonconventional development strategies.

Innovations and Solutions
Extensive stakeholder and agency liaison was central to the successful achievement of the project timelines. In instances where service infrastructure was inadequate, agreements were reached with the relevant agencies to to provide interim solutions to service the Madigan Road Residential Estate.

To ensure the creation of titles in the shortest possible timeframe, Benchmark Projects has directed a works programme which involves the completion of earthworks to the site as a separate work package to the civil works. This approach has allowed the earthworks component to be completed in parallel to the finalisation of statutory approvals.

Outcomes
Construction is currently underway on Stage 1A of the Madigan Road Residential Estate creating 140 single residential lots.