Riverside, East Perth

The creation of a new, sustainable urban gateway to the central business district in Perth, Western Australia.

The Client
East Perth Redevelopment Authority

Scope of Work
Major planning and consultation culminating in the release of an innovative revised Masterplan for a 40 hectare development on the banks of the Swan River, in East Perth.

The plan incorporates a totally integrated waterfront development comprising residential, retail, commercial, recreational, entertainment, educational and community uses, with a new river inlet in its heart.

Riverside will offer sensational dining and entertainment in the style of Sydney’s Cockle Bay Wharf and Melbourne’s South Bank.

Challenges
The major challenge was represented in the discovery of the river’s deepest paleo channel (over 50 metres deep) in the exact location of the previously proposed high rise buildings.

Innovations and Solutions
With approval from EPRA, Benchmark Projects commissioned highly detailed geotechnical surveys in response to their own suspicions regarding the underlying strata.  Following confirmation that a deep paleo cahnnel did indeed exist, Benchmark worked with planners and environmental consultants to revise the Master Plan to avoid the need for extensive and expensive piling to support high rise buildings.

Outcomes
The outcome is a totally revised Master Plan that meets the objectives of the client and has removed the risk of significant costs being incurred with respect to building footings.