Construction is set to begin on a $73 million Water Corporation project to deliver an essential wastewater upgrade in Perth’s fast-growing north-east.
Works include a 14.2-kilometre wastewater pipeline between Ellenbrook and Wangara and major upgrades to a pumping station near Gnangara Road and Drumpellier Drive in Henley Brook.
It will allow more wastewater to be safely conveyed for treatment and support housing development in the City of Swan‘s Urban Growth Corridor, which includes Ellenbrook, Brabham, Dayton and Caversham.
“New wastewater upgrades in our northern suburbs will support Perth’s fast-growing northern communities and provide essential new infrastructure to bolster housing supply in northern-corridor suburbs including Ellenbrook, Brabham, Dayton and Caversham,” said Housing Minister John Carey.
“We’re also providing funding to unlock new housing developments across WA through our $80 million Infrastructure Development Fund, supporting upfront headworks costs for important metropolitan infill projects and key worker accommodation across the regions.”
Close to 1,600 separate pipeline sections will be used during construction, with valves, pipe and some fittings manufactured and supplied by Perth-based businesses.
Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed an additional 11,500 people moved to Averley, Ellenbrook, Bullsbrook, Beechboro and The Vines between 2019 and 2023. Nearby Brabham and Henley Brook added nearly 4,800 residents over the same period.
“Perth remains Australia’s fastest-growing capital city, highlighting the need for strong investment in essential service infrastructure,” Water Minister Simone McGurk said.
“Nowhere is that growth clearer than in the City of Swan’s Urban Growth Corridor, which encompasses suburbs like Ellenbrook, Brabham, Dayton and Caversham.”
By 2050, about 132,000 additional residents are expected to call the City of Swan home, making it one of Australia’s fastest-growing local government areas.
The 18-month project is expected to employ 150 people and involve tunnelling under Gnangara Road, Mirrabooka Avenue, Hartman Drive and Tonkin Highway to minimise traffic disruption.
It follows significant recent State Government investment in the City of Swan.
In March 2024, Water Corporation completed a $36.5 million project to deliver a new drinking water pipeline in Henley Brook and an 18-kilometre wastewater pipeline from Bullsbrook to Ellenbrook.
Work is also underway to install a 900-metre drinking water pipeline along The Broadway in Ellenbrook.
The Western Australian Government has committed $1.7 billion this financial year to new water, wastewater, and drainage projects across the state.
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