WA’s $100m Surf Park Gets Green Light

The largest surf park in the Southern Hemisphere has been approved.

Aventuur has won development approval for its Perth Surf Park from the Metro Outer Joint Development Assessment Panel and will transform the Cockburn Gateway precinct into a major tourism, sporting and entertainment hub.

Slated for a site on Prinsep Road, Jandakot, next to the Kwinana Freeway and the Cockburn Central Train Station, the $100-million development will “create a world-class, sustainable surf park in Perth, welcoming more than a million visitors each year”, according to Aventuur.

The heart of the park will be a 56 module Wavegarden ‘Cove’ surfing lagoon, offering “perfect waves for all abilities in a safe, controlled environment.”

The precinct will also feature a beach club, bars and restaurants, high-performance surfing academy, surf hire store, wellness and recovery centre, fitness studio, co-working lounge, functions spaces and community amenities, including a skate park, pump track and gardens.

▲ The surf park will attract a million visitors per year, according to the developer.

The surf park is also expected to host regular events, including surfing competitions, cultural and music festivals, and charity fundraisers.

The Perth Surf Park is expected to create more than 260 jobs during construction and contribute more than $250 million to the WA economy during its operating life.

Aventuur chief development officer Andrew Ross said he was “delighted” the project had been approved and was looking forward to beginning construction later in 2023.

The park’s buildings will target a 5 Star Green Star rating, making Perth the first surf park in the world to achieve the classification, Aventuur said.

▲ Developer Adventuur says the park will be the most environmentally friendly in the world.

The Perth Surf Park’s design incorporates a range of other market-leading sustainability initiatives, to ensure the project delivers net positive environmental outcomes.

“We plan on utilising ‘zero embedded carbon’ concrete during construction, sourcing 100 per cent of the park’s power requirements from renewable sources, generating and storing our own solar power, harvesting rainwater from the building roofs, composting organic waste on site, eliminating single use plastics, and procuring local materials and products wherever possible,” Ross said.

“As a team of passionate surfers, we believe it’s our responsibility to have a positive impact on the planet, in Jandakot where our park is located, and in our local Cockburn and Perth communities. We’ve received so much support from local surfers, families and residents on our journey to deliver this project, and we’re committed to creating the best surf park in the world that is by the West, for the West”.

The project’s development approval comes after a decision by the Western Australian Environmental Protection Authority that the Perth Surf Park will not have a significant impact on the environment, and therefore did not require assessment by the EPA.

Subject to further regulatory approvals the Perth Surf Park is expected to open in late 2025.