Making Waves in Western Australia


Just outside of Perth is a seaside community that is set to be the model of relaxed and sustainable living – its name is Port Coogee.

 Issue: Apr 09
port1
The future Port Coogee.
port2
The almost complete reclamation and rehabilitation of Port Coogee.
People have always been drawn to the ocean. Just over half the world's population live within 10 miles of the coast. In Australia, the coast and sea are very important to the culture, lifestyle and social values of Australians. The coast is the major centre for outdoor activities such as swimming, surfing, fishing, boating, exercising and just relaxing. The sea has always evoked imagination and inspiration. It has been the incentive for great art and great literature. On a lighter note, oceanfront living offers perfect sunsets, cool sea breezes and fresh air.

The developer of the Port Coogee project, Australand, is promoting a contemporary West Australian style of coastal living. Home designers are strongly encouraged to produce innovative, contemporary designs while incorporating environmentally sustainable design principles. In function, Port Coogee is a world-class recreational marina and residential estate offering a diverse range of premium coastal living options. Located on the shores of Cockburn Sound, 18 kilometres south-west of the Perth CBD, this seaside community was planned with a guiding philosophy of "triple bottom line", where environmental, social, and economic principles are being adopted in every aspect of the project. The result of this approach to planning is a standard of living that "will be a relaxed contemporary seaside way of life, where dining and relaxation intertwine with daily life," said Richard Fulcher, General Manager, WA, Australand.

The Social Principle

port4
Sunset at Port Coogee lookout.
Port Coogee has been designed to be an integrated part of the existing community. The development's array of amenities and aquatic activities will be accessible by the public. Port Coogee will be home to 2,500 people living in apartment and penthouse spaces. There will also be 660 home lots. Port Coogee incorporates large public open spaces - beaches, parks, promenades and venues for entertainment which will ensure that people from the surrounding communities will also come to enjoy Port Coogee's attractions, enhancing the social environment for all. Asked how Port Coogee will affect Cockburn, Richard Fulcher said it "will change the face and lifestyle of the Cockburn region by providing direct access to Cockburn Sound via a brand new fully functional marina and lifestyle focused village." The area "previously provided limited access for the Cockburn community because the shore line was dominated by commercial and heavy industrial uses."

The Environmental Principle

Environmental principles started from site selection. The project will see the transformation of the Coogee coastline from a contaminated, industrial wasteland to a thriving green community. Australand saw potential in tackling what is considered one of the biggest coastal renewal projects recently undertaken in Australia. In addition to their efforts in rehabilitating the land, they are restoring the indigenous plant life to the area. Comprehensive revegetation programs will ensure greater opportunities for the wider community to enjoy Coogee Regional Space and the nearby Beeliar Regional Park, which runs adjacent to the Coogee coastline.

All buildings constructed by Australand are designed to conserve natural resources by cutting both the water and electrical use by up to 50 percent. This was partially achieved by "putting into the design guideline for Port Coogee a mandate for the use of gas boosted solar hot water heaters, quality insulation measures and the use of water efficient devices. Guidelines also required a third pipe irrigation system fed with ground water from the marina water interception system. This was done to encourage lot purchasers to build their dream homes with environmental protection being an important consideration." said Richard Fulcher.

port3
The Port Coogee Cheifton Meeting Place.

The Economic Principle

Australand knew if the community they were envisioning was to succeed they needed the project to be economically sustainable. Over the next 20 years, Port Coogee is expected to attract nearly one billion Australian dollars plus the creation of approximately 1,200 jobs for the people of Port Coogee and the surrounding area. The economic impact will be substantial and long lasting. In addition, the planners have engaged the City of Cockburn and have enjoyed their support for the combining of the communities' two retail centres into one marina venue. This collaborative approach to planning speaks volumes about the commitment of the designers to truly build something special and long lasting.

Being built today with an eye on the future, Port Coogee has taken the "triple bottom line principles" to heart and in doing so have assured its spot in the sun for a long time to come.

For more info on Port Coogee, visit the website at www.portcoogee.com.au

Port Coogee is a world-class recreational marina and residential estate developed by Australand (a subsidiary of CapitaLand).
Comments
Add New Search
Write comment
Name (required)
E-mail (required, but will not display)
Comment
Irrelevant or inappropriate comments might be edited or removed.
Yes, I would like to subscribe to CapitaLand INSIDE 
  
Please input the anti-spam code that you can read in the image.

3.26 Copyright (C) 2008 Compojoom.com / Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."
Print    E-mail
 
CapitaLand Share Banner