The Western Australian government has committed an initial AU$105 million towards a major overhaul of Perth’s oldest wastewater treatment facility, laying the foundation for 60,000 future homes and creating hundreds of local jobs across the city’s inner and western suburbs.
Detailed design and engineering works are now underway at the Subiaco Water Resource Recovery Facility in Shenton Park. The initial funding allocation will support site preparation and early design work aimed at expanding the facility’s overall processing capacity.
In operation since 1927, the Water Corporation site currently processes around 65 million litres of wastewater daily from 120,000 households and businesses spanning from Scarborough to North Fremantle, and east to Maylands.
Under the proposed redevelopment plan, constructing a compact, state-of-the-art plant at the Lemnos Street location will boost daily treatment capacity by an additional 23 million litres.
The improved infrastructure will service housing for more than 135,000 residents over the next 25 years. The expansion unlocks high-priority infill and redevelopment projects, including precinct plans at Subi East, Belmont Park Racecourse, Fremantle Port, and key transit hubs.
Modern engineering works will also examine advanced odour control systems to protect neighbourhood amenity, alongside enhanced water recycling capabilities.
Water Minister Daniel Pastorelli said expanding utility capacity remains essential to accommodating metropolitan growth while easing pressure on drinking water supplies.
“This $105 million investment is the next step in creating more opportunities to recycle water and reduce demand on our drinking water supplies while supporting 60,000 future homes,” he said.
Housing and Works Minister John Carey added that the investment aligns with the state’s AU$10.8 billion housing strategy to accelerate land supply and boost density options.
The upgrade forms part of broader state investments exceeding half a billion dollars dedicated to expanding water, wastewater, and drainage network capacity to support residential development across Western Australia.
