Welcome to the City of Melville Population Forecasts

The City of Melville is located in Perth's south west, between central Perth and Fremantle. The City is predominantly residential, with large institutional uses (including Murdoch University), as well as some employment areas. The City includes 18 kilometres of Swan River foreshore. Early settlement in the City dates from the 1890s, and was focussed in areas closest to Fremantle and the river. The relative isolation of the City from Perth and Fremantle meant that the area did not expand rapidly until the post war period. In the 1950s, the suburban spread of both Perth and Fremantle met in the City of Melville. Development of the southern areas if the City continued until the 1980s. Since the 1980s, growth has slowed substantially as remaining greenfield opportunities have become exhausted. The primary housing market role that the City of Melville has played in the post war period has been to provide home owning opportunities for prospective families from the inner and middle southern suburbs of Perth as well as the Fremantle area.

There is continued demand for residential development within the City, particularly for areas with high desirability, such as those closest to the river, as well as areas around Murdoch University.

With the variety of residential areas, natural characteristics and period of development, different areas within the City of Melville have developed different roles within the housing market. Areas in the north of the City along the river such as Applecross, Attadale and Bicton are attractive to mature families (usually third or fourth homebuyers). Areas to the south are reaching a stage where large numbers of children are leaving home over the forecast period. The exception to this is Murdoch, where the university attracts large numbers of students. Areas such as Palmyra, Melville and Alfred Cove-Myaree are attractive to young adults in their 20s. The variety of function and role of the small areas in the City of Melville means that population outcomes differ significantly across the City.

There are also significant differences in the supply of future residential land within the City which will also have a major influence in structuring different population and household futures over the next five to ten years. New development opportunities have been identified in areas around the new southern railway (Murdoch, Bull Creek) as well as areas in the City's north along the Swan and Canning Rivers. New student housing is also expected at Murdoch. Areas in the south, such as Leeming, Winthrop and Bateman are generally expected to have relatively low amounts of new dwellings over the forecast period.