fbpx
Designing with Mother Earth in Mind

Western Australia’s standard of living is declining, left unaddressed it will continue falling.

One of these inefficiencies is that most first home buyers are now encouraged to buy on the outskirts of Perth which then boosts more urban sprawl rather than making the very best use of existing land opportunities. Perth will start becoming less and less productive.

 

Often people think about affordability through the cost of housing. But we should be looking at it in a broader prospective. Look at operational costs, transport costs – to and from work, to the shops, schools etc. Everyone is never impacted equally. Those buying on the outskirts of the city are usually low-income earners who can’t afford inner-city homes. These are the individuals who are impacted doubly.

 

How are they impacted?

There are lesser jobs in these new communities so to earn money these folks have to travel to earn money. Newer communities in Perth also lack in public transport (It took 20 plus years for a train line to get to Ellenbrook which is still under planning stages, atleast another 2 years to be built – https://metronet.wa.gov.au/projects/morley-ellenbrook-line) hence residents would have to invest in cars to commute to and fro from work, school shopping etc. In using cars, they are creating higher carbon footprints as they use fuel to move around. Urban sprawls generate higher expenses for households, making them less effective. Housing, jobs and public transport should be intimately connected when creating newer communities especially in the outskirts.

 

What does this mean for Perth?

Perth needs to focus on prioritising efficiencies, it needs to focus on reducing commute time for people to travel for jobs, build liveable neighbourhoods. Density is important to create a liveable/ walkable neighbourhood.

This and building energy efficient homes will generate a revolution in the way houses are built in Perth. A recent research by Curtin University shows that property buyers are willing to pay more for Eco- Extras to benefit their bills (https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/wa/perth-buyers-seek-green-sustainable-features-in-new-homes-ng-ef778bfb7d549058feae972912da2200)

For more information on how to build an eco-home to benefit your lifestyle contact us at [email protected] or alternatively call us on 0401 510 595 for a chat.