While the year 2050 may seem a lifetime away right now, the WA Planning Commission must look that far ahead in order to set in motion plans to accommodate our anticipated population growth and demographic changes.

The forecasts for 2050

• WA’s population growth will have increased from 2.5 million (where we currently stand) to between 4.4 and 5.6 million (so potentially more than double).
• The number of people aged 65 and over will increase from 13% (where we currently stand) to 22%.

What will be needed to accommodate this growth & change in demographics?

The State Planning Strategy 2050 forecasts 700,000 new dwellings will need to be built and that most of those dwellings (500,000 to 550,000) will have to be built in the Perth metropolitan region. That’s a massive number of homes.

When you consider both the increase in population and the fact that our population is aging over the next 40 years, it’s clear that there will be a need for more suitable, diverse and affordable housing across WA, and in particular, in and around Perth.

Right now 80% of the state’s housing is standalone houses. A more diverse balance of housing has therefore been recommended with the suggested breakdown as follows:

• Separate houses – 56%
• Semi-detached houses – 35%
• Apartments – 9%

The Real Estate Institute of WA (REIWA) has been working with the Planning Institute of WA for the last 6 months to help address WA’s housing stock imbalance.

Planning Institute of WA Executive Officer, Emma de Jager said, “Although density creates some tensions, the reality is that we need to provide a variety of housing forms across WA to cater for our changing society. Planning needs to consider the community of the future, and affordability is about access and services as much as price.”

It is vital that we plan ahead now to figure out how we will evolve to accommodate our growing population. There’s no point burying our heads in the sand about something we know we will have to face, if not for ourselves, then for future generations.