Low density dwellings still make up two thirds of all building approvals in the Perth metropolitan area, according to a report released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
The study shows this proportion has barely changed in the last decade, despite state government goals for higher urban density.
As the fastest growing capital city in Australia, state government estimates indicate that Perth would need 328,000 additional dwellings by 2031 if a projected population of more than 2.2 million is reached.
In this scenario, almost half of these dwellings would be required as urban in-fill.
Since 2001, there has been a small increase in the proportion of building approvals for flats, units and apartments, rising from 9 per cent to 12 per cent of all approvals. However, the proportion of approvals for Clustered (medium density) dwellings, around 21 per cent, has not increased.
Approvals for medium and high density dwellings tend to be concentrated in the older inner suburban areas of the city, while approvals for low density housing dominate in the outer metropolitan areas.
