Ellenbrook, Western Australia

Ellenbrook is a northeastern suburb of Perth, Western Australia, about 20 km (12 mi) from Perth's central business district (CBD), located within the City of Swan. Ellenbrook, and its neighbouring suburbs of The Vines and Aveley, are unusual for Perth in being a significant distance from neighbouring suburbs. Given this relative isolation and the distance from the CBD, Ellenbrook has been designed and developed as a self-sustainable community. At June 2018 the estimated urban population for Ellenbrook and surrounds was 41,382.[2] At the time of the 2016 census there were 22,681 people living in the gazetted suburb.[1] It is envisioned that Ellenbrook will eventually become a satellite city, with a population of 80,000.[3]

Ellenbrook
Perth, Western Australia
Ellenbrook
Coordinates31.765°S 115.988°E / -31.765; 115.988
Population
Postcode(s)6069
LGA(s)City of Swan
State electorate(s)Swan Hills, West Swan
Federal Division(s)Pearce
Suburbs around Ellenbrook:
Melaleuca Melaleuca The Vines
Lexia Ellenbrook Aveley
Whiteman Henley Brook Aveley

Ellenbrook is approximately 17 kilometres (11 mi) from Guildford, 19 kilometres (12 mi) from Midland and 27 kilometres (17 mi) from the Perth CBD (via Beaufort Street and Beechboro Road). Gnangara Road links Ellenbrook with Wangara and the northern suburbs, while West Swan Road and the Reid and Tonkin Highways are nearby. Bus services link Ellenbrook with Morley and Bassendean railway station. A journey to the Perth CBD by public transport takes approximately 60 minutes.[4] Before 2017, public transport was limited in the evenings and weekends, but in that year, Transperth introduced upgraded services, including an hourly evening connection to Bassendean railway station and thus the city.[5] In August 2017, a bus route was introduced which connected Ellenbrook to Whitfords railway station, via Gnangara Road.[6]

During the campaign for the 2008 Western Australian election, both major political parties committed to building a rail line. The 15 km line was expected to cost $850 million and be finished around 2015, with construction starting around 2012.[7] However, in May 2010, the premier Colin Barnett confirmed that his government would not be proceeding with the development.[8] Following the election of the McGowan Labor government in 2017, it was announced that the Ellenbrook railway would be constructed, with a projected opening date of 2022.[9]

History and development

Ellenbrook takes its name from Ellen Brook, a tributary of the Swan, with the brook being named for Ellen Stirling, the wife of Captain James Stirling, Western Australia's first governor.[10]

The developer is the Ellenbrook Joint Venture — a partnership between the Department of Housing and Works and Morella Pty Ltd.[11]

The Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA) produced a fact sheet[11] providing details about the development:

  • The sites were acquired by the respective owners in the 1980s as rural land. They had commenced informal rezoning discussions by 1989.
  • Given the challenges associated with rezoning and servicing, the owners formed the joint venture in November 1991 (ie the need for critical mass was recognised).
  • The environmental approval involved a Public Environmental Review (PER) process.
  • The site was rezoned to Urban Deferred in December 1992 and to urban in December 1993.
  • Given its location adjacent to the Gnangara Water Mound, the Swan Valley and its distance from existing services, the rezoning was extremely challenging.
  • Structure planning occurred in detail during 1993, to facilitate receipt of planning approval in 1994.
  • The scale of the project demanded extensive consultation with all service providers, the local community groups and significant market research.
  • The Environmental approvals, including drainage and nutrient management, together with provision of water and sewer services, represented the major challenges.
  • Over $2m was expended by the owners in meeting the requirements of the rezoning process.
  • Approximately 300 ha (740 acres) of land (25% of the site) was set aside for conservation.

Ellenbrook is a planned community, and is being developed in phases called "villages". The first, Woodlake Village, was built on the site of a former sand quarry.[11] The lowest point of the open-cut mine became the central lake and feature parkland, and the high points of the mine were set aside for the area now known as Woodlake Rise. Construction commenced in 1994, with the first home completed in 1995. Subsequent villages are The Bridges, Coolamon, Morgan Fields, Charlotte's Vineyard, Malvern Springs, Lexia and Annie's Landing.

The development of the town centre is well established, with 33,000 m2 (360,000 sq ft) of shopping centre including major retailers, Coles, Woolworths, Big W and a Kmart currently being built, with around 100 speciality stores. It contains the largest Woolworths in the state.[12] The town centre is being developed in four phases with stage 3 currently underway. It has already attracted major big box retailer Bunnings.

The villages and shops are linked and intertwined by a series of pathways and cyclepaths and there is a high standard of landscaping throughout.

Planning and development
Stage Village name Developer Planning and urban design consultant firm Chief urban planner Chief urban designer
Village 1 Woodlake Village LWP Property Group RobertsDay/Peter Cala & Associates Tim Trefry Mike Day
Village 2 The Bridges LWP Property Group RobertsDay/Blackwell & Associates Tim Trefry Mike Day
Village 3 Coolamon LWP Property Group RobertsDay/TRACT/Plan E Tim Trefry Mike Day
Village 4 Morgan Fields LWP Property Group RobertsDay Tim Trefry Mike Day
Village 5 Charlotte’s Vineyard LWP Property Group RobertsDay/Plan E Tim Trefry Mike Day
Village 6 Malvern Springs LWP Property Group RobertsDay/Plan E Julie Harrold Peter Ciemitis
Village 7 Lexia LWP Property Group RobertsDay/Plan E Tim Trefry Peter Ciemitis
Towncentre Ellenbrook Town Centre LWP Property Group RobertsDay/Plan E Tim Trefry Mike Day

Natural features

Some existing woodlands and wetlands, including conservation category wetlands, have been incorporated into public open space in the villages of Charlotte’s Vineyard and Malvern Springs. The neighbouring Gnangara pine plantation, west of The Bridges, includes walks and picnic facilities accessible directly from Ellenbrook.

Over 300 hectares to the south of Ellenbrook were ceded for conservation prior to the commencement of the development, and are now protected under Perth's metropolitan Bush Forever strategy.

The lake at the Edgecombe Brothers Estate, next to the suburb, is home to one of the last remaining wild populations of the critically endangered western swamp tortoise.[13]

Education facilities

Ellenbrook and its surrounding area contain a number of primary and secondary schools, both public and private.

Primary schools in the area include:

  • Arbor Grove Primary School[14] - state primary school located in Charlotte's Vineyard
  • Ellen Stirling Primary School[15] - state primary school located in Coolamon
  • Ellenbrook Christian College - a private kindergarten to year 12 school located in The Bridges
  • Ellenbrook Primary School[16] - state primary school located in Woodlake
  • Malvern Springs Primary School[17] - state primary school located in the village of Malvern Springs
  • St. Helena's Catholic Primary School[18] - Catholic primary school located in Woodlake
  • Swan Valley Anglican Community School - kindergarten to year 12 Anglican school located in nearby Aveley
  • Aveley Primary School[19] - state primary school in nearby Aveley
  • Aveley North Primary School

High schools in the area include:

Ellenbrook Community Library,[23] operated by the City of Swan, is colocated within Ellenbrook Secondary College and Performing Arts Centre.

Sporting and leisure facilities

There are four ovals (playing fields) in Ellenbrook. The main ovals at Coolamon Oval and Ellenbrook District Open Space (EDOS) have clubroom and changing facilities and are the home of the Ellenbrook Eels Senior Football Club, the Ellenbrook Dockers Junior Football club (Australian Rules) and the Ellenbrook Rangers.[24]

Other sporting facilities include:

  • Dual-purpose tennis/basketball courts at Woodlake Park and Coolamon Oval
  • Cricket nets on Woodlake oval, Coolamon Oval and EDOS
  • A skatepark at Woodlake oval
  • Tennis/netballcourts at Woodlake and Arbor Grove primary schools
  • A skatepark/BMX facility adjacent to Coolamon oval[25]
  • A large water park, aimed at younger children, completed in late 2009 and located next to the library and high school

The town is also home to a junior and senior soccer club, Ellenbrook United FC.

There is a private swimming pool/school operated by State Swim located adjacent to the library.

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References

  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Ellenbrook (State Suburb)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  2. "3218.0 – Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2017–15: Population Estimates by Statistical Area Level 2, 2016, 2017 to 2018". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Australian Bureau of Statistics. 27 March 2019. Retrieved 23 March 2020. Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018.
  3. "Windows on Ellenbrook (June 2008)" (PDF). The local paper, Windows on Ellenbrook quotes 35,000 for Ellenbrook, 15,000 for Aveley and 5,000 for the Vines. The development of Albion Town at Henley Brook is anticipated to bring the population to 80,000.
  4. "Transperth Website". Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  5. "Transperth Website, Ellenbrook Service Changes". Archived from the original on 26 January 2014. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  6. New bus service between Ellenbrook and Whitfords, Hon Rita Saffioti BBus MLA, 9 August 2017 (accessed 28 August 2017)
  7. "Premier pledges $1.1 billion transport expansion". The West Australian. 31 August 2008. Archived from the original on 31 August 2008. Retrieved 31 August 2008.
  8. "PREMIER WALKS AWAY FROM KEY ELECTION COMMITMENT" (PDF). Rita Saffioti, MLA. 6 May 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 July 2010. Retrieved 16 June 2010.
  9. "Planning works tender released for Morley-Ellenbrook Line". Rail Express. 27 October 2017. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  10. Landgate (Government of Western Australia) Geographic Names: suburb name histories: E
  11. "Urban Development Institute of Australia Case Study" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 August 2007. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  12. "Ellenbrook - Land for sale in Ellenbrook, Western Australia. The new town in Swan Valley". Archived from the original on 4 June 2007. Retrieved 21 June 2006.
  13. http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/publications/recovery/p-umbrina/pubs/p-umbrina.pdf Archived 21 March 2011 at the Wayback Machine Western Swamp Tortoise Recovery Plan, Andrew A. Burbidge and Gerald Kuchling, CALM
  14. Arbor Grove Primary School
  15. Ellen Stirling Primary School
  16. Ellenbrook Primary School
  17. Malvern Springs Primary School
  18. St. Helena's Catholic Primary School
  19. Aveley Primary School
  20. Ellenbrook Secondary College
  21. Holy Cross College
  22. cite web|url=https://www.aveleysc.wa.edu.au Aveley Secondary | title=Aveley Secondary College Website
  23. "Ellenbrook Community Library". Archived from the original on 11 November 2013. Retrieved 27 October 2012.
  24. http://www.ellenbrookrangers.com
  25. http://www.cityofswan.com/docs/documents/1321/Annual_Report_2006-2007_461529.pdf Archived 14 August 2008 at the Wayback Machine City of Swan Annual Report 2006-07
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