The Greater Perth Land Squeeze
Buying land in Greater Perth has become increasingly competitive. A severe supply crunch has pushed prices higher, while blocks closer to the city are getting smaller.
For families, first-home buyers and downsizers wanting genuine space, the search is increasingly moving beyond the metro area to country corridors such as Bindoon and the Chittering Valley.
Inside the Land Shortage
The obvious assumption is that heading into the country solves the problem. But raw land isn't the same as land that is ready to build on.
New developments still require roads, power, water and other infrastructure, while civil contractors across WA continue to face material and skilled labour constraints.
Planning also plays a role. In areas such as Chittering, development must work within frameworks designed to protect the local environment and natural water catchments. That limits where and how new estates can be developed.
The result is a growing premium on titled land, or developments with a clear pathway to titles.
With construction timelines already stretched, buyers want certainty that the block they're buying can move towards construction within a defined timeframe.
Rawson Springs developer Cameron Bell has watched that shift unfold firsthand. He says the real issue isn't a lack of land — it's a lack of build-ready land.
“Getting land ready for construction takes time. Planning, subdivision, civil works and infrastructure all must happen before a buyer can build, and supply isn't keeping pace with demand.”
That squeeze is being felt in both price and lot size. The average price of a new residential lot in Greater Perth has pushed beyond $430,000, compared with around $250,000 a few years ago. At the same time, 300-square-metre and even 250-square-metre blocks are increasingly common closer to the city.
For buyers wanting a shed, vegetable garden, room for the kids or space for the dog, that can mean looking further afield.
Why Rawson Springs?
This is part of the thinking behind Rawson Springs at 371 Gray Road, Bindoon.
Bell says the aim was to combine the space, and character buyers are looking for in a country property with the infrastructure they expect closer to Perth.
“Our research in the very early stages showed that buyers valued not compromising on essential services,” he says. “We invested heavily so that reticulated water, underground power and high-speed internet are ready to go.”
The development features generous lifestyle lots, established trees and sweeping views, with civil construction now underway and titles anticipated for February/March 2027.
For buyers facing smaller suburban blocks, rising prices and lengthy waits for new land releases, that combination is becoming increasingly attractive, and the market has responded well.
The Bottom Line
Perth's land shortage isn't going away anytime soon. It is a structural supply issue that will take years of planning, civil construction and new land releases to address.
As urban blocks continue to shrink, buyers wanting space are increasingly looking beyond the traditional suburban market.
For those prepared to head north, Rawson Springs offers a different proposition: genuine lifestyle space, modern infrastructure and a clear pathway to building.
Rawson Springs staff writer
