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How the dispute unfolded
The contest was between two proposals for the same mixed-use precinct. APIL Group, which the Town identifies as the Forum’s owner, lodged its plan in February 2024. In March 2024 the Town asked for more information before it could accept the plan for advertising and assessment. The Town said the WAPC would decide after weighing the Town’s recommendation, public submissions, and state and local planning frameworks.
| Date | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| February 2024 | APIL Group lodges its precinct plan. | Town of Cambridge account, March 2024 |
| March 2024 | The Town requests further information before accepting the plan for advertising and assessment. | Town of Cambridge account, March 2024 |
| 26 October 2024 | PerthNow reports the two competing visions. APIL’s public consultation draws about 1,700 submissions. | PerthNow report, October 2024 |
| 5 November 2025 | At its Statutory Planning Committee meeting, the WAPC resolves to modify APIL’s plan under a schedule of modifications and require resubmission for approval. It refuses the Town-led PSP. | WAPC minutes, November 2025; Town of Cambridge media release, 5 November 2025 |
| August 2026 | The WAPC approves the modified APIL Group PSP. | Town of Cambridge project page |
The sequence matters. The November 2025 decision was not the final word: the plan the public now needs to read is the modified version approved in August 2026.
The two plans as they were described in 2024
The table below reflects how the competing drafts were reported in October 2024. These are descriptions of 2024 proposals, not the controls in the approved document. Final heights, yield and design requirements must be checked in the approved PSP itself.
#1 Best Overall
| Feature | Town-led plan (as reported October 2024) | APIL Group draft (as reported October 2024) |
|---|---|---|
| Building height | Limited to eight storeys | Included an 18-to-20-storey apartment complex and other towers |
| Boulevard Centre and library | Retained, with density added above the shopping centre | Not stated in the reporting |
| Dwelling yield | About 1,000 dwellings (indicative) | Not stated in the reporting |
| Community input | Prepared through a community working group and consultation, according to the Town (November 2025 statement) | About 1,700 submissions responded to APIL’s public consultation |
The housing targets behind the debate
PerthNow reported two housing figures in October 2024. The first, 900 to 1,250 new dwellings, was described as the Western Australian state infill target for the Floreat area. The second, 6,830 new homes by 2050, was described as the Town of Cambridge-wide target. Both figures come from that 2024 report and describe the planning context at the time. The roughly 1,700 submissions were responses to a consultation, not a vote or referendum.
What the WAPC decided
At its meeting on 5 November 2025, the WAPC’s Statutory Planning Committee did two things. It resolved to modify APIL’s plan under a schedule of modifications and to require resubmission for approval. It also refused the Town-led PSP. The official minutes record both resolutions. The approval the Town reports in August 2026 came after that resubmission process.
The Town’s position
The Town objected to the WAPC approving APIL’s plan while refusing its own. In its 5 November 2025 media release, the Town said its plan had been prepared through a community working group and consultation, aligned with its endorsed Local Planning Strategy, and met state dwelling targets. It criticised APIL’s plan for excessive heights and for departing from that strategy. These are the Town’s claims, not independent findings.
Mayor Gary Mack said in that release: “We are not opposed to growth.” He added: “But growth must be guided by good planning, not developer-led expediency and commercial returns.” Earlier, in October 2024, PerthNow quoted him saying: “This is uncharted territory for the WAPC and, quite frankly, for us.”
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What a precinct structure plan does, and does not do
The state planning policy describes an activity-centre PSP as a framework for land use, density and development, access, infrastructure, environmental assets and community facilities. State planning guidance says precinct plans inform later subdivision, zoning and development. A PSP is therefore not a project-level approval. Separate development applications are still required before anything is built.
What is still unknown
The sources reviewed establish the plan decisions and identify the state planning document. They do not establish whether a specific redevelopment application has been lodged or approved, whether construction has begun, or when work might start. Those questions depend on current development application records, which are held by the Town of Cambridge and should be checked directly before any claim about a project is made.
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Checklist for readers with a financial interest nearby
If you own, rent out or are considering property near Floreat Forum, the approved plan is a starting point. Work through these checks before making assumptions about value, rent or timing:
- Find the approved document under the name Floreat Precinct Structure Plan, WAPC reference SPN 2383, in the state planning-information collection. Read the modified plan, not 2024 press descriptions.
- Confirm the height, yield and staging figures against the approved text, since the 2024 numbers were for earlier drafts.
- Search the Town of Cambridge’s development application records for any application covering your specific lot or nearby sites.
- Treat any redevelopment timeline as unconfirmed until an application is lodged, assessed and approved, and construction is scheduled.
Keeping these checks separate from the plan approval matters. The plan sets the framework; the application sets what can actually be built, and when.
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