Fragrance Wants More Time to Build WA’s Tallest Tower

It is crunch time for two of Perth’s biggest projects—the city’s tallest tower will need at least another two years to get started while its $1.6-billion convention centre has been axed entirely. 

Singaporean Fragrance Group filed an application to extend the start of construction on the 59-storey hotel with 500 rooms. It wants to shift the start date, which currently must begin by December 8 this year, to 2027.

What would be Perth’s tallest tower was approved in 2016 for a site behind St Andrew’s Uniting Church at 36 St Georges Terrace and 10 Pier Street.

Element Advisory associate planner George Ashton said that although construction costs in Perth were beginning to stabilise, Fragrance Group needed to monitor the situation closely.

“There were significant construction cost escalations of more than 50 per cent since the original project budget was drawn up in 2017,” Ashton said in the planning statement.

“The collapse of Probuild, and Multiplex focusing on infrastructure and government projects resulted in a lack of major building companies with the capability, capacity and availability to deliver a project of this scale and complexity.

“Fragrance Group remains committed to proceeding with the approved development at the subject site as part of their ongoing investment in the Perth CBD.”

▲ Rendering of what would be Perth’s tallest tower planned for behind St Andrew’s Uniting Church.

The Singaporean group, which developed the Premier Tower in Melbourne, completed the Novotel Perth at 380-388 Murray Street in 2019.

It is working on two student accommodation projects—at the corner of Murray and Milligan streets and at 619 Wellington Street near the new Edith Cowan University City Campus.

Exhibition centre redevelopment canned 

Meanwhile, the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre redevelopment announced in January 2024 is no more. 

The WA Government announced on Thursday it would “discontinue” the project in favour of a $1.5-billion Building Hospitals Fund.

Around $35 million was spent on planning the project, which was approved for early works by the City of Perth in July.

However, more than $500 million in rail and road works were required before construction on the PCEC started.

WA Premier Roger Cook said that although the state had worked closely and constructively with the leaseholders over the past two years, the significant investment decision could not be justified.

▲ The Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre redevelopment was announced in 2024.

“Our existing business events and tourism program is an important part of our government’s strategy to diversify the economy and ensure it remains the strongest in the nation,” Cook said.

“This is an important focus for my Government; however, I refuse to compromise on major projects that will deliver better health outcomes for Western Australians.

“We want to expand our major conference capacity but it needs to occur in a way that delivers value for taxpayers and doesn’t interrupt the impressive forward program of business events activity.

“I thank the leaseholders for their commitment to the existing facility and to the future events capacity of WA and look forward to working with them to find a new way forward in the future.”

PCEC was built in 2004 and is the oldest convention centre in Australia not to have undergone a major redevelopment.

It is leased by Wyllie and Brookfield until 2039. The joint venture was working with the state to explore redevelopment opportunities.