WA Stands by Perth Fraser Suites Transformation Scheme

The Western Australian government has defended its $10-million purchase of a 236-room East Perth serviced apartments complex for conversion to social housing. 

On the final day of Parliament for 2025, Shadow Treasurer Sandra Brewer referred to the purchase of Fraser Suites on Adelaide Terrace as a “panic buy”.

“I am sure future governments will look back on this era and say: ‘Can you believe the Minister for Housing and Works at the time literally bought a hotel and converted it for social housing because they couldn’t get social housing built?’,”  Brewer told her parliamentary colleagues.

This week, Minister for Housing and Works John Carey was on leave but a government spokesperson provided a response to questions from The Urban Developer.

“With pressure on housing and rental markets continuing across the nation, governments should be looking at all options to accelerate supply,” the spokesperson said in an email.

“The purchase of Fraser Suites was a historic move that demonstrates how our government is doing everything it can to support Western Australians into housing.

“Ms Brewer is at odds with the sector, which has strongly supported the purchase.”

In September last year, Western Australian First Nations business Kardan Construction was appointed to deliver the first stage of refurbishments.

In what Carey last year dubbed a “bold” move, acquiring Fraser Suites was the largest single purchase for housing by a Western Australian government.

Refurbishment is being undertaken in two stages—stage one includes minor works such as furniture removal, electrical reconfiguration, installation of temporary laundry facilities and landscaping.

Completion of that stage will allow a community housing provider to partially tenant the 13-year-old former serviced apartment building that had been popular with country people visiting the WA capital for football and Test cricket matches at the nearby Perth Stadium.

Stage two works, involving the installation of storerooms, a laundry, new kitchens and conversion of a swimming pool area to a community living space, will start after development approval and a building permit is issued.