The Ocean Village Shopping Centre is located on Kilpa Court, near the corner of Hale Road and Brompton Road at the northern end of City Beach.

The Ocean Village Shopping Centre first opened in 1980 and quickly established itself as an important part of the local community. Despite larger centres opening nearby in the 1990s and 2000s, it continued to provide important retail services and remained a strong focal point for the local community.

Blackburne purchased the company which owns the Ocean Village Shopping Centre in September of 2022. The previous owners were in the process of preparing plans to redevelop the centre but decided not to proceed. As a result of those stalled plans, vacancies in the centre have increased and the condition of the centre has deteriorated.

The car parks are currently owned by the Town of Cambridge, but in October of 2023 the Town resolved to sell the car parks to Blackburne. This decision was in-line with a long-held view by the Town that incorporating the land into the centre’s redevelopment would result in a better outcome for the community.

The car parks are under a licence agreement to allow visitors of the shopping centre to use the parking bays and will continue to be available for the public to use until redevelopment of the centre.

A completed development will include a significantly improved public car park, with approximately 200 bays available to visitors. These will all be located below ground and out of sight. Special provision has been made for visitors of St Paul’s Church to continue to park there.

The sale of the car parks will mean they are amalgamated with the shopping centre land. This means that the last portion of Kilpa Court will be a cul-de-sac, surrounded by one land owner.

Closure of that last portion of road is a normal process in this situation and will result in that section of land being purchased from the State Government and also incorporated within the shopping centre land.

There is significant benefit to closing this portion of road as it allows the redevelopment to create a much more pedestrian-friendly outcome. The purchase price will be determined by the State according to an independent valuation.

Although the road is owned by the State of Western Australia, it is managed by the Town of Cambridge who will initiate the process of closing the last section of Kilpa Court. This is a public process that includes community consultation.

Around 2015, the Town considered increasing density across the surrounding suburbs. This would have allowed blocks to be subdivided and medium density developments distributed evenly throughout the area. This approach was not supported by the community.

The Town then commenced a Local Planning Strategy in July of 2018. It underwent a number of revisions and extensive public consultation before being finalised in July 2021.

A key principle of the strategy is to renew neighbourhood centres whilst providing new, high quality housing options. By encouraging them at specific and appropriate locations, increased density throughout the existing suburb can be avoided and the green open character preserved.

The key objectives of the Local Planning Strategy include:

• Facilitate housing growth in specific precincts.
• Improve housing diversity.
• Ensure new built form responds to evolving community needs.
• Create vibrant neighbourhood centres.
• Celebrate and strengthen character of suburban precincts.
• Protect and enhance character streets throughout the Town.

It is not economically viable to refurbish the centre in the short term and continue to operate it in its current state.

Blackburne has released plans for a renewed neighbourhood centre which features high quality ground floor retail and hospitality experiences. Consistent with the community feedback, it should include a boutique supermarket, curated specialty stores, and a carefully selected series of cafés and restaurants to help revitalise the area.

Importantly, this is all planned around an open ground floor with extensive landscaping at its heart.

Additionally the redevelopment would include high quality residences specifically designed for local owner occupiers. Presently there is a significant lack of housing diversity and choice for those who no longer need the large family home but would like to remain in the area.

The surrounding parkland, including Tuart trees will remain unaffected. However, at a later stage, further consideration will be given to how the surrounding parklands can be improved.

The SDAU has now released plans to the local community and other stakeholders for public comment.

To stay informed with new details, please register your details or send an email to oceanvillage@blackburne.com.au