DESIGN FOR 'PERTH PARK' UNVEILED
26 Nov 2025
Initial designs have been released of the divisive $217.5 million Burswood sporting and recreation development, known as 'Perth Park'. Forecast to open in 2027, the park is pitched as both a new playground for local families and a way to lure major concerts, Supercars and international events to Perth.
Central highlights include Perth’s first dedicated outdoor amphitheatre with a capacity for up to 12,000 attendees, a versatile multi-use building for events, functions, and meetings with scenic views of the city and parklands, and a multi-use track designed to support cycling and an annual motorsport street circuit event.
The precinct will be activated by a year-round calendar of community and commercial events, from large-scale festivals to intimate local functions. The park will include all-ability indoor and outdoor spaces for community gathering and recreational sports.
Designs for the surrounding parkland and new urban forest in the south-east of the park include up to 150,000 new plants, which will more than double the precinct’s tree canopy, according to the State Government. The extensive greening aims to foster a rich ecological setting that complements the precinct’s entertainment and sporting facilities. The forest has been designed to improve shade, visual amenity, and provide a welcoming environment for large-scale festivals and family events year-round.
“Perth Park will be Western Australia’s premier entertainment and sporting precinct,” said Premier Roger Cook. “Sitting alongside the Belmont Park Racecourse and Crown Perth, Perth Park will bring Optus Stadium and the State Tennis Centre together with exciting new facilities to create something truly iconic for our State long into the future.”
“Perth Park will become an activated parkland precinct, supporting a range of sports, cultural, and entertainment experiences and inspiring year-round activity that delivers economically and socially long into the future,” added Parliamentary Secretary Daniel Pastorelli.
The precinct will feature:
- Landscaped parkland Exciting new space for large-scale festivals and for the community and families to enjoy throughout the year.
- More trees More than double the existing tree canopy, with a new urban forest made up of native shrubs, ground cover and trees.
- Multi-use building Event, function and sporting facilities for the community with space for motor sport and cycling along with other public amenities.
- Ampitheatre Perth's first dedicated outdoor amphitheatre for concerts and events for up to 12,000 people.
- Multi-use track For cycling training and competitions, as well as an annual motor sport street circuit event.
- New hospitality venue An opportunity for the private sector to invest in a new, year-round food and beverage venue.
According to an independent business case by Australian economics consultancy ACIL Allen, Perth Park is expected to generate $61 million in economic activity annually, with a strong benefit-cost ratio of 1.84, underscoring its value for the Western Australian community and economy.
The street circuit — aka Rita’s Racetrack — is one of the most talked about and contested elements of Perth Park. The project has been front and centre in State Parliament and in the recent State election campaign, with debate zeroing in on noise, traffic, and the use of public open space.
With public opinion divided on the inclusion of a racetrack, the State Government has emphasised that the track can be used for both cycling and an “annual motorsport street circuit event”, as well as the overall development of an “entertainment and sporting precinct” that includes Optus Stadium, Belmont Park Racecourse, the State Tennis Centre and Burswood Water Sports Centre.
In a decision published on November 20, the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) declined to assess the development, citing the lack of native vegetation in the area, short and localised duration of works and the intermittent nature of operational noise levels. “The EPA considers the likely environmental effects of the proposal are not so significant or unmitigated as to warrant formal assessment under Part IV of the Environmental Protection Act 1986 (EP Act),” reads the EPA’s summary of reasons.
The Town of Victoria Park has been one of the most vocal critics, raising concerns about traffic, parking, and the loss of riverside parkland and previously calling for a higher level of EPA scrutiny. Community submissions have included both opposition to the raceway and support from motorsport and events fans who see the project as a chance to bring Supercars closer to the city.
Against that backdrop, the Cook Government has emphasised that the track will host just one marquee motorsport festival each year, alongside cycling, triathlon, and running events, and that the bulk of the precinct’s use will be parkland, community sport and entertainment.
Construction is scheduled to commence early next year, with the park expected to open in 2027.
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