Welcome to Brownlie Neighbourhood

The Brownlie Neighbourhood is located in the southern Perth suburb of Bentley just 8km from the Perth CBD.

The majority of the land is owned by the Department of Education and Training, Department of Housing and land vested in the City of Canning.

Brownlie Neighbourhood

The term ‘Brownlie Neighbourhood’ has been used to describe the lands and residents within and surrounding a small pocket of Bentley. The suburb of Bentley is rather large so it is important to define the redevelopment area and the people affected by these changes by way of a more specific community name. We have temporarily chosen to describe this area as the ‘Brownlie neighbourhood’ as the two Brownlie Towers are the focal point of the redevelopment area and are well recognised by the broader Bentley and Canning community.

You are part of the Brownlie Neighbourhood if you live close or within the Brownlie precinct, work in the area, use any of the recreational facilities in the area etcetera. Its become pretty clear that the ‘Brownlie Neighbourhood’ and community spreads far and wide.

At the heart of the neighbourhood are two landmark ten-storey buildings known as Brownlie Towers. The Towers, along with town houses and single houses, were built in 1969-72 amid much fanfare heralding them as a cutting-edge social housing complex with a modern, eclectic mix of homes and shops.

In 2004 work started on a major revamped of what by then had become a tired-looking 40-year-old development.

Now, a second phase of redevelopment has begun through a commitment to develop a masterplan that will give the neighbourhood direction such at it can evolve into the type of community that residents want.

Masterplan

A masterplan is a blueprint that provides a vision for an area and the way it should be developed. The plan acts as a guide to help make decision about land-use and changes in the long-term.

These planning process take time because they involve ongoing communication and consultation with all parties involved.

In April 2009, Housing Minister Troy Buswell described it as an ambitious project, but he believes it will succeed given the will and skills among the community and stakeholders to make it a reality.

A primary goal will be to rejuvenate the neighbourhood with a better mix of private and social housing. The rest is largely up to the community who have indicated from early workshops that a better variety of shops, better access to transport and a good cultural mix are some of their aims.