After Experiencing unprecedented resistance from West Australian planning, Grange Developments has finally won approval (with conditions) to bid to build what is expected to be the world’s tallest hybrid timber tower in Perth.

Initially rejected by the City of South Perth and the State Design Review Panel (SDRP) – for not achieving design excellence, especially in relation to amenity, legibility and safety – the project (pictured) subsequently found favour at a recent meeting of the Metro Inner South Joint Development Assessment Panel (JDAP).

The $350 million carbon-negative 51-storey timber residential tower (dubbed C6) is expected to establish a new benchmark for environmentally conscious design.

The Fraser and Partners-designed C6 tower plan is expected to comprise 237 apartments, a 437 sqm public park, a fully electric building plus a bank of 80 communal Teslas.

The core building structure is expected to remove around 10.5 million kg of carbon dioxide equivalent, compared to a traditional concrete structure of a similar scale, which Grange Developments managing director James Dibble suggests is enough to offset 4885 economy class seats on a Perth-to-London long-haul flight.

Commenting on the green light decision for C6 to proceed, Dibble lauded JDAP and WA more broadly for having set a standard of excellence for tall buildings in WA. The intent of the project, adds Dibble, had always been to create a climate-conscious development “rooted in science and engineering”.

“We are immensely proud of our open-source approach to all documentation and construction details because we genuinely wish for others to understand our methodology and possess the blueprint to emulate, modify, and progress it,” Dibble said.

“Credit must be given to our world-class consultant team; Australia is blessed to have some of the brightest minds in ESD-focused development on the planet and we are grateful to have them design C6 with us.”

Contrary to the SDRP’s former ruling, JDAP deputy presiding member Rachel Chapman said the panel was satisfied the project would achieve design excellence after successfully seeking confirmation from experts in Germany and the UK.

Fellow JDAP member Peter Lee notes while he respected the SDRP and the planning process… “we really have to be supportive of things that are looking at tackling climate change.”

“I think this is going to be a fantastic development for the South Perth peninsula,” Metro Inner South JDAP presiding member Clayton Higham noted.