The Riverside Redevelopment Area spans 40 hectares and includes Trinity College, Queens Gardens, the West Australian Cricket Association (WACA), Gloucester Park, and the banks of the Swan River. Waterbank is a 6.6-hectare site located between the Causeway Bridge and Trinity College.

A substantial amount of geotechnical stabilisation works has occurred to remediate the reclaimed land, with further work required to redevelop the mix of government and privately-owned land throughout this area.

An exciting opportunity to bring elite sport into the heart of Perth has emerged, with Waterbank set to be the first training base of the NRL’s Perth Bears.

This follows the WA Government’s May 2025 announcement to establish a new membership-based, not-for-profit NRL club – the Perth Bears – in partnership with the Australian Rugby League Commission. The club will enter the NRL Premiership competition in March 2027.

Waterbank was selected due to its proximity to the WACA Ground, which will host the Bears’ administration and high-performance operations. While Waterbank will provide an interim training base, together the two sites will create a vibrant multi-use sporting hub in East Perth, supporting both elite sport and community engagement.

This arrangement offers a unique opportunity to welcome the Perth Bears into the city, connect the community with elite sport, and make meaningful use of the site while the precinct’s long-term future is shaped.

Interim landscaping works at the Waterbank site, which began in June 2025, are progressing. Lendlease appointed landscape contractor Landscape Elements to deliver the temporary landscaping. The contractor is now onsite, with full completion of works anticipated in early 2026.

As part of interim landscaping works, temporary playing fields are being created at Waterbank to activate and maintain the precinct while long-term redevelopment plans are considered. These new facilities will serve as the Bears’ interim professional training base.

Upgrades to the Waterbank field will include new goal posts, enhanced subsoil drainage, improved soil profile, and high-quality couch grass to ensure a reliable playing surface. Site management and maintenance during the Bears’ stay will be overseen by the Department of Creative Industries, Sport and Tourism.

Additional enhancements include native landscaping, footpaths, lighting, CCTV and verge upgrades.

To allow installation of new footpaths, access to the riverside footpath will be closed from 15 September 2025 to 5 December 2025. Warning and detour signage will be in place. Pedestrians and cyclists will be redirected via Trinity Avenue, Braithwaite Street, Hay Street and the Causeway.

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If you have any questions about these works, please contact DevelopmentWA on +61 (08) 6200 4000 or via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..