Installing piles under the future buildings at the Perth Park construction site is set to commence in a fortnight, following test piles being driven in between 29 June and 2 July.
Following the test piles, activities will be paused before the main piling program commences in mid-July. Square precast concrete piles will be driven 40 to 50 metres into the ground as foundations for the buildings in Perth Park (Perth Entertainment and Sporting Precinct), on the Swan River waterfront.
The $202.4 million contract for the project was awarded in May 2026 to the Perth Entertainment and Sporting Precinct Alliance (PESPA), comprising Seymour Whyte Constructions, Civmec Construction and Engineering, and Aurecon Australasia.
When complete, Perth Park will feature a 12,000-person outdoor amphitheatre, a multi-use building with a hospitality venue and function spaces, and a multi-use track supporting cycling, plus an annual motorsport event.
Over 600 trees are being planted across the park along with the establishment of a children’s playground, exercise zones, limestone walking tracks, an outdoor basketball half-court, public toilets, and shaded areas for people to gather.
Following the announcement of the major construction contract for Perth Park in May, activities have included the installation of Controlled Modulus Columns (CMCs) to strengthen the ground beneath the amphitheatre mound.
CMC installation involves the use of a drilling rig with an auger that creates concrete columns in the ground. Surcharging of the site has also begun; placing and compacting temporary fill over the track alignment to apply additional weight to allow the underlying ground to compress and stabilise over time. Once this settles, any excess material will be reused elsewhere on-site.
Construction crews will work six days a week. Piling works are expected to continue through to the end of November 2026 and Perth Park is scheduled for completion in late 2027.
Image: Installation of Controlled Modulus Columns (CMCs) using a drilling rig and concrete trucks. Source: WA Government.
About the author
Desi Corbett
Desi is the Editor of Concrete in Australia, at the helm since December 2013, and our weekly news writer since 2016. Her expertise in this field forms part of a journalism career spanning three decades. To get in touch please email desi@corbettcomms.com