City of Stirling review of Karrinyup Shopping Centre reveals extent of traffic issues and crashes at site

The City of Stirling is considering implementing new road safety measures around Karrinyup Shopping Centre after conducting a comprehensive traffic and safety review.

The damning review has revealed that vehicle numbers have surged by as much as 179 per cent in key hotspots around the precinct since 2014.

Since the completion of an $800 million redevelopment approved by the State Government in November 2021, which expanded the centre from 59,874sqm to 109,000sqm, traffic and road safety challenges have plagued the area, with locals increasingly concerned about congestion and pedestrian safety.

In response to these mounting community concerns, councillors led by Cr Tony Krsticevic commissioned City officials in February to conduct a traffic, pedestrian, and road safety assessment of the centre.

The review found that alongside increased traffic - which would come as no surprise to locals - accidents continue to pose a serious concern.

Crash statistics in the report show that 30 crashes were recorded on roads surrounding the precinct between 2020 and 2024, seven of which required medical attention.

In the five years before the shopping centre expansion opened, there were 27 crashes at the Karrinyup Road and Burroughs Road intersection.

Since then, the number has more than doubled to 56 incidents, including 12 requiring medical treatment and two resulting in hospitalisation.

The city has proposed introducing road safety improvements along Davenport Street by installing raised intersection plateaus designed to enhance safety, ease traffic congestion, and reduce accidents.

It also plans to install a raised pedestrian wombat crossing just west of Pike Street.

More than a year after the City of Stirling wrote to the Minister for Transport requesting a reduced speed limit, a 40km/h zone was introduced in the streets directly surrounding the shopping centre in December 2023, excluding Karrinyup Road.

Despite the 40km/h limit, average speeds in the surrounding streets remain at 45.7km/h, slightly down from 50.7 km/h in 2014.

“The review suggests that despite the reduced speed limit along the roads surrounding the shopping centre, some form of treatment may be required along Davenport Street,” council officers said.

To tackle parking problems in the surrounding road network, the city implemented an area-wide parking scheme covering 18 roads near the shopping centre.

This includes a two-hour maximum parking limit from 8am to 5pm every day, with exemptions for residents.

The city believes the parking controls are working effectively.

“The parking scheme has proven effective in addressing the concerns of surrounding residents and has forced the developers of the shopping centre to explore opportunities within the site (and on external sites) to accommodate construction vehicles,” city officers stated in the traffic review.

Further infrastructure upgrades along Burroughs Road were included as a condition of the original 2015 shopping centre approval but have since been deferred to coincide with the construction of the Karrinyup West development.

The report recommends the city seek funding in July 2025 through the 2026-27 National and State Black Spot programs, rather than funding the proposed works directly.

Given increased traffic and rising crashes have made it “increasingly difficult to enter and exit Burroughs Road from Karrinyup Road”, the report recommends the mayor write to the Minister for Transport and the Member for Scarborough, as the road is managed by Main Roads WA.

The recommendations of the traffic review are set to come before the city’s Community and Resources Committee on May 20, before being presented to the council at its May 27 meeting.