Applecross work by arrangement
Applecross is about 23 km south of IBP Paving's base in Landsdale, on the Swan River side of the City of Melville. That is a long way from our everyday northern area, so we take work here by arrangement and ask for the job details first. A short description, the rough size and some photos let us say whether we can do it and roughly when. Booked jobs are built the way we build at home: stone and brick paving, terraces, pool surrounds and driveways, laid by a crew with over 20 years of experience and covered by a lifetime workmanship warranty.
Thomas Burke's 1,000 square metre blocks
Applecross grew from estates that Thomas Burke sold from 1925, among them the Applecross Estate and the Kintail Road Estate, in blocks of about 1,000 square metres. Lots that size typically attract large rebuilds, and by 2025 about a dozen high rise buildings stood in the east of the suburb.
Big lots and new houses mean big outdoor areas. The usual brief is a wide driveway to a double or triple garage, an entertaining terrace facing the view, and a pool surround. Many owners choose natural stone: limestone for its local look, granite where a hard wearing driveway is wanted, or travertine around the pool. Blocks that step down toward the water often need limestone retaining walls to create level areas before any paving goes down.
Sand, limestone and the river bluff
Most of Applecross is likely to sit on Spearwood sand over Tamala Limestone, along a bluff above the Swan. Water was hard to come by in the suburb's early days, and the difficulty of finding a reliable supply held back development. For paving, the sand compacts well, but the limestone can sit close to the surface on the bluff, so a soakwell dig or a deep base excavation may hit rock. We probe the ground before quoting and allow for breaking out rock, or switch to a wider, shallower soakwell where depth is limited.
Along the river frontage the groundwater within about 250 metres of the estuary holds a saltwater wedge. The ocean is roughly 8 km away, but river front terraces sit right beside estuary water, so we lean toward dense stone and sealed surfaces there; our sealing and cleaning page covers the upkeep. We confirm the City's stormwater requirements for each lot before sizing any drainage, and our Perth soakwell requirements page explains how councils approach it.
Crossovers to the City of Melville standard
Every crossover in Applecross needs the City's approval, and work must not start until it is granted. There are no application or inspection fees, but the City asks owners to allow at least 10 business days. A crossover must be at least 3 metres and no more than 6 metres wide, with 4.5 metres the limit where the frontage is 12.5 metres or less. Brick paved crossovers are allowed but still need a concrete apron. The subsidy is a fixed $495, paid for a first crossover or for upgrading a bitumen crossover to concrete or brick.
Source: City of Melville, Crossovers web page.
Jacaranda streets and the 2 metre verge rule
Applecross has jacaranda lined streets planted from 1935 and celebrates them each year with a Jacaranda festival in late November. Those trees sit on verges the City protects closely. In situ concrete and asphalt are not allowed on a verge except as a crossover or City footpath. Pavers are permitted on conditions: they must be set back at least 2 metres from any street tree and be trafficable, and the City recommends permeable paving. Residents are encouraged to keep hard surfaces to half the verge, crossover included, and loose aggregates are not permitted.
No damage may be done to street trees or their roots, building materials must stay 2.0 metres clear of a trunk, and a verge bond applies to building work over $20,000. On a rebuild, we stack pavers and sand well away from the jacaranda and plan the crossover so it clears the tree.
Source: City of Melville, Verge Treatment Policy CP-086 (July 2024) and Verges web page.
Ardross, Mount Pleasant and the Melville suburbs
We take enquiries from Ardross, Mount Pleasant and Alfred Cove on the same basis as Applecross. Nearby pages cover Booragoon and Bull Creek in the City of Melville, and Como and South Perth in the City of South Perth. The complete list is on areas we service.
