Three Springs Infrastructure Projects, WA

1.05× own average · $1.8m approved Non-residential building approvals, last 12 months against this council’s three-year average

4
projects
$1.5bn
stated · 4 projects
3 proposed1 active

By type

Energy
4

Projects

largest stated cost first, completed last
West Erregulla (Phase 1 )Planning$800m
Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), Solar Farm and Associated Substation InfrastructurePlanning · Womarden$500m
South ErregullaApproved$137m
YandanookaAnnounced$72m

Programmes covering this council

whole programme cost
Agricultural Supply Chain Improvements (ASCI)Construction · 94 councils$200m
Mid West Secondary Freight Network ProgramConstruction · 31 councils$28m
Regional Road Safety UpgradesCompleted · 114 councils$175m

About Three Springs

Three Springs is a small, agriculture-led local economy. Agriculture, forestry and fishing accounted for 43.4% of employed residents in 2021, while transport, public administration, education, utilities and health formed important supporting activities. The council had 606 residents in 2025, up 1.3%, with natural increase, internal migration and overseas migration each contributing to the change. Its project program is centred on active and proposed energy work at a billion-dollar scale, alongside transport work shared with other councils. Building approvals point to continuing local construction activity: $1.8m of non-residential work was approved in the 12 months to June 2026, 1.04× the council’s own three-year average. Housing approvals were six dwellings in the 12 months to July 2026, all houses.

Read the overviewHide the overview

Three Springs: an agriculture-led economy with energy activity and modest population growth

Economic base

Three Springs has a distinctly primary-industry economy. Agriculture, forestry and fishing accounted for 43.4% of employed residents in 2021. Supporting employment included public administration and safety at 9.5%, transport, postal and warehousing at 6.2%, education and training at 5.8%, electricity, gas, water and waste services at 5.4%, and health care and social assistance and mining at 5% each. Wholesale trade contributed 4.1%, accommodation and food services 4.1%, retail trade 2.9% and construction 2.5%. The pattern places production, logistics and essential services at the centre of local activity.

The business base is small and concentrated. In June 2025, 91 businesses were registered and 36 were employing businesses. Agriculture, forestry and fishing accounted for 44 registered businesses, including 24 employing businesses. Other notable registrations were rental, hiring and real estate services with 10, retail trade with 5, construction and transport, postal and warehousing with 4 each, and mining, manufacturing, utilities, wholesale, accommodation and food, professional services, administrative services and health care with 3 each. This structure is consistent with an agricultural service economy supported by local trade, logistics and public services. It also means that changes in production or access conditions can have significance across several parts of the local business base.

Project program

The council’s project work is concentrated in energy. Energy work is active and proposed, with the largest priced work at a billion-dollar scale. The direction of activity therefore points towards a substantial future energy program while work is already under way. Transport work is shared with other councils, indicating a cross-boundary connection for access and movement rather than a council-only program. The combination places energy capacity and regional transport connections ahead of a broad spread of local project types.

Local construction indicators show a separate flow of approved work. Non-residential building work approved in the 12 months to June 2026 was $1.8m, equal to 1.04× the council’s own weighted three-year average. Residential building work approved in the 12 months to July 2026 was $800k, with six dwellings approved, all six being new houses and 0 townhouses, apartments or other dwellings. These approvals describe work authorised to proceed during the relevant periods. Taken together, the figures point to activity in both non-residential and residential construction, with the residential component concentrated in detached housing.

Economic connections

The agriculture-led employment base gives energy and transport work a clear local connection. Energy activity aligns with an existing utilities workforce, which represented 5.4% of employed residents in 2021, while transport, postal and warehousing represented 6.2%. Shared transport work could support the movement of agricultural inputs, outputs, workers and service vehicles across council boundaries. Better access may reduce friction in those movements and support the operation of farms, suppliers and service businesses. The project work itself is not a measure of local economic output, but its direction is relevant to the physical systems used by the established economy.

Construction activity provides another link between the program and the local economy. Non-residential approvals were $1.8m and 1.04× the council’s own three-year average, while residential approvals comprised six houses in the latest 12-month period. The council had 4 registered construction businesses in June 2025, and construction accounted for 2.5% of employed residents in 2021. This combination supports a role for local building capacity in smaller works, while billion-dollar energy activity may involve delivery arrangements extending beyond the local business base. The connection is therefore between approved construction activity, local trades and the wider requirements of infrastructure delivery.

Outlook

Population growth is positive but measured in small numbers. The estimated resident population was 606 in 2025, an increase of 8 people or 1.3%. Natural increase contributed 2 people, net internal migration 3 and net overseas migration 3. The labour force was 317 people in 2026-Q1, with 10 unemployed and an unemployment rate of 3.2%. Together, these figures describe a small labour market alongside modest population expansion. They also indicate that relatively small changes in participation, migration or employment can affect the local profile in a noticeable way.

The main outlook signals are the balance between energy activity and the agricultural base, the continuation of transport connections shared with other councils, and the pace and composition of building approvals. Service capacity is also material for a small and ageing community: there is 1 public hospital, 1 approved centre-based childcare service with 19 places, and 1 residential aged care home with 19 places. These indicators make population change, labour conditions, approvals and the project mix the central measures to monitor. Read together, they connect physical investment with the capacity of households, businesses and essential services to support local activity.

For council and planning staff

The population was 606 in 2025, up 8 people or 1.3%, with natural increase, net internal migration and net overseas migration contributing 2, 3 and 3 people respectively. Six dwellings were approved in the 12 months to July 2026, equal to 9.9 dwellings per 1,000 residents. Service capacity included 1 public hospital, 1 approved centre-based childcare service with 19 places, and 1 residential aged care home with 19 places. These measures connect modest population change with the scale of local service provision and provide a compact view of demographic pressure across health, early-years care and ageing services.

For buyers’ agents and investors

The 2021 housing and household profile was mixed: 41.5% of occupied private dwellings were owned outright, 16.6% were owned with a mortgage and 26.8% were rented. Average household size was 2.3 persons and median age was 42. A different address five years earlier was reported by 35.6% of residents. Median weekly household income was $1,366 and median weekly personal income was $748. The labour force participation rate was 55.4% in 2021, compared with a 3.2% unemployment rate in 2026-Q1. New dwelling approvals were entirely house-based in the 12 months to July 2026: 6 new houses were approved and 0 townhouses, apartments or other dwellings.

For builders and developers

In the 12 months to July 2026, 6 dwellings were approved: 6 houses and 0 townhouses, apartments or other dwellings. The value of residential building work approved, including new homes, alterations and additions, was $800k. Non-residential building work approved in the 12 months to June 2026 was $1.8m, which was 1.04× the council’s own weighted three-year average. The latest residential approvals therefore show a house-only mix alongside a separate non-residential approval flow. The local business base included 4 registered construction businesses in June 2025, while construction accounted for 2.5% of employed residents in 2021. Agriculture, forestry and fishing accounted for 44 registered businesses, including 24 employing businesses, and transport, postal and warehousing had 4 registered businesses, including 3 employing businesses.

Key takeaways

  • Three Springs is primarily an agriculture-led economy: agriculture, forestry and fishing employed 43.4% of residents in 2021, and agriculture accounted for 44 of 91 registered businesses in June 2025.
  • Energy is the central direction of active and proposed project work, with the largest priced work at a billion-dollar scale; transport work is shared with other councils.
  • Population growth was 1.3% in 2025, while the latest building approvals comprised 6 dwellings, all houses, and $1.8m of non-residential work at 1.04× the council’s own three-year average.

Sources

HtAG Projects · as at 3 November 2026