Retaining Walls in College Grove

Hospitals and a campus

College Grove on Bunbury's southern outskirts holds Bunbury Regional Hospital and St John of God Bunbury Hospital, both on the South West Health Campus, plus an Edith Cowan University campus and the South West Institute of Technology. Large institutions mean a busy suburb with building work nearby. Ask any builder how they would manage access and parking.

Manea Park

Manea Park is a large reserve with a 2.2 kilometre bush walk, included in the Preston River to Ocean Regional Park in 2011. More than 30 species of orchid have been recorded there, and the walk is popular in spring. If your wall is near bushland, ask how a builder would protect the reserve edge and avoid sending runoff into it.

Council not named

Wikipedia does not name the council for College Grove, though it calls the suburb part of the southern outskirts of Bunbury. Do not guess. Ask the City of Bunbury and the shire next door which covers your address, and ask the one that answers to confirm the permit steps for a wall in writing.

The certified path

The City of Bunbury says a certified application goes through a private building surveyor, who decides whether the work meets the National Construction Code and issues the certificate of design compliance. The City then has up to 10 business days to assess it. Ask the builder whether they would use this path, and who pays the surveyor.

The uncertified path

Under the City's other route, a City building surveyor assesses the application and the City has up to 25 business days. The City also publishes a fee schedule for 2026 to 2027. Ask how long the builder expects the wait to be, and whether they can start any preparation while the permit is pending.

Slopes near the reserve

If your land slopes toward the reserve, height becomes the first question for a wall. The guide says walls over roughly 1 metre, and sometimes 600 millimetres, usually need an engineer. Ask each builder to state the tallest point and whether an engineer's design is needed, who arranges it and whether the fee is in the price.

Stone and finish

For a feature wall, the guide describes natural rock and sandstone block as the premium choice, from $500 to $1,000 or more per square metre. A national range is no local price. Ask for the stone's source, size and delivery, and ask what happens if supply changes before the job starts.

Registration

The state register page says builder-work valued over $20,000 must be done by a registered building service contractor. It does not say whether a wall counts. Ask each business which registration applies, ask for the number and check the name, number and licence type yourself before paying a deposit.

Hospital, campuses and orchids

College Grove holds Bunbury Regional Hospital, the Edith Cowan University Bunbury campus and the South West Institute of Technology. Manea Park, part of the Preston River to Ocean Regional Park from 2011, has a 2.2 kilometre bush walk and over 30 orchid species, best in spring. The Bunbury Regional Prison is in the south-east, on the park's eastern side.

Nearby

Gelorup

Carey Park

Sources

• Wikipedia: College Grove, Western Australia
• Australia Post: postcode 6230
• Karven: retaining wall cost Australia 2026 (updated 5 June 2026)
• City of Bunbury: building application forms
• City of South Perth: retaining walls (updated 22 October 2026)
• WA Government: find a registered builder (Building and Energy)