Western Australia is a mid-tier SDA market by scale, but stands apart nationally for its supply/demand imbalance — enrolled dwellings run well ahead of active participants, and provider depth is the thinnest of any mainland state.
Key figures
| Enrolled dwellings | 1,178 |
| Participants in SDA | 803 |
| SDA funding committed | $56.2M |
| Active providers | 73 |
Enrolled dwellings by SA4 region
| Region | Enrolled dwellings |
|---|---|
| Perth – South East | 341 |
| Perth – South West | 275 |
| Perth – North West | 192 |
| Perth – North East | 144 |
| Mandurah | 107 |
Design category breakdown
| Design category | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| High Physical Support | 954 | 81% |
| Fully Accessible | 99 | 8% |
| Improved Liveability | 72 | 6% |
| Robust | 39 | 3% |
| Basic | 2 | 0% |
Western Australia’s design profile is extreme: HPS represents 81% of enrolled dwellings — the highest concentration nationally. Basic dwellings are virtually absent (0%). In SDAHC Research’s assessment, this reflects a development pipeline driven by institutional-style HPS specifications but delivered primarily to retail SMSF investors rather than institutional operators. The result: HPS stock without the SIL depth to consistently activate it. The thin IL and FA segments offer limited diversification for investors managing vacancy risk.
Supply and pipeline
Western Australia is the clearest example of the two-speed market’s supply-side risk. With active participants well below enrolled dwellings, WA carries the largest absolute surplus of any state. This is not a temporary matching gap; in SDAHC Research’s assessment, it reflects structural oversupply in specific Perth corridors driven by retail development that outpaced participant demand.
SIL depth and asset-level performance
73 active SDA providers serve Western Australia — the lowest per-dwelling ratio of any state. SIL depth is concentrated in the inner city and northern Perth corridors; outer southern suburbs and regional WA have very limited SIL presence. Provider thinness is the primary vacancy driver. Thin-market providers cannot readily absorb sudden tenancy changes.
Market view
Western Australia carries the highest aggregate vacancy risk of any mainland state. Alternative-use floors for outer-Perth SDA assets are weaker than east-coast equivalents (Perth residential values have historically shown greater cyclicality than east-coast markets). In SDAHC Research’s market observation, institutional capital has shown limited appetite for WA acquisitions outside the immediate CBD fringe. Investors holding WA SDA assets should prioritise SIL provider due diligence — the difference between a stable SIL partner and open-market matching is the difference between investment-grade income and extended vacancy.
Source: SDAHC Research, SDA Market Report 2026. Figures reflect the most recent available NDIS data as at Q3 2025-26. See our methodology and data sources.