For this edition of ‘On The Ground Intel’, we’re delighted to sit down with Rob Cole, newly appointed Chair of Committee for Perth and Chair of Perth Airport. Rob brings a unique vantage point, helping shape how Perth connects to the world while also championing Perth’s long-term future on the inside. While many will know him through his leadership roles, Rob is no stranger to Committee for Perth. He previously served on the Board nearly a decade ago, making his return as Chair something of a full-circle moment.
We wanted to take the opportunity to connect with Rob beyond titles and boardrooms – to explore Perth through his lens, shaped by decades of watching the city evolve, grow in confidence and strengthen its place on the global stage.
You have a front-row seat to how Perth connects with the world, has that changed the way you see it?
Definitely. Perth if often cited as the most “isolated” city in the world. The transformational expansion underway at Perth Airport assumes the opposite. It is the biggest private infrastructure investment in WA history. The business case is based on the tremendous potential growth in Perth’s connectivity to the rest of the world. International travel to and from Perth is set to grow dramatically over the coming decades, which will see Perth become Australia’s second largest international hub after Sydney. There will be an abundance of new routes opened, and growth in inbound and outbound passenger numbers. Perth has the potential to become a world class gateway, or western hub, into Australia connecting Australia to Asia, India, Africa and Europe. It will truly put Perth onto the world stage – not just as a global energy and resources capital, but as a globally connected business and travel hub.
What’s one Perth experience you think every visitor should have?
You can’t beat a trip to King’s Park to visit the War Memorial and get a stunning view of Perth and the Swan River. I have lived here for most of the past 40 years, and I still love visiting the park from time to time to take in this view. It really is a spectacularly beautiful city.
If your younger self walked through Perth today, what would surprise them most?
The growth in population and the shape of the city. When I first moved to Perth in 1985 the population had just reached one million. Today, the greater metropolitan area is 250% higher than this – at around 2.5 million. I think that would have surprised me. Also, in the 1980s Mandurah and Yanchep were separate towns – each a decent drive away from Perth’s metropolitan outer limits. Today, the city stretches over 150 km up and down the coast and is often cited as the longest city in the world. Again, that would probably have surprised me.
Perhaps another change would be the transformation of Perth from a mining hub, with an abundance of entrepreneurs, into a true global energy and resources capital based on the exponential growth in the iron ore and LNG industries as well as the gold, lithium and rare earth industries. The extent of this growth, and the changes to the face of the city that have come with it (with headquarters or major offices of many of the world’s largest energy and resources companies now here) would probably have surprised me as well.
Where do you go to reset or gain perspective when the week has been full?
I am a keen windsurfer and windfoiler. When the wind is in, which Perth is famous for, I will go down to Pelican Point and go windsurfing/foiling across Melville water. This really takes my mind off things. It is a very physical sport, and you have to concentrate 100% on it when you are out for a sail. It’s a great way to reset when the week has been full.
What’s one small Perth ritual you’d miss if you lived elsewhere?
I would miss the windsurfing and foiling. Perth gets great, reliable wind (the Fremantle doctor) and I launch from a spot that is only a five-minute drive from where I live. It would be very hard to find this combination elsewhere in the world.
I would also miss a walk along Cottesloe beach. My wife and I do this from time to time and really enjoy it.
You have a lot of experience in different sectors, what’s one decision we should make today that will shape Perth most over the next 25 years?
I think we need to start by deciding on a true vision for Perth that all stakeholders embrace. It needs to be compelling. It needs to be inspiring. It needs to be concise. It needs to be unifying. It needs to be the compass that guides all stakeholders and all decisions going forward.
In one sentence: Perth in 2050 — what does it feel like?
It would feel like an international hub – deeply connected as Australia’s western gateway to the world – and one of the most liveable cities in the world, with a strong and diversified economy built on multiple foundations.