Abstract: Historically horticultural land has been developed on the fringes of the urban area of Perth. Land for horticulture has been taken up as freehold broadacre agriculture land and in time increasing land values have funded either future land and water supply purchases further from the fringe or retirement for the horticulturists. This pressure from urban expansion is active in the important east Wanneroo horticulture district and groundwater reserves are over allocated. A replacement for land that will be lost to domestic and industrial uses is urgently required. The Western Australian Planning Commission has identified a precinct that can be developed for horticulture at Carabooda. It is already well developed, with about 1,000 ha of the 1,800 ha precinct under freehold and more than 60% cultivated. Expectations for freehold land are necessarily different than development conditions that might be imposed on a green-fields site.