The site is being developed by DevelopmentWA; construction of its two breakwaters started in April 2021, with the whole project expected to be fully completed in 2036 and then becoming part of the City of Joondalup.
[1]: 1 The report investigated and established that there was a need for alternative marina and recreational facilities in Perth as the boating pens on the Swan River had become congested.
[1] The second proposal was chosen as the preferred option with the report outlying a plan for a harbour, a residential community, shops, and tourist and recreational facilities.
[1]: 34 [1]: 40 [1]: 42 Between mid-1974 and mid-1975, the Shire of Wanneroo joined with Kaiser, to share the costs needed to investigate the ocean and beach environments around the proposed marina site, publishing an interim report in October 1974.
[3] The Ocean Reef Private Marina site, on the Mullaloo / Ocean Reef border, from a 1974 proposal by developer Kaiser, was discounted after concern over the accumulation of sand at Mullaloo Beach by littoral drift that would be caused by the proposed breakwater and could cause sand to be blown across the new suburbs.
[3] Due to the existing groynes and the rocky coast made the management of the littoral drift at the site less costly.
[2] Stage one consisted of a breakwater, four launching sites with piers, parking for two hundred cars and trailers, toilets and changerooms, roads, drains and earthworks.
[2] The Shire of Wanneroo purchased Lot 1029 Ocean Reef from Kaiser Aetna for land required to service the marina.
[2] In June 1984, council decided that a Management Plan for the Ocean Reef Foreshore be commissioned and this would be one of the requirements needed by the EPA for approval for any future development of the site.
[2] The Ocean Reef - Foreshore Management Plan was presented to the Wanneroo Shire Council by Peter J Woods and Associates in August 1985.
[6] The proposed project was said to take seven years, two years for a new extension to Ocean Reef Road and an extension of Hodges Drive to the new Ocean Reef Road, stage 1 of the caravan park, a service station, boat storage, stage 1 of the chalets and retirement village.
[6] Within five years, completion of the shopping centre, retirement village, caravan and chalets area was expected with the hotel started.
[2] For Lot 1029, owned by the City of Wanneroo, it proposed a hotel-convention of three stories, luxury holiday chalets or units, a cinema complex of 2 to 3 screens.
[2] Other things included for the site were six tennis and four squash courts, boat harbour support facilities such as chandlers, sales and fishing and sports equipment.
[2] A public recreation and amphitheatre were to be included with an ornamental lake with grassed picnic area, botanic golf, with several restaurants but close to the sea.
[2] Lastly car and trailer parking, cycleways plus and extension to existing harbour with the possibility of two new launch ramps.
Lot 1033, south of Lot 1029, and owned by the Water Authority of WA, after the completion of a second 2 km outfall pipe in 1991, it was proposed that the land above the pipelines be used for a private recreation centre with three tennis courts and swimming pool, an indoor sports stadium and health club plus car parks and another commercial tourist centre.
[2] The last piece of land, Lot 4, owned by the State Planning Commission, as were the proposed marina be constructed south of the existing boat harbour.
[7] In August 2005, the council approved the preparation of an Ocean Reef Structure Plan to identify what should be part of the development such as boat pens, recreation areas, natural bushland, restaurants/shops and would take eighteen months to carry out and would be conducted by Clifton Coney Stevens.
[4] The City of Joondalup also proposed the establishment of a Community Reference Group in the same month and this six-month project began in July 2007.
[16][17] Previously in September 2011 an environmental and planning approval workshop was held between various state government departments and the city to develop a timeline to achieve the outcomes need to progress the project.
[18] The city would submit the Ocean Reef Marina Metropolitan Region Scheme Amendment Request for changes to use of the rezoning and rationalisation of land around the current harbour and an area of water from the Marmion Marine Park.
[21] The council had approved a Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Joondalup, LandCorp and the State Government for the Ocean Reef Marina Development.
[22] In the lead-up to the March 2017 Western Australian state election both Labor and Liberals were promising money in future budgets to ensure the Ocean Reef Marina project went ahead.
[27] It will have a mix of different dwelling types of high, medium and low density housing, serviced apartments or holiday-lets and open spaces.
[27] 12,000 square metres (130,000 sq ft) of retail and commercial floorspace and more than 5 hectares (12 acres) of community spaces are planned.
[29] A further $6.5 million will be allocated on relocating the Marine Rescue Whitfords and the Ocean Reef Sea Sports Club from their current location to the new marina facilities.
[29] In August 2020, Terrestrial Ecosystems implemented a 5-day, 4-night relocation of fauna such as mammals and reptiles from the construction area to other coastal bushland.
These included surf breaks known as The Pylon, Middles, Mozzies, Geoffries and Big Rock that had been enjoyed by surfers in the northern suburbs for generations.