Space to grow fruit and veggies, the chance to build his own home and the promise of brand new facilities — Piara Waters had everything Kiron Kallayil was looking for.

Key points: The City of Armadale is one of Perth's fastest-growing areas

The City of Armadale is one of Perth's fastest-growing areas But new areas have grown while the traditional CBD has stalled

But new areas have grown while the traditional CBD has stalled The council wants more investment to cope with a major expansion

Mr Kallayil moved to the southern Perth suburb in 2014 with his wife Sini and daughters Ankita and Nayana, and it offered an entirely different style of living to their former life in England.

"There everything was small, we were in a very confined space, like a fish in a fish tank," he said.

"But here, everything is big. When we came to see Perth for the first time we were like 'wow, everything is big'. Big houses, big cars, big roads.

"When we moved to Australia our prime concern was building a big family home. We met that dream."

That same dream of building their own homes has drawn countless families to the booming suburbs on the edges of the City of Armadale, about 30 minutes' drive south of the CBD.

The city estimates about 14 people per week move to Armadale, which is one of the fastest-growing local government areas in Australia.

New development areas like Piara Waters, Harrisdale, Hilbert and Haynes are enjoying population spikes of up to 214 per cent since 2012, as paddocks and farms become converted to dense new suburbs.

Piara Waters is one of the fastest-growing areas in Australia. ( ABC News: Jessica Warriner )

Mr Kallayil said the growing area was the perfect environment to get to know all his new neighbours.

"What I like in Piara Waters is the multicultural society first of all," he said.

"On my right is an Iranian family, on my left is a Japanese family, right in front of me is a British family. I've got a lot of friends around.

"It's not like in the UK, where you don't really know anyone."

Businesses suffer as population booms

But Armadale mayor Ruth Butterfield said the city was feeling the strain from the population boom and was in need of government assistance.

"We welcome growth, but we do need financial support to give the facilities and infrastructure that huge new communities need," she said.

For lease and closed signs dot shopfronts along Jull Street mall in Armadale. ( ABC News: Jessica Warriner )

"The City of Armadale needs State and Federal governments to chip in, realising that we don't control the growth.

"We're struggling with providing new facilities and construction, and we'd like support with those big projects."

While new suburbs on the edges of Armadale have boomed, its retail area has not reaped the rewards of a growing population.

Amid a sea of for lease signs in the town's Jull Street pedestrian mall, the Reconnect Jull Street group has been pushing to reopen the mall to cars in a bid to drum up business.

Michael Facey has been working in Jull Street for a decade. ( ABC News: Jessica Warriner )

Group spokesman Michael Facey, who has been working with one of the Jull Street businesses for a decade, said in less than a year since the group formed, half of its members had been forced to shut up shop.

"Armadale is one of the fastest growing regions in the city — unfortunately the Armadale CBD isn't seeing that," he said.

"What we can put it down to is people feel unsafe to come into the CBD. The Jull Street Mall isn't an inviting place.

"This used to be the jewel in the crown of the Armadale city centre."

'We are at zero-hour'

The city released its pitch for an Armadale city centre development project in 2018, which highlighted what it was missing out on compared to metropolitan hubs like Joondalup and Midland — a university campus, fully-functioning TAFE, retail investment, a government agency, and apartment living.

The council's plan to rejuvenate the area involves sinking the Armadale train station underground to open up the town centre to more development.

Mr Facey said the council's long-term vision for the area would not come soon enough.

"We are at D-Day now, zero-hour now, because businesses are closing down every single day. The businesses here don't have 15 years to wait," he said.

Armadale's Jull Street mall is in need of rejuvenation, Reconnect Jull Street spokesman Michael Facey says. ( ABC News: Jessica Warriner )

"This area needs investment, but unfortunately to get that investment the council has to lead and they have to get the ball rolling."

The City of Armadale said it had injected a "significant amount of money" into activating the Jull Street Mall over the past few years, including streetscaping, better lighting, public art and events.

But Cr Butterfield said she believed Armadale was being left behind by both the State and Federal governments amid its constant population growth.

"Armadale has been neglected over very many years," she said. "We watch the state and federal budgets roll out year after year, and see the investment going to places like Midland, Joondalup, Wanneroo, Mandurah and Rockingham.

"It's so disappointing, it's disheartening for our community and it's a real struggle."

New apartments set for construction

Armadale MLA Tony Buti said there had been a number of large-scale Government-funded projects in Armadale recently

These included the $86 million justice complex, a $4 million community centre upgrade, road improvements and money for juvenile justice.

Dr Buti said it was clear something different needed to be done to boost Armadale's city centre and he backed opening the mall up to traffic.

Population growth shows no signs of slowing down in Piara Waters, with construction underway across the suburb. ( ABC News: Jessica Warriner )

A city spokesperson said approval had recently been granted for several new apartment buildings, with talks underway about more projects.

Mr Kallayil said he was excited to see Armadale grow.

"In Armadale I'd like to see more people coming, more facilities, big shopping centres, parks," he said.

With the city's population predicted to soar by more than 40,000 people in the next 15 years, that growth shows no signs of slowing down.