While Activity Centres and Activity Corridors are the flagships of Western Australian State Government urban infill policy, much of infill development which is being delivered is ‘background infill’ – the subdivision of suburban lots to create two to five new dwellings. This paper assesses this background infill with reference to the State Government’s goal of enhancing ‘liveability’ using criteria such as access to nature, cultural assets and public transport. The conclusion is that background infill is producing mixed results, in all of these areas, and that the policies producing such infill require attention.