City of Stirling advances multi-million-dollar Scarborough and Trigg boardwalk project amid public debate

It’s not even a kilometre long, but plans for a coastal boardwalk connecting two of the city’s most popular beaches has split Perth’s largest council area amid accusations of overspending on a passion project. Set to connect Scarborough and Trigg beaches — from Trigg’s southernmost car park to the most northerly at Scarborough — proposals for a boardwalk uniting the pair date back two decades but only seriously progressed earlier this year. The City of Stirling this week voted to progressing planning, look at funding options and seek environmental approvals — to the disappointment of some local groups who have accused the council of going beyond its core responsibilities, and councillors who represent other parts of the area. The cost could reach nearly $25 million, according to a council-commissioned economic impact statement, with council estimates of a total $18.5m cost. Initial plans for the walkway feature a whale tail–inspired shade shelter as the centrepiece, along with six nodes showcasing cultural displays and public art celebrating the six Noongar seasons. In defending its plans, the council — which has already spent more than half of $500,000 budgeted for feasibility research in the past 14 months — expects economic benefits of just over $100m within three decades. Supporters of the 850m boardwalk say it’s a much better option than the only current way for pedestrians and cyclists to travel between Scarborough and Trigg beaches — a shared path that in large part runs less than a metre from West Coast Highway, which carries 40,000 vehicles each day (and predicted to increase to 50,000 by 2041). But given the environmentally sensitive nature of the area, opponents are calling on the city to simply widen the existing path and install bollards, rather than build a new structure through the dunes. Scarborough Beach hosts increasingly popular night markets for seven months of the year, stretching its parking capacity and a better pedestrian connection to Trigg is thought to encourage visitors to park there and walk down, alleviating pressure on the car park and surrounding streets and roads. “The proposed boardwalk presents a practical solution that can help prevent a catastrophic event along West Coast Highway,” Deane Pieters, a former Australian Olympic swimmer and long-time executive with the West Coast Eagles and a community advocate for the boardwalk, said. “It prioritises public safety. It connects Perth’s best beaches. It promotes inclusive access. It enhances tourism.” But opinions are split, with recent consultation revealing one-third of respondents against the proposal. Opponents argue the boardwalk could have a detrimental impact on the dunes, which form a Class-A reserve and Bush Forever site, and believe that, given the country is facing a housing crisis and rising cost of living, the council’s priorities are out of step with community needs. Robyn Murphy, convenor of the Friends of Trigg Beach community group, who have been campaigning against the boardwalk, doesn’t believe the project will satisfy the State’s environmental laws, and said the council should stop wasting money, time, and resources on a “passion project”. She has also raised concerns about possible coastal erosion. Ms Murphy said an upgrade to the existing shared path would be a simpler, more practical solution. “It would not take much to duplicate the path, put some bollards in, improve the surface,” she said. “And if it means giving up some of the dune vegetation on the eastern side, a small amount, we will accept that. “It can be widened, without encroaching on the threatened ecological community.” The City of Stirling’s boundaries span from these coastal suburbs east to Dianella and some of Mt Lawley. Osborne Park ward councillor Lisa Thornton this week spoke against the boardwalk plan, suggesting it was an inequitable investment. “I’ve got serious doubts about the economic, environmental and social aspects of this boardwalk,” she said. “Our city needs to be balanced in its investments and its priorities. Right now, it is not with this boardwalk.” Ms Murphy agreed, saying the council should reassess its priorities. “We have a housing crisis, how can they justify this sort of expenditure on this unnecessary infrastructure when there’s plenty of necessary infrastructure upgrades that have been put to one side throughout the city, in other suburbs like Balga, Mirrabooka and Innaloo,” she said. “So much money has gone into Scarborough and continues to go into Scarborough for events and various other things that the city seems fixed upon. “We’ve got a whole city with wards that are crying out for basic facilities.” But local mayor Mark Irwin believes the project can be built with minimal environmental impact and maximum tourism and financial benefit. “The boardwalk would give locals and tourists a new way of experiencing Perth’s iconic coastline, with opportunities for storytelling, from elements of Noongar culture to the surfing history of Scarborough and Trigg,” he told The West Australian. “The coastal boardwalk will improve safety, preserve the natural environment between Scarborough and Trigg and create a drawcard for locals and tourists that showcases Perth’s world-class coastline and sunsets.” Cr Irwin said a light-touch approach during concept design was crucial in order to protect the area’s biodiversity, including threatened Rottnest Island pines. “This light-touch approach includes the proposed route of the boardwalk, the materials and the construction method,” he said. Mr Pieters discounted widening the existing path, saying pedestrians would still be at risk from cyclists and e-scotter riders. “This is not about destroying the environment, this is making it accessible for everyone, both now and future generations, to enjoy,” he said. “There are enough examples in national parks, A class reserves and coastal environments all over the world of how [a boardwalk] can be built sustainably and to ensure that the environmental impact is minimised.”