Foreshore River Wall

Please attribute the below information to the City’s Mayor John Collins

In the City's highest profile park, Sir James Mitchell Park (Perth water) alone there is about 2.7 km of hard wall edging in varying condition which will need to be progressively upgraded and some sections replaced over the next 10 years. It is estimated that the value of the wall in SJMP to be between $3.2 and $4.0 million.

There are also a number of sections of river wall on our western foreshore between the Narrows and Mount Henry bridges. We are currently negotiating with MRWA over ownership and therefore maintenance responsibility as the walls are in many places supporting MRWA infrastructure (shared pathway, pedestrian overpasses, bridge works, etc).

The City has allocated funds in the 2006/07 budget to complete a definitive study on our river walls so we can determine exactly:
1. how much there is,
2. what it is worth,
3. what condition it is in,
4. timeframes and budget requirements for repair/replacement,
5. in the case of MRWA and the SRT what is their construction and maintenance responsibility.

This will build upon work already undertaken in SJMP. Working out who is responsible for maintaining the remaining wall infrastructure will be more difficult. The new Swan River legislation talks about the development of partnership agreements with Local Authorities over river wall management and maintenance. What this means for the City in terms of financial assistance, and State funding available is yet to be determined.

Certainly the City is very concerned about the condition of the river wall and would like to enter into an arrangement with the State to see the wall progressively upgraded.