Clontarf-Waterford-Salter Point Foreshore Masterplan adopted by Council

The City of South Perth Council voted unanimously to adopt the Clontarf-Waterford-Salter Point Foreshore Masterplan at the Council meeting held on Tuesday 23 April 2019.

The Masterplan provides a consolidated management strategy recognising the ecological, cultural and recreational values of the stretch of foreshore from Clontarf through to Waterford and Salter Point. This section of  the foreshore consists of a network of natural reserves, estuarine conservation wetlands, Bush Forever site 333 and public open space.

These are the most extensive wetlands in the lower reaches of the Swan and Canning Rivers (Dyaringarro being the Aboriginal name for the Canning River) and there is no similar foreshore vegetation elsewhere along these rivers.

The foreshore has been reserved for conservation and passive recreation under the Metropolitan Regional Recreation Scheme. It encompasses wide open spaces for leisure and recreation activities, sites of significant aboriginal heritage and stunning river views.  

The Masterplan will build on the best features of the foreshore, address areas for improvement and capture the values and aspirations of the community.  

The Masterplan will:

• Address current and future foreshore management issues 
• Allow for unique landscaping design that embraces the changing environment
• Support environmental values to enhance native flora and fauna species
• Provide recommendations for the upgrade of existing facilities and infrastructure
• Establish key areas for sport activities, passive recreation and nature spaces
• Focus on connectivity and accessibility along the entire CWSP Foreshore area
• Recognise aboriginal cultural values and heritage significance of the area.

The Clontarf-Waterford-Salter Point Foreshore, known also as the Canning River wetlands, occupies approximately 34 hectares of the foreshore land. Over 74 species of land and water birds including 14 significant bird species, 12 reptiles and 6 amphibian species inhabit the area.

The Masterplan provides a strategic guide for the City to address environmental issues, showcase aboriginal cultural and heritage values and provide recommendations for the upgrade of existing facilities and infrastructure. The next stage is for the City to develop a plan to implement the priority strategies and key initiatives of the Masterplan.

“The primary aim in establishing this CWSP Foreshore Masterplan is to consolidate the City’s collection of existing management plans, ideas and initiatives planned for the CWSP foreshore into a cohesive, singular policy document,” Mayor Sue Doherty said.

“In reviewing the range of existing management plans that cover the site area, and through extensive stakeholder and community feedback, this Masterplan purposefully provides: a new adaptive approach to balancing the demands for use, development and management of this precious and environmentally significant regional reserve. The intention is that this document can be reliably used as a reference for the future management and development planning of the foreshore environs.”