A new accessible public toilet facility is under construction on the Coode Street Foreshore which will include the City's first Changing Places facility, made possible through over $180,000 of grant funding provided by the WA Department of Communities and the Commonwealth Department of Health, Disability and Ageing.

The nationally accredited Changing Places initiative provides appropriate facilities for people with high support needs who cannot use standard accessible toilets and will be completed by 2026.

These facilities are an important provision to aid both people with disability and their carers, allowing them to better participate in the community and access the City’s beautiful spaces and active places. This project will be complemented by a range of other access and inclusion initiatives implemented in future stages, including a regional play space.

We’ve began upgrading the irrigation system in Sir James Mitchell Park to replace the ageing infrastructure and increase watering capacity across the park. 

The new and improved system will allow a more efficient use of irrigation water, increased customisation to allow hydrozoning, decreased downtime due to failures, and better coverage of the turf and garden areas. This project will enable the City to meet the demands of longer and hotter weather events and will ensure the popular foreshore park is maintained for the many events and visitors it hosts throughout the summer months.

Stage 1 of the project was completed in 2024 and involved the area near Lake Tondut, Clydesdale Reserve, on Douglas Avenue. We have also replaced and upgraded the system from the west side of the Narrows Bridge to the South Perth Esplanade car park.

We are currently working on Stage 2 of the upgrade between Coode Street and the South Perth Esplanade car park, which  will be completed by early November 2025. These works have been planned to allow continued use and minimal interruptions for park users.

The final stage of the irrigation upgrade project will extend the improved system from Coode Street to Ellam Street and will begin in the 2026/2027 financial year.

In 2026 work will start on restoring the riverbank along Sir James Mitchell Park to connect and link established wetlands within the park with the Swan River foreshore.

Our South Perth Riverbank Restoration project is made possible by a $2.8m grant from the Australian Government's Natural Heritage Trust under the Urban Rivers and Catchments Program (URCP), $850,000 funding from Department of Biodiversity, Conservations and Attractions and a $1.3m investment from the City of South Perth.

The project has a strong environmental focus with the aim of restoring the health of the river for native plants, animals and local communities by creating a habitat connection between existing foreshore wetland areas and the river. It will involve two stages that will see the foreshore area from the Scented Gardens to Djirda Miya restored. 

Stage 1

Stage 1 of the URCP project is centred around the Coode Street Foreshore and will start in early 2026. It will involve realigning the existing pedestrian path further inland, away from the river. Two new headlands will also be constructed to protect the foreshore from anticipated sea and river level rises. This work will create an opportunity to regrade the existing river beaches and reconnect the river with nearby foreshore wetland areas, providing improved habitat for native wildlife such as the Rakali and the Fairy Tern.

The beaches near where the summer StrEATs event is held and where Funcats is located will be retained and regraded to enhance the experience for visitors. The realignment of the pedestrian footpath will also create more space for pedestrian movement around the Funcats area and the Boatshed Café.

Prompted by the need to  stabilise the riverbank in this area and replace ageing riverwall assets, the Urban Rivers and Catchment Program grant will enable us to make additional improvements to make this already popular precinct an even more beautiful, active space while also achieving the required environmental outcomes.  

Stage 2

Stage 2 of the URCP is planned for 2027/2028 and will include regrading the existing river beach between the Boatshed Café and the boat ramp, and introducing new habitat protection for the freshwater outflow near the jetty. 

The ageing river wall between the boat ramp and Djirda Miya will be removed, allowing for the creation of a new gently sloping (1:20 grade) recreation beach, protected by two new headlands. The future regional play space and picnic areas will connect to this beach. The existing pedestrian path will be realigned further inland, away from the river, improving access and creation of the beach. 

The park area between Djirda Miya and Lake Douglas will be revegetated to establish new wildlife habitat and strengthen ecological connections between the two areas.

Related documents

South Perth Riverbank Restoration Plan [PDF - 2 MB]

South Perth Riverbank Restoration Detailed Plan [PDF - 2 MB]

Project plan

Project views

FAQs

I have provided feedback about this area in other projects. Will my previous feedback be considered?
Yes, we are basing our engagement on previous feedback we received on the South Perth Foreshore Strategy and Management Plan. This engagement builds on the aspirations already identified by the community. 

Stage 2 of the Hurlingham Living Stream will commence in February 2026. The project will complete the transformation of the Hurlingham Drain and parts of the surrounding grass area into a vibrant, planted living stream, aligning with the City’s South Perth Foreshore Strategy and Management Plan 2015 for Node 7: The Lakes. 

This project, valued at $925,708, is supported by $602,350 in funding from the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.

Stage 2 will be a continuation of the earthworks, pathways installation and planting undertaken in Stage 1 in 2025 and will include:

The popular Coode Street play space will be getting upgraded to provide families with even more reasons to visit the beautiful South Perth foreshore.

We’ll be asking the community to provide their input into the play space as we develop a design. You’ve told us during previous consultations about what you would like to see at the foreshore and we’ll use that information to inform our preliminary plans. Funding for the construction will be sought in 2026/27.

The play space will complement the nearby Changing Places facility currently under construction and future riverbank restoration works happening nearby.

As part of the works happening at Sir James Mitchell Park, we will conducting seasonal planting to enhance our green spaces in line with our Urban Greening Strategy. This Strategy was shaped by extensive input and collaboration with our community and is guided by four key pillars: Protect, Enhance, Manage, Connect and Support.

The planting will include a mix of low-level plants to improve drainage and fauna habitat as well as new trees to increase shade and replace trees that are at the end of their life.