State to expand foreshore land reserves

The state government has revealed plans to increase foreshore land reserves for the Swan and Canning river systems as part of an overall plan to create a network of pathways, including one that stretches from Fremantle to the Swan Valley.

The announcement is below:

The protection of Perth's river foreshores could soon receive a significant boost under a proposed amendment to the Metropolitan Region Scheme (MRS).

Planning Minister John Day said the proposed changes by the WA Planning Commission would reclassify more than 18,000 hectares of public land as parks and recreation reserves including more than 40 proposals to add to foreshore reserves of the Swan and Canning river systems.

"These river foreshores and other significant areas, already protected through government ownership, will be further protected by the proposed amendment and will be set aside for community recreation," Mr Day said.

"We will work together with local governments and communities to extend and entrench reserves, providing the people of Perth with increased access to the Swan, Canning, Helena and Southern rivers, and to Jane and Ellen brooks.

"Our long-term intention is to create where practicable a network of pathways along the Swan and Canning rivers - one that extends from Fremantle to the Swan Valley, and along the Canning River to beyond the Canning River Regional Park."

The amendment contains 155 separate proposals in the cities of Armadale, Bayswater, Belmont, Canning, Cockburn, Fremantle, Gosnells, Joondalup, Rockingham, Stirling, Subiaco, Swan and Wanneroo, the towns of Bassendean and Kwinana and the shires of Kalamunda, Mundaring and Serpentine-Jarrahdale.

More than 14,000 hectares of State forest will be recognised in the MRS as parks and recreation. There will be no change to the current management arrangements, with the Department of Environment and Conservation continuing to manage this land. Significant areas of the parks and recreation reservation proposals involve land purchased by the WAPC to enhance regional open space, and include additions to the protection of Bush Forever.

The MRS amendment is being advertised for public submissions from today, October 6, 2009, to Friday, January 29, 2010 and can be downloaded from http://www.planning.wa.gov.au/comment or phone 9264 7777.