12 August 2019
Win for the Coastal Environment at Trigg Beach – No Road Ever!!
The recent closure and amalgamation of the road reserve (the Esplanade north) on the beach side of West Coast Hwy at North Scarborough with the adjacent South Trigg Beach Class A Reserve 46248 is the culmination of many years of campaigning by local conservation groups. Most recently by Beach Not Bitumen.
“This means we can be confident that the remnant Quindalup coastal dune system between Scarborough and Trigg Beaches will be protected forever,” spokesperson for Beach Not Bitumen Robyn Murphy said.
History
The long history of the protection of this coastal reserve began in 1981 when the Trigg Bushland and the coastal reserves were identified in the System 6 Study Report as “…having conservation significance due to the rarity of reserved areas within the metropolitan area which provide an example of a belt of native vegetation extending from the sea to tuart and banksia woodland.”
However, when the Trigg Bushland was designated as a Class A Reserve in 1989 the coastal reserve inexplicably was not included.
The Friends of Trigg Bushland continued to lobby for the coastal dunes to be given the same protection as the larger Trigg Bushland Reserve. In 1998 the Trigg Bushland and Adjacent Coastal Reserve was recognised in Perth’s Bushplan as being of regional environmental significance and the 122ha Trigg Bushland and the approx 14ha of coastal reserve were later included in Bush Forever Area 308. Both areas are included in the City of Stirling’s Trigg Bushland Management Plan.
In 2001 after intensive lobbying and campaigning, the WA Parliament reclassified the South Trigg Beach Reserve from “C” to “A” Class, excluding the road reserve which the City of Stirling advised would be closed and amalgamated in due course. In 2016 the MRA intervened and halted the road closure process and proposed using the road reserve to extend the Esplanade and car parking north of Scarborough Beach through the South Trigg Beach Reserve. Beach Not Bitumen was formed to oppose the proposed road extensions. The community led campaign was supported by the Friends of Trigg Beach, Friends of Trigg Bushland and local residents. The successful campaign resulted in the newly elected McGowan Labor Government announcing in 2017 that the road would not go ahead. We were advised that the road closure process would recommence.
In the meantime, in 2017 a Threatened Ecological Community was identified within the road reserve, being Callitris preissii (Rottnest Pine) and has since been registered under the Biodiversity and Conservation Act. This added further weight to the campaign to protect this reserve.
On 15 March 2019 Landgate issued a Certificate of Title that confirms the closure of the 3.369ha road reserve and the incorporation of the land into the 10.053ha South Trigg Beach Class A Reserve. The City of Stirling is nominated as the land manager with responsibility for the care and protection of this coastal reserve.
There is no doubt that without the persistence and dedication of the local community and conservation groups, this important coastal reserve would not have received the protection it deserves for the benefit of future generations.
What next for Beach Not Bitumen?
The coastal reserve south of Scarborough is still vulnerable. Unlike the northern dune reserve there is no existing road reserve. However, most of the dunes between Scarborough and City Beach is a Crown land reserve without the protection afforded by Class A status. Fortunately, most of the reserve has Bush Forever status under BF 310 which provides some protection under the Environmental Protection Act.
The Quindalup coastal dune reserve where Bush Forever site 310 is located consists of seaward shore-parallel sand ridges with a landward linear depression, and another shore-parallel sand ridge further landwards. It is an important remnant of coastal dune landscapes and animal habitats that existed along the metropolitan area coastline before European settlement, and as such are worthy of protection and preservation for future generations.
If you would like to become involved in the campaign to upgrade the protection of this important coastal reserve south of Scarborough Beach please contact us via our Facebook page or send us a message on beachnotbitumen@gmail.com.
Beach Not Bitumen 