The Kwinana Council adopted the Kwinana Loop Trail Master Plan on 26 October which will use a phased approach to upgrade the popular trail to a shared use path for walking and mountain bike riding.
The upgrade of the Kwinana Loop Trail has been identified as a major project in the City’s Strategic Community Plan, delivering social and physical wellbeing opportunities.
Mayor Carol Adams said understanding the community aspirations for the Kwinana Loop Trail has been fundamental to the development of the Master Plan.
Extensive consultation was completed in September and October 2021, and further consultation will take place at the detailed design stage.
“At completion, an upgrade of the Kwinana Loop Trail will provide an economic benefit for Kwinana with local tourism, day trippers and employment opportunities located at the hubs of Sloan’s Reserve and the Northern Trail Hub,” Mayor Adams said.
She said the vision for the Kwinana Loop Trail Master Plan was to offer locals and visitors an accessible and immersive trail experience which showcases the layers of history evident and distinctive features of the Swan Coastal Plain.
“The trail offers a unique opportunity to be immersed in the natural bushland, witness some of Kwinana’s best views, and the upgrades will include adrenaline-style breakout areas on the trail for the more adventurous riders,” Mayor Adams said.
“Opportunities to tell the stories contained within the landscape will be maximised through an upgrade of interpretative signage along the trail and at key visitor sites such as Sloan’s Cottage, WW2 Radio Communications base and Wilki Karda / Chalk Hill, Wildflower Reserve and Leda Nature Reserve as part of the Master Plan.”
Land tenure, zoning and environmental complexities have been identified as part of the assessment process in the Master Plan and will require a high level of negotiation and the development of management agreements with various State Government departments.
The phased project is estimated to cost $11.45 million in total to bring it up to a Class 2 walk and Easy/Green Mountain Bike classification with a consistent hardened surface where possible, with the initial phase less than $3.4 million.
The City will be seeking funding from the State Government and other funding sources and anticipates the community will see works commencing in mid-2023.