Ambitious $18.5m Scarborough to Trigg Beach boardwalk gets major green light from City to progress forwardLiam MurphyPerthNow – StirlingFri, 28 November 2025 1:12AMCommentsCommentsEmail Liam Murphy
The City of Stirling’s $18.5 million plan to build a coastal boardwalk from Scarborough to Trigg Beach has taken a major leap forward, with councillors agreeing to progress the project to the next stage of development.
On Tuesday night, councillors voted 8-5 to begin detailed design work, seek formal environmental approvals, and explore funding opportunities from government and external sources.
For the past 14 months, the city has been investigating the feasibility of a boardwalk at the site, commissioning environmental studies and design work, spending more than $295,000 to date on the project.
In July, the city released concept plans for the boardwalk, which would travel above the dunes within a class-A nature reserve.
Early concept design features of the walkway include a humpback whale tail-shaped shade shelter as the centrepiece, along with six key nodes featuring interactive cultural displays and public artworks representing the six Noongar seasons.
According to the city-commissioned economic study, the proposed boardwalk is projected to generate $3.30 for every dollar invested, equating to about $100m over 30 years.
In a report tabled to councillors recommending the project, city officers said based on the feasibility studies, they believed the boardwalk would bring several benefits to the community, primarily by providing a “safe” route for pedestrians away from West Coast Highway.
“The Coastal Boardwalk Feasibility Study has delivered a comprehensive, evidence-based assessment across environmental, social, and economic factors, backed by strong community support through the consultation process,” city officers said in the report.
“This demonstrates that the project is viable and presents a significant opportunity for the City of Stirling, that will deliver substantial benefits to the community by improving pedestrian safety, enhancing connectivity, and creating an iconic experience while minimising the impact on the natural environment, supporting restoration efforts in the South Trigg Beach Reserve.”
The city conducted community consultation in July, with 70 per cent of 2499 respondents supporting the proposal.
However, not everyone is on board with the project, with the city also receiving a petition with 1032 verified signatures opposing the project, calling on the city to scrap it and pursue alternative options.
Since it was proposed, the idea has prompted vigorous debate among supporters and critics, with council question and statement time largely consumed with debate about the boardwalk over the past year.
Cr Lisa Thornton was among the five councillors who opposed the project at Tuesday night’s meeting, arguing the costs and benefits didn’t stack up.
“I’ve got serious doubts about the economic, environmental and social aspects of this boardwalk,” Cr Thornton said.
“Our city needs to be balanced in its investments and its priorities. Right now, it is not with this boardwalk.
“We are in the middle of a housing crisis . . . This is not the time for expensive follies, optional infrastructure that diverts skilled workers away from desperately needed housing supply.”
Deputy mayor Karlo Perkov supported the project and took aim at members of the community who opposed it, saying during Tuesday’s meeting he was “bitterly disappointed by some of the tactics” used.
“In my eight years, I’ve never seen some of us be attacked that way on social media to change public opinion,” Cr Perkov said.
“The way they look at this (is) totally misleading, misdirected. When you play the man and not the ball, it really shows desperation.
“There’s one thing I regret at this point in time, is that it’s (the boardwalk’s) actually not longer.”
Two proposals for a boardwalk at this location have been presented to the council since 2005 but never progressed beyond community consultation. This is now the furthest the concept has advanced.
The latest proposal was initiated in July 2024, after the council allocated $500,000 for a feasibility study in its 2024-2028 corporate business plan.
In addition to being a class-A reserve and Bush Forever site, the dunes between Scarborough and Trigg Beach are home to a threatened community of Rottnest Island pine.
Mayor Mark Irwin believes, despite the boardwalk being in an environmentally sensitive area, it can be built responsibly.
He argued this approach was preferable to simply widening the current path, as suggested by local environmental groups.
“This is a safer, more scenic and more immersive option for our community, away from the noise and congestion along West Coast Highway,” Mr Irwin said earlier this year.
“It would encourage people to stop and smell the ocean air, watch the surf breaks, and enjoy the journey along our world-class coastline.
“I know a lot of people want us to hurry up and build it, but there are still some important milestones to come, from environmental approvals to government funding.”
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