Perth’s $100 million surf park to clear black cockatoo habitat

A fresh proposal for a $100 million Perth Surf Park, this time in Jandakot, has been referred to the state’s environmental watchdog as it will mean bulldozing hectares of endangered vegetation.

The proposed facility would be the largest in the southern hemisphere and include a 2.2-hectare open-water lagoon creating waves for up to 84 surfers at a time, short-term accommodation, bars and restaurants, shops, function centre, events lawn, pump track, surf-skate bowl, outdoor gym, a health and fitness centre, playground and car park.

Most of the property at Lot 800 Prinsep Road, Jandakot would be cleared (5.3 hectares of the total 5.7).

The clearing would also mean the loss of one hectare of wetland.

The clearing would release 534 tonnes of carbon to the atmosphere.

Consultants employed to survey the site found thee hectares of banksia woodland, a threatened ecological community, as well as sighting threatened Carnaby’s and forest red-tailed black cockatoos flying and feeding at the site, and the diggings of quendas, a priority four species. They also said the site was likely to be used by the rainbow bee-eater.

They recommended avoidance of the majority of the banksia woodland area by realigning the proposed North Lake Road to Beeliar Drive road alignment.

Black cockatoos are on the brink of extinction due to loss of their metropolitan habitat.

The Environmental Protection Authority is seeking comment from the public on whether it should send this proposal through its formal assessment process. Comments close on December 4.

Applicant Aventuur, chosen by the state government, aims to commence construction in 2023 and open in 2025.

The government in 2019 rejected Urbnsurf’s deeply divisive application to use public land on the Alfred Cove foreshore for a wave park that was variously estimated to cost $25-$40 million.

Urbnsurf’s founder Andrew Ross is now the chairman of Aventuur.

Negotiations for the Cockburn site have been under way with the Department of Planning since the 2019 controversy.

The block was held by the WA Planning Commission but a government spokeswoman said the land would be transferred to the state once a lease agreement was negotiated for the park.

The site has sat idle in development terms for 16 years after it changed hands between two government authorities at a cost of $5 million in 2006.

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