• Holly Poole, Anna Ralfe, Nicole Clarke and Alan DeSousa work to remediate Manning Park and dissuade 4WDs. Photo by Matthew Dwyer

FOUR-wheel-drives are wrecking bush on the ridge behind Hamilton Hill’s Manning Park.

The Herald came across a group of volunteers pulling out Victorian tea-tree last week as part of a major revegetation project, and they complained one of the biggest problems is damage by drivers trying their 4WDs’ off-road.

The bushland, growing on delicate remant sand dunes, is suffering.
Cockburn council organised the revegetation after scoring a Coastwest grant. Community services manager Rob Avard says drivers are breaking the law and risking bushwalkers’ lives.

“The illegal access is being addressed by the construction of fences, closing tracks and installing surveillance cameras, signage and a continued CoSafe presence,” Mr Avard told the Herald.

He says revegetation will also provide much-needed habitat for fauna such as Carnaby’s cockatoo.

The area is a favourite with the birds and flocks can be seen feeding on the parrot bush and other species in the area. Much of it however is under threat from the Barnett government’s plans to bulldoze a major new housing estate into the Cockburn Coast.

A new road is planned to cut through much of the bushland to service the 10,000 residents expected to live in Gold Coast-style apartments up to 16 storeys high.

by STEVE GRANT