FRANK KOTAI is a landscape architect. Living in Coolbellup, he grew up Fremantle and knows the surrounding district intimately. In this week’s THINKING ALLOWED he turns his attention to Manning Park and says it’s under threat from poor planning decisions behind the Cockburn Coast redevelopment.

IT was great to see the piece on Clontarf Hill describing its significance and importance to local community.

The Hill has been under threat since the road reserve first spanned the ridgeline in the 1950s.  Fortunately Clontarf is encircled by committed locals ready to preserve and protect the location.

But what of the ridge further south? Government developer, Landcorp, and Cockburn council are busily implementing the Cockburn Coast master plan that would see Cockburn Road run through the ridgeline and allow six-storey apartments to occupy the western face of the ridge — the prestigious Hilltop precinct.

Given the importance of open space in the densifying city, wouldn’t it be better if this road reserve became parkland?

• Ridge fan Bryn Davies enjoys a view that will one day be dominated by apartments and asphalt. File photo

George Seddon, widely known to have coined the term ‘sense of place’ says of the local geology: “The coastal limestone is Perth’s finest feature, although it has not been gently handled.”

He goes on to describe its loss through quarrying during early settlement. Whilst the loss of those natural features helped build the architectural heritage of WA, loss of the ridgeline in Manning Park would not serve such a noble purpose.

The natural limestone will be cut and battered then used as fill to bench sites for apartments.

Where there is currently a view for all, there will be views for the select few.

What will be left for the public is a road, overpass and view of apartment roofs.

For those that know Fremantle well, the unique and distinctive character of the place is based largely on the natural limestone and the fact that, in matters of building, our forebears had to yield to it.

The resulting preservation of landform is what sets the city apart from the uniformity found in much of Perth.

Present day machinery will make light work of the ridge so it is a decision that has to be made based on what we value.

Is natural landform more important to us than a road? There is already a functioning road downhill.

There are industrial sites downhill that could accommodate the road without destroying the ridgeline. Why are these options not explored?

On plan the road looks like such a small afterthought that most would be unlikely to envisage the destruction proposed — or the audacity.

I’d encourage anyone who is interested in the place to walk to the highest summit and take in the views. Note the yellow survey marker and consider that this sits on the centreline for the proposed road. Then consider the scale of earthworks that will be needed to complete the task.

Regional reserves Bold Park, Buckland, Hill, Cantonment Hill and Clontarf Hill were all preserved through community action. Manning Park is under threat due to ill-considered planning decisions and it is up to the community to lobby for its conservation.

The park currently lacks patronage or profile as it is remote from surrounding neighbourhoods (part of its charm) but this is changing as the area is getting busier.

As cities compete globally for higher livability ratings we should be more concerned with how open spaces are treated as these are far more important to livability and health than another road or exclusive views from apartments.

Manning Park could be a regional destination supporting a whole range of public and ecological functions integrated with the local neighbourhood but a smarter transport solution for the development is needed if this is to become a reality.