A BOOYEEMBARA Park friends group says they’ve been “shocked” to discover long-awaited works in the park have been demoted in Fremantle council’s 10-year financial plan.
The park’s amphitheatre was closed about a decade ago when asbestos was discovered, while a billabong linked to its role as a reconciliation hub never got further than being a hole in the ground, and following the preparation of a new plan the friends had been eager to see things get back on track.
But long-term Friends of Booyeembara Park members Digby Hill and Stephanie Jennings fronted this week’s public question time after seeing the project slide back on the long-term plan.
• Boo Park’s entrance is picturesque (above), but it masks some long-term issues within (below).
“Four major projects in that park, which we were hoping were going to go ahead, and it looks like from what the budget is putting forward that none of them are going to be done for another few years,” Mr Hill said.
Community members had been enthusiastic about plans for the park’s amphitheatre, including picnic areas, open space, cycling access and facilities for community music, theatre and dance, he said.
“Acoustically, it’s perfect for all three of those things.”
He said the amphitheatre was a hub where people could come together and questioned whether the projects would now proceed.
“Is there any kind of chance we can somehow move this forward? We’ve been waiting on time.”
The amphitheatre was completed in 2004 and hosted three successful performances before being closed.
Fellow member Stephanie Jennings said members were shocked to discover a five-year budget for the park proposed last year had been pushed out to six or seven years.
“Twenty-two years on, we are still waiting.”
Ms Jennings said the park had been built on a long-standing partnership between council and the community.
“It was about a partnership, a partnership that was award-winning between council and community in the city.”
She said work on the park’s northern projects, including the wetland, olive grove, storytelling circle and amphitheatre, had stalled in 2004.
“We’ve not been sitting idly in those 22 years. We have been caring for our beloved park. We’ve been weeding, we’ve been planting, watering with the natural areas parks offices. A great partnership. We’ve been supporting community events, festival events.”
Ms Jennings said the community had also been part of a successful rewilding of the park’s bushland.
“It used to be a quarry, a landfill site, and of course a magnificent hill in previous times, but now again it is home to bandicoot, to fairy wrens, to bobtail, to water birds, to ground-nesting rainbow bee eaters, to rare birds that you don’t see in urban areas.”
She said the unfinished areas remained “dusty, weed-ridden, attracting graffiti”, while the community had embraced recent consultation believing the projects would finally proceed.
Council director of infrastructure Graham Tattersall said the projects remained in the 10-year financial plan but could be adjusted.
“They are subject to adjustment, and they’ll be reviewed as part of the budget process this next financial year.”
Mr Tattersall said priorities would be reviewed each year, with officers making recommendations to elected members, who would decide which projects were most important.
The issue prompted councillor Melanie Clark to throw the Friends group a lifeline by successfully adding a note to the long-term plan that allocations to Booyeembara Park could be adjusted in line with changes to its masterplan.
by STEVE GRANT