About Our Foreshore
The City of Melville features 18km of Derbal Yirragan Djarlgarro (Swan-Canning Estuary) foreshore stretching from Petra Street, Bicton, in the West, to Bateman Park, Brentwood, in the East. The foreshore areas range from narrow grassed areas to substantial conservation reserves that support stands of native vegetation. Notable highlights include Marradungup (Alfred Cove) which is part of the Swan Estuary Marine Park, Dyoondalup (Point Walter) Spit, Jenalup (Blackwall Reach) Cliffs and Goolugatup (Heathcote).
Foreshore Management
The condition of the foreshore in our City can vary in condition from excellent to poor. This is largely because of the impact of urban development, poor understanding of estuarine processes and some upper catchment influences. The City of Melville works hard to help maintain optimal conditions for growth of native plant species along the river shoreline.
The major problems facing the City along the foreshore are:
- Weeds
- Erosion
- Litter
The City is advocating for implementation of foreshore restoration and stabilisation works that include establishing native vegetative shoreline buffers as outlined in the Attadale Alfred Cove Foreshore Master Plan, and City of Melville Foreshore Restoration Strategy 2025.
Foreshore Tree Plantings
The City is committed to increasing its urban forest as outlined in the Urban Forest and Green Space Policy and this includes in foreshore areas. Trees have several benefits for the foreshore including:
- Providing shelter and habitat for native wildlife
- A tree’s root systems hold the estuary’s banks together and reduce erosional impacts
- Provide shade for the community and turf areas
- Acting as carbon sinks to help reduce the impacts of climate change
From time to time, the City may need to remove a foreshore tree and this is replaced at a ratio of 3 to 1 with the approval of DBCA. This is because the City of Melville’s foreshore lies within the Swan Canning Riverpark which is managed by DBCA and the City is bound by the relevant State legislation and policies applicable to the Riverpark.
The community can assist the City to protect our foreshore trees. The City asks the community to avoid trampling through any native vegetation and to respect any installed temporary fencing around new vegetated sites. If you observe a tree in ill health or vandalised, please report this to the City.
Foreshore Projects
Below is a list of our current foreshore projects occurring in the City of Melville. For more information please contact us.
Bioengineering uses centuries old techniques that have proven effective to manage erosion from shoreline streamflow forces and allow the opportunity for native plants to become established, decreasing the reliance on rock revetments through sustainable, natural erosion control solutions.
Drone footage of recent works at Melville Beach Road.
Following approval, works will commence to remove the deteriorating Point Walter boat ramp and implement critical foreshore stabilisation measures to protect our coastline.
The project includes complete removal of the concrete structure, strategic beach renourishment using clean river sand, and careful reshaping of the beach profile to natural levels. This essential work will help manage sediment movement and maintain beach amenity, with ongoing monitoring to ensure the effectiveness of erosion control measures.
Attadale Alfred Cove Foreshore Masterplan Actions
The constant erosional pressures to the foreshore sharepath in front of the Attadale Bushland Reserve led to its removal in 2024. The energy in the tidal zone of the Attadale Bush Reserve made it no longer suitable to support hard infrastructure and the existing sharepath had become a safety risk to the public.
The foreshore area of the Attadale Bushland Reserve was rehabilitated through the planting of native vegetation not long after the sharepath’s removal. The intention of the planting has been to enhance the ecological values of the Reserve whilst increasing the site’s resilience to erosional pressures from the estuary.
This project has been completed in collaboration with DBCA and was funded through the DBCA Rivers and Estuaries Division, Swan-Canning Riverpark Urban Forest program.
To help maintain community connections to the Attadale Bushland Reserve, the City will be constructing a boardwalk in lieu of the sharepath removal. Designs were finalised in 2024 and construction will commence in the 2025-26 financial year.
The elevated boardwalk will follow the existing informal track through the centre of the reserve. The environmental benefits of this are that it will minimise removals of existing vegetation, promote habitat connectivity and assist in the protection against dieback spread. For the community, the boardwalk will provide an immersive bushland experience with select pause points to view the estuary and foreshore. The boardwalk will also connect to a viewing platform.This project is being delivered in collaboration with DBCA. The City of Melville secured a $271,000 DBCA Riverbank grant to help fund the boardwalk construction.
The City is trialling a number of revegetation techniques at this site with aims to improve foreshore revegetation efficiency including:
- A combination of advanced tree stock, tubestock and direct seeding to improve survival rates of all plants with a number of pioneer species for site establishment
- Installing shadecloth on the fencing to reduce the impact of drying winds on the plants
- Balanced weeding approach, for protection assistance for new seedlings from pathogens and insect infestations during initial establishment
- Placing natural logs around the site to improve the presence of microbes to the area for faster establishment of site self-sufficiency
- Strategic watering to mimic flora expectations with little to no watering over summer months but more support in autumn months
The site will continue to be enhanced in coming years in its transition to self-sufficiency.
This project has been completed in collaboration with DBCA and was funded through the DBCA Rivers and Estuaries Division, Swan-Canning Riverpark Urban Forest program.
The City in collaboration with the Friends of Melville Bird Sanctuary, SERAG and DBCA constructed a bird viewing platform in Point Waylen, Troy Park. The platform is a wonderful vantage point to view water and migratory birds in Alfred Cove and can be used by all members of the community. Some planting of native vegetation has already occurred at the site and will continue through the coming years.
Learn more about the Attadale Alfred Cove Foreshore Master Plan, the Friends of Melville Bird Sanctuary or SERAGHow You Can Help
There are many ways in which you can get involved in helping to improve the environmental integrity of our foreshore while still enjoying the estuary.
Volunteer Groups
If you would like to be more actively involved, we have several volunteer groups focussing on foreshore restoration.See our Environmental Volunteer Groups map to find your closest foreshore volunteer group.
Adopt-a-spot
Adopt-a-spot helps keep your favourite foreshore spot litter free by doing regular litter clean ups. We have partnered with Keep Australia Beautiful's Adopt-a-spot program. Registering a spot with us means you can receive free clean up resources, insurance cover and an adoption certificate.For more information and to express your interest contact [email protected].
Other Ways To Help
When you are down at the foreshore you can:
- Stick to the path and avoid trampling through vegetation
- Leave only footprints on the sand and put back any shells, crustaceans, urchins you may find beach combing
- Keep your distance when shorebirds are present
- Take your rubbish home with you or place it responsibly in a nearby bin. If the bin is full or overflowing, find a less full bin to put your waste in to prevent litter from blowing into the environment. Contact us to request the emptying of a public bin.
- If you are fishing, please use the fishing line bins to place damaged or unwanted fishing line and hooks; better yet, take them with you to dispose safely
- Only take your dog to the Dog Beach Areas located in Attadale and Applecross. Keep them restrained and on a leash at Canning Beach Rd and the Esplanade. All other Foreshore areas please stick to the footpath and keep your dog on a leash. There are several other dog friendly areas around.