Strong community desire to improve road, pedestrian and carpark access to the coastal foreshore are among priorities included in the Coogee Beach Land Use Master Plan.
The three-stage Master Plan was endorsed by Cockburn Council at its Ordinary Council Meeting on 10 June.
The plan includes a vision for the kilometre-long coastal strip for the next decade, including short term actions totalling an estimated cost of more than $23m, and medium to longer-term planning until 2050.
Its endorsement follows the completion of a second phase of community consultation on the draft plan in late 2024-early 2025. More than 230 community members and stakeholders were consulted, adding to the more than 400 consulted during phase one in early 2024.
Mayor Logan Howlett said further investigations would support a business case for the proposed infrastructure upgrades, including exploring government grants and commercial partnership to help fund the plan.
“Coogee Beach is a popular and highly-valued coastal reserve in our community,” Mayor Howlett said.
“Council has endorsed a unified plan to meet community need, coastal planning requirements and ensure future upgrades and developments are delivered in a structured and logical way.”
The plan also addresses coastal hazards including predicted coastline changes over the next century, with further guidance provided by a Coastal Hazard Risk Management and Adaptation Plan currently being finalised by the City.
Other top priorities for the area’s redevelopment include a café and public amenity building and playground, and a Changing Places accessible toilet and wheelchair storage facility with ACROD parking.
City of Cockburn Director Sustainable Development and Safety Dan Arndt said achieving community aspirations relating to road improvements captured within the master plan would require a highly collaborative approach with Main Roads WA (MRWA).
“As Cockburn Road is under the control of MRWA, ongoing advocacy will be required to realise the plan’s short-term priorities, including replacing the Powell Road entry to Coogee Beach with a signalised intersection at Cockburn and Beach roads.
“We will also need to negotiate with MRWA to secure tenure of land on the eastern side of Cockburn Road for overflow parking and ultimately amend the Metropolitan Region Scheme to update the regional road reservation to exclude this area.”
Other Stage One priorities include a formalised carpark east of Cockburn Road, a Nyungar yarning space, a reconfigured southern entry to Coogee Beach Holiday (caravan) Park, and creating a multi-use event space.
Medium term actions for achievement in the next 25 years include replacing current carparks with parkland, introducing a new loop road to improve traffic circulation, reconfiguring the caravan park to accommodate coastline changes, relocating the café/kiosk and identifying options for the surf life saving and community facility.
The Coogee Beach Land Use Master Plan is available to view on the City’s Comment on Cockburn
website.