Operation bobtail underway at Booyeembara Park

An operation is underway to safely relocate bobtail lizards and other wildlife in Fremantle’s Booyeembara Park before construction begins on new mountain bike trails.

The City of Fremantle has been pursuing the Booyeembara Park trails concept since 2018 after being approached by a group of local mountain bike enthusiasts.

The project received a major boost earlier this year when Lotterywest provided an $800,000 grant, adding to the $300,000 already allocated to the project by the City of Fremantle, and a $300,000 contribution from the state government via local member Simone McGurk.

City of Fremantle project manager Morgan Gillham said the project not only involved the construction of the mountain bike trails but also the rehabilitation and revegetation of the eastern edge of the park.

“Booyeembara Park was used as a limestone quarry during the 1800s and as an unregulated landfill site from the 1960s through to the 1980s,” Mr Gillham said.

“Over many years the City of Fremantle has worked with the Friends of Booyeembara Park and the local community to transform it into the beautiful park we have today, but the site for the mountain bike trails is yet to be improved.

“In preparation for the construction of the trails we’ll be erecting fauna exclusion fencing and begin trapping and relocating wildlife away from the works area to other parts of the park.

“We’re anticipating that bobtail lizards will be the main animals being relocated, but other reptiles such as smaller skinks and snakes are also likely to be found.

“All of the trapping, handling and relocation is done under licence to the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.

“The project’s zoologist team will be using fauna guidance fencing and pitfall traps. The pitfall traps are holes dug in the ground with a bucket inserted into the hole to collect small animals that fall in as they are moving along the fauna fence.

“Once the trails are completed by early next year we expect the animals will return, and there will be vastly more habitat for them and much more food once planting is completed in winter 2023.”

The Booyeembara Park mountain bike trails construction team recently kicked off the project with an on-site meeting.

The construction team is being led by Landscape Australia Construction and includes specialist sub-contractors and consultants including Three Chillies Design for the trails and pump track, Bamford Consulting Ecologists for fauna protection and relocation, Arboribus for tree protection consultancy and Scape-ism for feature artwork tables and platforms.

Notification signs will soon be erected around the eastern end of Booyeembara Park on Stevens Street advising of the upcoming works and some pathway closures during construction, including the main arterial path from Stevens Street to the top of the hill and several intermediate paths.

The City of Fremantle thanks residents and park users for their patience and asks motorists to slow down on Stevens Street during construction.