Progress of the
Norn Bidi Parkland Project
The Norn Bidi Parkland Project commenced in 2022 when the City of Nedlands voted to complete the final section of the nationally recognised Whadjuk Bush to Beach Trail, which runs from Kings Park to the coast, by building an all-abilities pathway across a well used section of Allen Park.
The pathway is known as the Norn Bidi, meaning Snake Trail in Noongar language.
The route is used daily by hundreds of people, traversing from one side of the Park to the other. Families, sports people, beach-goers, bushwalkers and dog walkers all use this much loved route.
The pathway design was agreed by the City in close collaboration with the community including stakeholders such as Friends of Allen Park and Melon Hill Bushland Group.
More recently, the City of Nedlands has produced a draft landscaping plan for the Norn Bidi Parkland to rehabilitate and enhance the area surrounding the path.
Work commenced on the project in 2024 and some elements are already completed. However, the project was halted in 2025 due to the construction of the adjacent hospital (children’s hospice). The City has granted the hospice developers use of a portion of land outside their designated site, in an effort to assist the builders to complete the hospice project swiftly.
It is important to note that this area is a designated FIREBREAK; which the City of Nedlands has been maintaining for many years. Fire regulations stipulate the area must remain open grassland, featuring minimal, fire retardant vegetation and very limited/no tall tree canopy.
It is more important than ever to maintain this area appropriately as a firebreak, now that a hospital housing vulnerable patients is adjacent to the north, along with the WA Bridge Club to the south.
The local bushland group (Melon Hill BG), has been collecting seed stock from within Allen Park over a number of years, and it is intended to revegetate the Norn Bidi Parkland with species of local provenance to ensure the success and sustainability of the gardens.
The Norn Bidi Parkland project will re-commence once the construction of the hospital facility is complete.
CLASS A STATUS IS THE ONLY WAY OF PROTECTING THIS AREA
FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS
Once that protection is removed, the land is open for development or can be controlled by third parties who CAN prevent public access.
The Norn Bidi Parkland will be accessible to all users of Allen Park in perpetuity.
Despite what the developers may say, Freedom of Information documents are at hand which clearly show that expansion of the hospice has been discussed from the outset; in fact the year 2032 has been flagged in minutes of the Hospice Project Control Group’s meetings.
Similarly, all offers of a “community park” have come with clear conditions - which amount to a third party having control of the land - placing public access at risk.