Rivers and Waterways

Our Rivers

Djarlgarra (the Canning River) and Southern River, and their tributaries, are principally managed by the state government. The City works closely with the Swan River Trust and the Department of Water, the key agencies responsible for the management of our waterways, on general matters and specific projects to assist in improving the quality of our rivers and their waters.

The City undertook the first River Restoration project in the Perth Metropolitan Area in 2001, in a partnership with the Department of Water and Swan River Trust, in Centennial Pioneer Park in Gosnells Town Centre. Log and rock "riffles" were installed in-stream to help oxygenate the water, create habitat diversity and slow the movement of water during periods of low flow.

The River Restoration project, combined with extensive rehabilitation and revegetation of the Canning River foreshore and floodplain wetland, has been an unqualified success. The project has provided, in addition to its environmental benefits, a reference site for environmental managers.

The City is working with multiple agencies and Non-Government Organisations on the Urban Waterways Renewal Project, whose objective is to improve the environmental and ecological health of Bickley Brook in Maddington and Kenwick.

The Sediment and Erosion Project, a partnership between the Cities of Gosnells and Armadale and the Swan River Trust, will provide mechanisms to reduce the amount of sediment entering our waterways.

The City works with the South East Regional Centre for Urban Landcare and the Armadale Gosnells Landcare Group on the management and restoration of river and watercourse foreshore areas. A number of key sites on the Djarlgarra foreshore have been the focus of long-term revegetation projects in partnership with the Armadale Gosnells Landcare Group through the Swan River Trust's Riverbank funding program.