Goegrup Lake Boardwalk is located in the Mandurah area of Perth in the Peel Yalgorup wetland system which supports more than 20,000 migratory and resident shorebirds annually. The old timber boardwalk had reached the end of its serviceable life and was replaced with a Wagners CFT Fibre Reinforced Polymer (FRP) substructure and timber decking at a cost of around $750,000.
The boardwalk is some 330 metres long and 2.5 metres wide and was designed by Wagners CFT and RSA Engineers and installed by Natural Area in 2021 for the Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attraction.
This boardwalk is unique in that the FRP substructure is entirely constructed using rivets and brackets as opposed to steel plates and bolts. It includes three viewing areas with benches and signage to describe the environmental and Aboriginal cultural values of the area.
FRP is the perfect solution for the substructure of Goegrup Lake Boardwalk because it’s:
- Durable – with a 100-year design life
- Inert – so will not rot, rust or corrode
- Cost effective – through reduced maintenance/replacement cycles
- Non-leaching and non-toxic making it safe for this high value conservation area
- Resistant – to termites, acid sulfate soils and marine borer
The boardwalk is now a popular walking area for naturalists wishing to explore the large open shallow wetland which covers about 1700 hectares of riparian salt marches, stream and small islands feed by the Serpentine River.
The boardwalk was funded under Western Australia’s Recovery Plan and was designed to protect and enhance the sensitive and fragile environment using modern building materials to maximise the structure’s serviceable life.
Great care with taken by the local contractor to minimise disruption to the sensitive wetland environment during construction, with no heavy equipment used and the old boardwalk removed entirely by hand.
