Restoration of the sandpit was a priority for the Friends from the Group’s inception in 1999.
It is a desolate area used as a sandpit and landfill from the early 1940s until 1992, used by the WA Small-bore Rifle Association around 1960 and for the storage of construction materials, street sweepings and vehicle washing from 1992 to 2006.
A Site Management Plan prepared for the ToVP in 2017[i] outlined the state of the sandpit at that time including:
- building rubble fill to a depth of 6.5m, including asbestos
- no putrescible waste
- groundwater expected to be approximately 7.5m below ground level
Notification was received in July 2017 that an earlier classification of the sandpit as “Possibly contaminated – investigation required” had been amended to “Remediated for restricted use” under the Contaminated Site Act 2003 clearing the path for restoration.
The Friends organised a petition for revegetation that was presented to the ToVP Council in October 2019 by Councillor Jennifer Ammons-Noble. Our case to revegetate the sandpit was well explained and had over 300 signatures.
Finally, in 2021, the Town of Victoria Park agreed to the full restoration of the Sandpit site ensuring 17.9 hectares of natural bushland for coming generations. The site remains locked.
Working with the Town of Victoria Park on the restoration of this site is now a major project for the Friends in the coming years.
[i] Site Management Plan Kensington Bushland, Kent Street, Victoria Park, 2017. Site Environmental & Remediation Services Pty Ltd (SERS).
