King's Park experience to be enhanced by innovative walkway

6/7/01
Visitors to Perth's icon tourist attraction, Kings Park, are set to enjoy new garden and park views, with the State Government giving approval to the proposed Lotteries Federation Walkway.
Designed by architects behind Walpole's famous Tree-Top Walk, the $1.8 million walkway has been given the green light after a two-month public consultation period found community support.
The key feature of the walkway will be a 13m high glass bridge - believed to be the first pedestrian walkway constructed from titanium.
Acting Premier Eric Ripper said the walkway was part of a 10-year plan to refurbish and enhance Kings Park's visitor facilities.
"There is no doubt that Kings Park is one of Western Australia's most popular attractions, drawing in hundreds of thousands of local visitors and tourists every year," Mr Ripper said.
"However, with this comes the ongoing need to provide world-class facilities - ensuring that visitors have suitable access to the park, while protecting its diverse gardens and bushlands.
"The proposed walkway will encourage local visitors and tourists to explore areas of the Botanic Gardens which are not currently well visited - as well as replacing ageing pathways and worn out landscape.
"The walkway will also importantly provide an education tour for visitors, with artworks and interpretative works providing stories and information on Federation, Aboriginal culture and Kings Park's wide number of flora species."
Environment and Heritage Minister Dr Judy Edwards said a key consideration in the walkway's design was to ensure the walkway was sensitive to environmental and visual impact on the park's Botanic Garden.
"The walkway will vary in height from 1.8 to 13 metres, ensuring the roots of native trees are protected and allowing them to achieve their full growth rate and lifespan," Dr Edwards said.
The walkway will be a combination of boardwalk and on the ground pathways about 400m long. A raised walkway, including the arched glass bridge, will be another 250m in length.
"The architects, Donaldson and Warn, advise it will be a world first to use titanium in a pedestrian walk," Dr Edwards said.
"Titanium lends itself to great decorative possibilities, with the metal able to change to a variety of colours under heat."
Approval for the walkway was given following the two month public consultation period, with more than 80 per cent of submissions giving support to the project.
The Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority received 301 responses, with 253 submissions indicating support.
The walkway will be funded through grants from the WA Lotteries Commission, the Centenary of Federation projects program, the Friends of Kings Park and the Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority.
The walkway is expected to be completed by autumn next year.

Media contact:
Darren Foster 9222 8788
John Carey 9220 5050