Kwinana Loop Trail
Where Has the $3.5 Million Kwinana Loop Trail Funding Gone?
In May 2026, state funding of $3.5 million was announced to deliver major upgrades to the Kwinana Loop Trail. Stage 1 was marked to upgrade key sections along Wellard Road, Runnymede Gate, and Gentle Road.
However, residents inspecting the physical trail have found minimal actual work completed:
- Approximately 700 metres of plastic reflector pegs along the Wellard Road shoulder.
- 600 metres of basic limestone top-coat added beside Wellard Road.
- 400 metres of resurfaced bush track at the corner of Gentle and Wellard Roads.
Our police station operates during limited hours. We are told police patrols continue after the station closes — but residents are still regularly dealing with hooning, dirt bikes, smashed car windows, excessive noise and damage to public spaces.
Despite this minor delivery, the City of Kwinana has officially marked Stage 1 as “complete”.
The Email Exchange: Council Stonewalls Questions
When lALWMGroup wrote to Council requesting an itemized breakdown of contractor costs versus internal administrative overheads (such as the newly created Trails Officer position), the City’s Governance and Legal department shut down further discussion:
City of Kwinana Response (22 Sept 2026):
“The City does not record the cost of the Kwinana Loop Trail Upgrade as an expenditure amount per kilometre, nor does it maintain an allocation… separating project expenditure into particular categories… The City is therefore not in a position to provide a cost-per-kilometre calculation or administrative ratios.”
When pressed on why promised dedicated pathways parallel to Gentle Road were abandoned for an unpaved firebreak, Council stated that original maps were merely a “master plan” rather than detailed designs.
Furthermore, Council declined to provide further financial or safety records via general correspondence, pointing residents toward formal Freedom of Information (FOI) applications—while explicitly reminding them that Council can reject requests under Section 20 if they consider them a “substantial and unreasonable diversion of resources.”
The Manager of Governance & Legal concluded by declaring Council “will not continue an open-ended email exchange concerning the same issues.”
Make Your Voice Heard
Taxpayers deserve full transparency on how $3.5 million in public grant funds are being spent on our local community infrastructure.
If you are not happy with plastic pegs and minor limestone patches being passed off as a $3.5M trail upgrade, let Council know today:
Email Template for Residents
Copy and paste the text below into your email app to send directly to the City of Kwinana:
Dear Mayor Feasey, Elected Councillors, and Executive Team,
I am writing as a local resident to express my deep disappointment regarding the minimal physical works delivered for Stage 1 of the Kwinana Loop Trail Upgrade.
With $3.5 million in State Government grant funding allocated for this project, residents were promised high-quality, dedicated, and safe trail infrastructure. Instead, Stage 1 has been marked as “complete” despite yielding only basic limestone top-coating, minor bush track resurfacing, and plastic reflector pegs along active road shoulders.
I do not accept that plastic pegs and minor surface patches represent an acceptable outcome for a multi-million dollar public infrastructure project.
As a ratepayer, I request that Council:
- Provide full public transparency on how much of the $3.5M grant has gone toward direct on-ground capital construction versus internal administrative overheads.
- Re-evaluate the Stage 1 delivery and construct proper, separated off-road pathways along Wellard Road and Gentle Road as originally promised.
- Ensure all gate infrastructure meets genuine accessibility standards for bicycles and wheelchairs.
I look forward to seeing real capital upgrades delivered on the ground rather than minimal work passed off as completed stages.
Kind regards,
Name: [Your Name]
Address / Suburb: [Your Suburb]