Fremantle's newest attraction, the Booyeembara Park Mountain Bike Trails are now open.
The first of its kind in WA, the new mountain bike park features two 400m trails to cater for intermediate and experienced riders, along with a pump track for beginners.
The project was made possible through a $300,000 contribution from State Government Member for Fremantle Simone McGurk, $800,000 from Lotterywest and $300,000 from the City of Fremantle.
A community event to celebrate the new trails is planned for Saturday 1 July with family-friendly activities, workshops, live demonstrations and more to be announced.
The park is home to WA's first micro downhill trails which have been designed to suit a variety of users from beginners to advanced.
The black trail is recommended for experienced riders with good skills and features advanced elements like drops, tabletops, shark fins and a wooden wall ride.
The blue trail is for intermediate riders with some technical skills and features large tabletops, hip jumps, berms and rollers.
For beginners, the pump track has been designed to practice and build skills before hitting the trails.
Fremantle Mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge said it was exciting to see these trails open but asked the community to keep safety in mind.
"To ensure the park runs safely there are some key rules to follow including wearing a helmet, riding downhill, riding to your ability and staying off the course when you're not riding," Mayor Fitzhardinge said.
"There are some great viewing locations around the track to safely watch all the action and impressive jumps.
"We also ask that people keep dogs off the trails and on a leash when walking within the area to prevent any collisions."
Community is at the heart of this project with the Friends of Booyeembara Park, residents and local mountain bike groups all playing a part to bring it to life.
"We started this journey back in 2019 when the Fremantle Mountain Biking Collective approached us with a proposal to develop a series of trails in the park," Mayor Fitzhardinge said.
Fremantle Mountain Biking Collective spokesperson Sam Wilkinson said he was thrilled to see the trails become a reality.
"It's been a rewarding process. The new mountain bike trails are exceeding everyone's expectations and people are blown away by the quality," he said.
"I want to say a big thank you to the City of Fremantle for having the vision and leading the way in this space. We hope other local governments see the community benefits of this project and we start to see more of these facilities across Perth."
Formalising these unofficial tracks has not only made it safer for the community but has also provided an important contribution to the rehabilitation and revegetation of the eastern edge of the park.
"We planted 157 new trees during the construction period with more planting to come over the winter season," Mayor Fitzhardinge said.
"We also worked with the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions to safely relocate wildlife such as bobtail lizards, skinks and snakes to other parts of the park while the construction took place."
The project team included Landscape Australia Construction as the head contractor, Three Chillies Design for the trails and pump track, Bamford Consulting Ecologists for fauna protection and relocation, Arboribus for tree protection consultancy and Scape-ism for feature artwork tables and platforms.
Image: L-R: City of Fremantle Parks and Landscape Manager Ryan Abbott, Three Chillies Design Director Paul Neve and Business Manager Lisa Barnes, Mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge, local rider Sam Wilkinson, Landscape Australia Construction Project Manager Paul Liveris, Three Chillies Design Construction Manager and pro mountain biker Jordan Prochyra and Fremantle MP Simone McGurk.
