FROM THREATENED WETLAND TO LIVING LEGACY: COMMUNITY TRIUMPH SECURES MANDOON BILYA RIVERPARK
How a fierce grassroots campaign blocked a massive AI data centre and unlocked a $550,000 grant to restore 265 hectares of Perth's historic Helena River.
Wade McColl (03/09/2026)
Rangers and local volunteers rolling up their sleeves for on-ground restoration work along the Helena River corridor. Photo by Bibbul Ngarma Aboriginal Association, 2026.
Earlier this year, a fierce community campaign successfully blocked plans for a massive hyperscale AI data centre slated for Stirling Crescent in Hazelmere. Proposed by global private investment firm Green Square, the 120-megawatt facility would have stood 23 metres high and required continuous cooling units running just 40 metres from the Mandoon Bilya (Helena River) and an adjacent Conservation Category Wetland.
Local traditional owners and environmental groups led a rigorous defense against the proposal. Francesca Flynn, Executive Director and Principal Environmental Scientist for the Bibbul Ngarma Aboriginal Association (BNAA), detailed how the data centre was fundamentally incompatible with local planning schemes.
The facility lacked reticulated sewerage, would have consumed hundreds of millions of litres of water annually, and posed severe risks of contaminating sensitive wetlands with saline industrial wastewater and diesel fuel runoff from 88 proposed generators. The campaign successfully stopped the development in May right before a state Development Assessment Panel decision.
Securing the Riverpark Legacy
The resilient freshwater ecosystem of the Mandoon Bilya, home to long-necked turtles, gilgies, and threatened Carter's freshwater mussels. Photo by Bibbul Ngarma Aboriginal Association, 2026.
With the threat neutralized, the focus has shifted firmly to healing and restoration. BNAA has announced a major milestone, securing a $550,000 Lottery west grant to transform the lower Mandoon Bilya into the Mandoon Bilya Riverpark. Envisioned as a flagship initiative of the BoorYul-Bah-Bilya (BBB) Program, the river park serves as a living legacy for the 2029 Perth Bicentenary, reconnecting the Derbarl Yerrigan (Swan River) with Kattamorda (the Darling Scarp and Perth Hills).
Restoring Ecosystems and Biodiversity
The 10km Mandoon Bilya Riverpark corridor spanning through Guildford, Midland, and Helena Valley. Photo by Bibbul Ngarma Aboriginal Association, 2026.
The ambitious project will restore more than 265 hectares of degraded foreshore across Guildford, South Guildford, Woodbridge, Midland, Hazelmere, Bellevue, Koongamia, and Helena Valley. Despite current challenges including extensive weeds, severe erosion, and poor public access, the river remains a resilient freshwater ecosystem supporting native wildlife.
The Lotterywest funding will support a comprehensive Masterplan, Foreshore Management Plan, and Business Case, alongside a catchment-wide plan covering the entire Helena River system. This work builds upon vital on-ground efforts already driven by the BBB Rangers, supported by the National Indigenous Australians Agency and the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
Broad Community and Government Support
The initiative is a collaborative triumph involving key community groups like the Lower Helena Association and Trillion Trees Australia. Trillion Trees ecological restoration manager Doug Laurie noted that winter planting events are vital for engaging the community and rebuilding wildlife habitats along the corridor. Established in 1979, Trillion Trees has planted more than 15 million trees across Western Australia.
The Noongar Kaartdijin Aboriginal Corporation also championed the cause, reminding the public that waterways like the Mandoon Bilya are living systems carrying deep cultural connections rather than just stormwater creeks.
With support across local electorates including Midland MLA Steve Catania, Belmont MLA Cassie Rowe, and Forrestfield MLA Stephen Price, this community-led restoration is setting a powerful blueprint for river management across Australia.