North Baldivis Bushland on the Brink: 13 Hectares Set for Clearing
Endangered Tuart woodlands and vital Black Cockatoo habitats face the bulldozer for housing lots.
By Wade McColl (27/08/2025)
Myah Loo, Baldivis Times Assistant Director standing in front of one of the tuart giants located at the North Baldivis site. Photo by Wade McColl, Baldivis Times 2025.
It is a story we are seeing too often in our region: a thriving ecosystem marked for destruction. The Baldivis Times recently investigated the 13.52-hectare patch of woodland behind Stargate Shopping Centre and the new White Horse Tavern. What we found was a stunning, yet threatened, pocket of biodiversity.
One of many Leafy Sundews (Drosera porrecta) seen at the North Baldivis site. Photo by Wade McColl, Baldivis Times 2025.
This land is not just “spare grass.” It is home to 100-year-old Tuart trees, rare Leafy Sundews found only in WA, candlestick banksias, and crucially, it serves as a vital foraging habitat for endangered Carnaby’s Black Cockatoos. Under federal law (EPBC Act 1999), this area was previously listed as a nationally significant ecological community.
Yet, developers led by the Rowe Group plan to flatten it for housing lots and a “public open space” a term that often translates to little more than a flat grass patch with a few saplings.
The sheer amount of dumped rubbish and construction material was shocking. Photos by Wade McColl, Baldivis Times 2025.
Boots on the Ground: During our walk-through, the contrast was heartbreaking. Overhead, the haunting calls of black cockatoos reminded us of what is at stake. On the ground, however, we found mountains of dumped rubbish, building waste, and pollution choking the bush.
Local resident Alicia J told us: “There’s so much more value in keeping this bush than dozing it for their so-called ‘green spaces’. Imagine cleaning it up... getting local kids involved in cockatoo nesting boxes with cameras. That’s real community.”
The Hard Question: The City of Rockingham claims to aspire to “environmental leadership,” so why hasn’t it stood up to this? Baldivis has already lost so much. Do we really want to lose more?