Bayswater landfill site made over into Eric Singleton Bird Sanctuary

Environment Minister Albert Jacobs visited the sanctuary, a former landfill site until the 1970s, which he said had “degraded” before the project commenced this year.

“The late Eric Singleton had a vision for this to be a wetland reserve for native fauna and native plants and he was successful in establishing this reserve,” Mr Jacobs said.

“In recent years it had been degraded as a wetlands site and we were seeing fewer species of birds and other fauna and less diversity.”

Mr Jacobs said the sanctuary would prevent almost 40 tonnes of sediment and rubbish, 1.3 tonnes of nitrogen and 200kg of phosphorus from entering the Swan River each year.

He said the wetland would be operational next year.

When tree planting is complete, 170,000 native plants will beautify the site.

The project was jointly funded by the State Government and City of Bayswater.