Candle-light Vigil to Save the Wetlands

Dear Lovers of Wetlands,

Our campaign to save the wetlands in the Perth Cultural Centre continues despite works for the redevelopment scheduled to commence on January 6th.

Given this deadline, the small but passionate ‘Save Perth’s Urban Wetlands’ group will host an on-site Candle-light Vigil to honour the diversity of species that call the wetland home or who pop in for a visit, including the many humans who are completely dismayed that it will soon cease to exist, …..and you are invited to join us.

In a last ditch attempt to halt the demolition, we also urge you to write to both federal and state parliamentarians to ask; ‘do you seriously want to go ahead with the current bland dryland plan proposed for the site?” A city’s Cultural Centre demands a world class, cutting edge design but this is not what Perth is set to get!  What is being dished out to us is cringeworthy, especially when compared with re-wildings happening in Sydney, Melbourne and other centres around the world. 

Ironically, when the wetland was constructed in 2010 it was celebrated internationally.  Book chapters were written about it, and it flourished as an example of an oasis in an otherwise stark, inhospitable environment - and yet this cherished and well populated habitat is set to be eradicated.

In 2023, the original design for the redevelopment included a wetland although not the one that currently exists. Nevertheless, it was a space dedicated to honour the pre-colonial landscape that supported an incredible diversity of life in an abundant cycle of reciprocity.  

In September 2024 a revised plan was announced, this one at an additional cost of $20M (to a total of $55M) with a gigantic screen but no wetland!?  We wonder why? …and so we suggest, along with gathering for the vigil, a rally call of ‘Green not screen!  Let Nature be given the chance to enchant and nourish us away from our screens!

To learn more about the redevelopment and our efforts to keep the existing wetland and/or create a new one as part of the redevelopment please go here: https://saveperthsurbanwet.wix...

We look forward to you joining us on the 5th of January 🌾