In 2015, the Department of Planning engaged Ecoscape to prepare a Conservation and Environment Management Plan for Whiteman Park.  Whiteman Park is one of the largest recreation and conservation parks in the Perth Metropolitan region covering an area of 4,124 hectares of which 2,200 hectares are protected under the Bush Forever Act, 150 hectares are used for recreation and 200 hectares for horse riding (WAPC 2015). 

The purpose of the Conservation and Environment Management Plan (CEMP) was to provide a strategic plan for the management of the Park’s natural environment.  The plan aims to support current management initiatives and also identify areas of conservation value that require ongoing management to ensure these values are preserved and enhanced and that planned development considers these values.  The objectives of the plan were to:

• provide an overview of the Park’s existing natural environment
• provide an overview of the Park’s existing management strategies
• identify challenges to the environmental management of the park
• identify the conservation values of the Park and illustrate these on a plan that identifies priority areas for management.

Strategic level recommendations were identified to address the challenges to the environmental management of the Park. Management Zones were identified for the purpose of providing a framework that is practical to follow for on ground staff.  The management recommendations equally aim to support the priorities identified in the Five Year Management Plan.