A 20-year Masterplan for Bold Park & Kings Park

Every day at Bold Park and Kings Park, thousands of people walk among the trees and bushland, share picnics with family, and explore Western Australia’s unique flora in Perth’s most treasured natural spaces. To protect and preserve these parks for future generations, the Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority (BGPA) is undertaking master planning for Kings Park and Bold Park to guide decisions over the next 20 years. 

This will be the first long-term framework to consider Kings Park and Bold Park together, taking a holistic approach to their future. It will strengthen BGPA's ability to advocate for the parks, attract sustainable funding, respond to emerging challenges and deliver visitor experiences that align with BGPA’s core functions and long-term vision.

BGPA is co-developing the plan with diverse stakeholders to reflect community and cultural values, ensuring transparency, inclusivity, and evidence-based decision-making. As a key stakeholder, Friends of Bold Park Bushland members and other Bold Park users are invited to an information night at 6.30pm on February 2nd in the Tamala Room, Bold Park. The presentation will cover BGPA's approach to the masterplan, a brief history of Bold Park, and key future trends, and will be followed by a discussion on aspirations, considerations and how we can best work together. A community survey will be opened online later in February for people to provide additional feedback.

Looking Ahead: The Parks in 2050

By 2050, Perth’s population is expected to exceed 3.5 million. Kings Park and Bold Park will be increasingly vital in a warming and densifying city. As green refuges, they will help cool the city, provide critical support for biodiversity and promote health, recreation and wellbeing.

Future projections estimate: 

• +30,000 residents and +100,000 workers living and working near the parks 
• Combined visitation of over 10 million annually 
• A warmer, drier climate with 9–13 more days over 35 °C 
• 25% to 45% less annual rainfall (780mm to between 500-400mm total), on top of a 25% reduction since the 1970s 
• A larger and more diverse population with greater expectations for sustainability, amenity, inclusivity and cultural representation 

Challenges: 

• Hotter, drier conditions are affecting water security, biodiversity and bushfire risk. Biosecurity threats require vigilant management to protect flora, fauna and people. 
• Changing climatic conditions are changing the way people interact with the parks and their needs for amenity.  
• Increasing demand for recreation and tourism will put pressure on the gardens, bushland and infrastructure, risking impacts to visitor experience and conservation outcomes. 

The 20-year Plan provides a framework for tackling important decisions about these future conditions. It will not prescribe every detail; rather, it ensures these decisions are guided by a shared understanding of the parks’ distinctive character and significance. Tackling these challenges proactively also creates numerous opportunities to ensure these landscapes continue to thrive by supporting biodiversity, sustainability and cultural heritage.

With proactive planning, Kings Park and Bold Park will remain world-class destinations and living laboratories for conservation, culture and community wellbeing.

Kings Park and Bold Park are part of Perth’s identity. They hold ecological, cultural and social significance that cannot be taken for granted. Your inputs into the 20-year plan will help ensure these landscapes continue to thrive, and to be cherished spaces for recreation, learning, and connecting with nature for generations to come.