Joggers dodge prams, cyclists ring their bells narrowly missing pedestrians, while cars roar down West Coast drive just metres away from people soaking up the rays and taking in the iconic scenery along one of Perth’s most beautiful coastlines.

The stage for this daily dance of walkers, wheels and waves is the Scarborough to Trigg path, which could soon become wider, safer and more accessible with a new multi-million-dollar boardwalk proposed by the City of Stirling. But not everyone is ready to swap dunes for decking.

The project has ignited community debate, weighing safety, accessibility and economic growth against fears of erosion and environmental damage to an A-class reserve.

When land is declared an A-class reserve it is given the highest level of protection under WA law to ensure it is conserved and protected for future generations

Supporters argue the boardwalk could deliver a world class attraction, boost the economy and open the coast to people with disabilities, while critics say the estimated $24.8 million cost is too high, if it means cutting into the fragile dunes along one of Perth’s most popular stretches of beach.

A community-led group called Bush Not Boardwalk, made up of local families and beachgoers, says it supports a safer, more accessible path, but one that protects both pedestrians and the natural landscape.

Their main concern is environmental impact.

“The site is an A-class reserve, it is a fragile dune system,” Mike David, a member of Bush Not Boardwalk says.

The group was initially formed to put forward an alternative solution to the boardwalk location, with members arguing there are safer and less invasive ways to improve access.

Mr David says the roadside option, which the city lists as Journey A, would keep people out of erosion-prone dunes, but the council hasn’t entertained the idea.

“There is a walkway next to West Coast Highway and there is space available to widen it,” Mr David says.

“But the council says this option isn’t viable.”

The City of Stirling Mayor Mark Irwin says the council chose the Journey B route through the dunes after weighing safety, environment and amenity.

Mr Irwin says the design would “pull pedestrians and cyclists away from fast-moving traffic on West Coast Drive, provide a quieter and safer route, and avoid areas of threatened vegetation identified in independent surveys.”

Cost is another point of tension. The most recent feasibility study puts the boardwalk at $24.8 million, up from the earlier $18.5 million estimate.

Ratepayers have already covered more than $60,000 in design and investigation, with no state or federal funding secured, Mr David says the lack of clarity is one of the community’s biggest frustrations.

“They haven’t even disclosed that it’s going to be a ratepayer-funded proposal, so people are making and having an opinion when they don’t even know who’s paying for it,” he says.

“There’s a lot of information being withheld from the public.”

Mr Irwin saysthe $18.5 million figure related to the design concept which went to community consultation and further funding would be sought externally.

“If the proposal proceeds beyond the concept phase, we will seek funding from the State and Federal Government towards the delivery of the project,” Mr Irwin says.

For residents with disabilities, the cost of being able to access the beach is priceless.

In 2017, Alanagh Godderidge co-founded Motion by the Ocean, a charity offering free trishaw rides for seniors and people with disabilities along Perth’s northern beaches.

Inspired by the global Cycling Without Age movement, she began with a single trishaw and has since grown the fleet to seven, cycling between Mullaloo and Trigg most days.

“It’s about sharing the coastline slowly, in conversation, and allowing people of all abilities to experience it,” Ms Godderidge says.

But Scarborough remains out of reach. She says the current path forces trishaws too close to traffic.

“Cycling towards Scarborough you’re much closer to the road and cars come down the hill at high speeds, it’s confronting,” she says.

“I don’t feel safe about it, so I don’t know how the passengers feel being lower to the ground and having a car speeding at them.”

She says the proposed boardwalk would change that.

“We love the idea of being able to extend our rides to Scarborough where there’s no access to cars whatsoever,” Ms Godderidge said.

“We want this, this is our community, and we want better accessibility”.

Meagan Shand grew up in Doubleview and spent her teenage years jogging from Scarborough to Trigg with her dad and much of her free time at the surf break in between.

After acquiring a disability in her thirties, Ms Shand says she lost the everyday rituals which once tethered her to the coast, the breeze on her face, the taste of salt on her lips after swimming, and being caught up in the easy rhythm of Perth’s beach culture.

“I describe it as one of the biggest losses of my life” Ms Shand says.

Now, she says, she can only sit back and watch, close enough to see the tide roll in but no longer able to be carried with it.

“I could no longer walk along the beach or even access the beaches. Our beaches are really inaccessible,” Ms Shand says.

“I do whatever I can to get close to it now, to still get that feeling of the sea breeze on your face and tasting that salty air. But it’s not the same.”

The City of Stirling has an opportunity here to create the most accessible beach in Australia,” Ms Shand says.

“That would be life-changing for people like me, and for so many others”

Mr Irwin says accessibility has been a priority in planning.

“The City is committed to making sure that the proposed coastal boardwalk enables people of all abilities to enjoy an accessible, safe and inclusive experience along the coast,” Mr Irwin says.

Public consultation on the boardwalk ran from July 30 to August 30, with submissions now under review as the city considers its next steps.

For residents like Ms Shand, the outcome could mean trading what lingers only in memory for the chance to once again feel the sea breeze, taste the salt, and follow the sun down over the Indian Ocean.