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'Jacob's Ladder of the north' one step closer to being built

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Perth's northern suburbs are set to get their own Jacob's Ladder-style fitness staircase after the City of Joondalup announced $420,000 towards its construction in its 2017-18 budget. 

The 'Look-out stairways' at Whitfords Nodes Park in Hillarys, if built based on early concepts approved by the council a year ago, would link the park to the existing northern look-out.

The concept plan, presented to the council, featured around 150 steps - 100 less than Jacob's Ladder at Kings Park, but was nearly twice the width. 

The council, however, will develop final designs for the structure once it has sourced external funding to cover half the cost of the project. 

Potential funding sources included the Lotterywest Community Spaces Grant or the option to sell the naming rights to the staircase. 

Once funding has been secured, the council will also have to receive environmental approval to build the stairs, which would require the clearing of some bushland in a Bush Forever protected site. 

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"The project will require approvals for land clearing within the Environmental Protection Act 1986," council documents stated in June 2016. 

"Given Whitfords Nodes Park is within a Bush Forever site, there is a general presumption (by Bush Forever) against clearing.

"Clearing the bushland to construct the stairway can leave the areas vulnerable to prevailing winds that may erode the sand dunes and require on-going maintenance activities."

The preferred option is for the staircase to be built using steel, with the structure requiring replacement after 20 years. 

Construction is scheduled to start in the 2017/18 financial year, pending a successful external funding application.

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