Colourful transformation brings Bedford park to life

Water Corporation General Manager Karen Willis, Maylands artist Liam Dee, Hillcrest Primary School Principal Liz Ford, and City of Bayswater Mayor Filomena Piffaretti with Hillcrest Primary School Year 5 students in front of the transformed drainage pump station.

Birkett Reserve in Bedford has undergone a vibrant transformation, with native landscaping, modern fencing, and colourful public art transforming a once-overlooked drainage pump station and basin into a welcoming community space.

Located at Shaftsbury Avenue, the transformation was delivered under Water Corporation’s Splash of Colour and Assets for Liveability programs, in collaboration with the City of Bayswater.

Water Corporation General Manager Customer and Community, Karen Willis said the project was a creative and collaborative way to highlight essential infrastructure while enhancing public spaces.

“Drainage pump stations like this one play a key role in managing stormwater and protecting our urban environment, but they’re not often seen as something people would stop to appreciate,” Ms Willis said.

“By partnering with local government and the community, we’re bringing these essential assets to life, making them more engaging, educational and valued within their neighbourhoods.”

As part of the site upgrade, the compensating basin was cleared of weeds and overgrowth, with native plants added and old fencing replaced by a more visually appealing and safer design. The highlight of the revitalisation is a large mural wrapped around the pump station, adding a splash of colour and imagination to the park.

The artwork was designed by Maylands artist Liam Dee, who worked closely with Year 5 students from Hillcrest Primary School. During an interactive workshop, students explored the role of local waterways, urban drains, and waterwise design before imagining the creatures that might inhabit nearby wetlands.

The final mural captures students’ imaginative spirit, whimsical frogs in fashionable hats nestled among leaves and ripples, symbolising the vibrancy and health of the local ecosystem.

City of Bayswater Mayor, Filomena Piffaretti said the project was a great example of how these partnerships could improve amenity for local communities. 

“This collaboration has allowed us to enhance a well-used public space with native planting, improved fencing and now a unique mural that really reflects the local character,” Ms Piffaretti said.

“It’s a great outcome for the community, who now have a more enjoyable space to visit and connect with. Projects like this add real value to our neighbourhoods, not just in how they look, but how they make people feel.”

The Birkett Reserve site is one of several being reimagined under Water Corporation’s Assets for Liveability Program, which aims to enhance the function and amenity of water, wastewater and drainage infrastructure while improving local biodiversity, liveability and public open space. 

The Assets for Liveability program and Splash of Colour program support the State Government’s Kep Katitjin – Gabi Kaadadjan (Waterwise Action Plan 3), an across-government approach to establish leading waterwise and liveable communities and ecosystem health for Boorloo (Perth) and Bindjareb (Peel) by 2030.

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Media contact:
P: (08) 9420 2555 ׀׀ E: media@watercorporation.com.au