Shire of Mundaring – Perth Hills bushland, lakes & roaming cats on the doorstep

The Shire of Mundaring stretches across the Perth Hills, where village centres, foothills suburbs and rural retreats sit in and around national parks, local reserves and bushland on private land. Cats living here can move very quickly from a back veranda or balcony into forests, creeklines and lake edges, so keeping cats safe in well-designed netted enclosures and contained outdoor runs plays a big role in protecting both pets and wildlife.

How the mundaring layout shapes cat & wildlife interactions

Mundaring sits along the Darling Range, covering foothills suburbs like Bellevue, Greenmount and Helena Valley, forested Hills townsites such as Darlington, Glen Forrest, Mundaring and Mount Helena, and more rural localities around places like Chidlow, Wooroloo and Bailup. The Great Eastern Highway corridor, Railway Reserves Heritage Trail, national parks and Lake Leschenaultia link these communities, with houses and bush blocks woven through the landscape rather than separated from it.

This layout creates many movement corridors where roaming cats can travel: along the Helena River valley, through gullies and creeklines, around the edges of John Forrest and Beelu National Parks, and across bushy backyards and Land for Wildlife properties. A cat allowed to wander can move step by step from garden to verge to reserve, hunting small birds, bandicoots, lizards and frogs that use these same sheltered edges and trails.

Wildlife & habitats most exposed in Shire of Mundaring

• John Forrest National Park and the Helena Valley slopes – One of Western Australia’s oldest national parks, with jarrah–marri forest, granite outcrops, waterfalls and walk trails linking into the Helena Valley and foothills suburbs. These forests and rocky gullies support a wide range of bush birds, reptiles and mammals such as western grey kangaroos and small ground-dwelling fauna; roaming cats moving out from nearby streets and backyards can hunt along the same sheltered edges and creeklines.
• Beelu National Park, Mundaring Weir and surrounding forest – Jarrah forest, water catchment bushland and lookouts around Mundaring Weir provide habitat for nocturnal mammals, bush birds and hollow-nesting species, including cockatoos that rely on mature trees. Cats that roam from Mundaring and Parkerville into this forested fringe can put extra pressure on wildlife using understorey vegetation and fallen timber near tracks and picnic areas.
• Lake Leschenaultia and Chidlow bushland – A bush-fringed lake with swimming, camping and walking trails, known for its birdlife and wetland edges. Waterbirds, frogs and invertebrates use the shallows and reedbeds, while woodlands around the lake support honeyeaters, parrots and small mammals. Cats from nearby rural and bush blocks can be drawn to these damp margins, where hunting is easier and wildlife is concentrated.
• Local reserves, creeklines and trail corridors between townsites – Smaller nature reserves, drainage lines and walking and cycling trails (including former rail corridors) create “stepping stones” between the larger national parks and the Swan Coastal Plain. These vegetated strips support local native animals, birds, reptiles and frogs and are also convenient travel routes for roaming cats moving between backyards, parks and bush.
• Bushy backyards and Land for Wildlife properties – Many Mundaring residents maintain bush blocks or large gardens, and some properties are registered under programs such as Land for Wildlife. These areas can provide excellent habitat for local fauna when protected from threats, but free-roaming pet cats can quietly hunt within the same leaf litter, logs and low shrubs that wildlife depends on for shelter and food.

Common cat lifestyles in Shire of Mundaring

• Foothills commuters with roaming backyard explorers – In suburbs like Bellevue, Greenmount, Helena Valley, Midvale and Swan View, many households combine suburban blocks with nearby bushland, creeklines and the Helena River. Cats that spend part of the day outside can quickly slip through fences and into nearby reserves before or after their owners leave for work.
• Hills village cats moving between back fences and bush – Around Darlington, Glen Forrest, Mahogany Creek, Mundaring, Parkerville, Sawyers Valley and Stoneville, houses often back onto reserves, trail corridors or larger bush blocks. Cats given dusk and dawn freedom may range well beyond the immediate street, following tracks, firebreaks and fence lines into forested gullies.
• Rural block mousers and barn cats – In Bailup, Beechina, Chidlow, Gorrie, Malmalling, The Lakes and Wooroloo, cats are sometimes kept as mousers on small farms, equestrian properties and bush lifestyle blocks. When not contained, these cats can roam across paddocks, remnant vegetation and wetland fringes, hunting native rodents, reptiles and ground-foraging birds as well as pest species.
• Town-centre and highway-corridor cats – Around the Mundaring town centre and along major roads there are more compact blocks and busier traffic, but strips of vegetation, drainage lines and nearby reserves still create pathways into bush. Cats that are allowed to wander can cross roads and move into these spaces, facing risks from vehicles while also adding to pressure on wildlife.

Cat rules that apply across Shire of Mundaring

Across Western Australia, the Cat Act 2011 sets a baseline: pet cats must be microchipped, sterilised and registered with the local government, generally by six months of age. These state-wide responsibilities apply to cat owners in the Shire of Mundaring just as they do elsewhere, alongside identification and registration requirements when a cat is impounded or rehomed.

The Shire of Mundaring also administers its own Keeping of Cats Local Law and related policies. The local law’s objectives include controlling the number of cats kept on premises, promoting responsible cat ownership and reducing nuisance, and current guidance explains that one or two cats can be kept without a permit, while a permit is required for three or more cats. Detailed conditions – including any future changes arising from council reviews – are set out in the local law, local laws register and associated council decisions and should always be checked directly with the Shire. Any additional containment or curfew requirements beyond the Cat Act are not confirmed in the publicly available documents reviewed here.

The Cat Safety Network strongly recommends keeping cats contained at all times – indoors and in well-designed, cat safe outdoor spaces – even where only basic registration is legally required.

Suburbs within Shire of Mundaring

Each townsite and locality in the Shire of Mundaring will eventually have its own Cat Safety Network page, exploring how local streets, bushland and waterways interact with cat safety and wildlife protection.

• Bellevue (Foothills – shared with City of Swan) – Foothills suburb where residential streets meet Helena River corridors and access routes to John Forrest National Park.
• Greenmount (Foothills) – Escarpment suburb with bushland and trail access overlooking the Swan Coastal Plain.
• Helena Valley (Foothills) – Residential areas threaded around the Helena River, with riparian vegetation and nearby reserves.
• Midvale (Foothills – shared with City of Swan) – More urban foothills setting with transport links and pockets of creekline vegetation.
• Swan View (Foothills – shared with City of Swan) – Suburb adjoining John Forrest National Park and local reserves along the valley rim.
• Boya (Hills) – Steep, rocky Hills suburb with granite outcrops and bushland pockets between houses.
• Darlington (Hills) – Village centre nestled in forested gullies, with heritage streets, reserves and the Railway Reserves Heritage Trail.
• Glen Forrest (Hills) – Bush-suburban mix with generous blocks, trail links and nearby nature reserves.
• Hovea (Hills) – Low-density bushland setting close to national park boundaries and trail corridors.
• Mahogany Creek (Hills) – Linear community along the highway with forested slopes and creeklines nearby.
• Mount Helena (Hills) – Hills town with oval, reserves and surrounding mixed forest and rural lifestyle blocks.
• Mundaring (Hills) – Central Hills service town surrounded by bushland reserves, walk trails and larger blocks.
• Parkerville (Hills) – Village environment along former rail corridors and creeklines, with many bush-adjacent properties.
• Sawyers Valley (Hills) – Small settlement along highway and trail routes with nearby forest and reservoirs.
• Stoneville (Hills) – Bush blocks and family homes set amongst jarrah forest and local reserves.
• Bailup (Rural) – Rural locality with larger properties, bushland and creeklines.
• Beechina (Rural) – Sparsely settled area of bush, farmland and ridgelines.
• Chidlow (Rural) – Rural townsite closely linked with Lake Leschenaultia and surrounding bushland.
• Gorrie (Rural) – Heavily forested locality with limited development and transport routes through the bush.
• Malmalling (Rural) – Largely undeveloped forest and catchment land on the Darling Range.
• The Lakes (Rural) – Roadhouse, rural properties and forested areas at a key highway junction.
• Wooroloo (Rural) – Rural town and smallholdings with nearby bushland and creek systems.

A better life for cats in Shire of Mundaring

• Use well-built netting and secure runs to create cat safe outdoor spaces where cats can relax in fresh air without roaming into bush, reserves or along busy roads.
• Consider cat-safe fencing and balcony netting on houses that back onto reserves, trails or creeklines, so cats can enjoy views and sunshine while wildlife stays protected.
• Practise cat safing at home by closing off “escape routes” under fences, along rooflines and through sheds, and by providing covered outdoor litter trays so cats don’t seek out neighbouring gardens or reserves.
• Bring cats indoors overnight and at key wildlife activity times such as dawn and dusk, especially near forest edges, wetlands and creeklines where birds, mammals and frogs are most active.
• Enrich indoor life with climbing shelves, scratching posts, puzzle feeders and window perches with views of trees, so contained cats stay mentally stimulated and less likely to push to roam.
• Work with neighbours to share ideas for keeping cats safe and contained across whole streets or cul-de-sacs, reducing conflicts and helping local wildlife at the same time.

Useful links & references

• Our Communities and Suburbs – Shire of Mundaring
• Shire overview, location and key facts – Shire of Mundaring
• Backyard Biodiversity – Shire of Mundaring
• Local native animals – Shire of Mundaring
• Environment and sustainability guides – Wildlife of the Perth Hills resources
• Lake Leschenaultia – about the lake and opening hours
• John Forrest National Park – Explore Parks WA
• Beelu National Park – Explore Parks WA
• Responsible cat ownership – Shire of Mundaring
• Cat and dog registration – Shire of Mundaring