Coolbinia paths, patios and driveways, 12 km from our base
Coolbinia is a small suburb with big gardens, and that shapes the paving work. IBP Paving comes in from Landsdale, about 12 km away, to lay garden paths, entertaining areas and driveways, replace worn surfaces on older homes and install soakwells to the City of Stirling's criteria. We have been paving in Perth for over 20 years and every job carries a lifetime workmanship warranty.
A garden suburb named in 1953
Coolbinia was part of Mount Lawley until it was named in 1953. The City of Stirling describes it as designed on Ebenezer Howard's garden suburb principles, with green streets and low density dwellings, and the name is an Aboriginal word for mistletoe. With fewer than two thousand residents, it is one of the quieter pockets in the City.
Housing dates are not set down beyond the naming, but most homes are typically from the 1950s onward, on lots with room for lawn, beds and established trees. That makes Coolbinia less about the driveway alone and more about how paving joins the garden together. Meandering garden paths, a rear patio or alfresco that steps down to the lawn, and limestone paving that matches the softer palette of an older garden all work well on these lots. Where an original driveway or path has cracked beyond repair, a full replacement on a fresh base comes first, and we can tie it in with landscaping work at the same visit.
Green streets: verge paving and tree setbacks
The trees that line Coolbinia's streets belong to the City, and the City of Stirling's rules protect them. Two sets apply whenever paving reaches past the front boundary.
Verge paving needs prior approval. No more than one third of the verge, excluding the crossover and footpath, may be hardstand; it has to be kept 2 m from a street tree, and a verge with hardstand must include at least one street tree. A crossover is set back 1 m to 4 m from a street tree depending on trunk diameter, and street trees must not be interfered with.
In practice we plan the front of a Coolbinia job around the tree. A stepping stone path or narrow paved strip leading to the kerb usually fits within the one third limit, and the rest of the verge can stay as lawn or garden. If roots from a verge tree have already lifted your own path or driveway, our page on pavers lifted by tree roots sets out how we deal with it on your side of the boundary.
Source: City of Stirling, Verge Treatment Policy and Verge treatment guidelines; Crossover Policy.
Sand between two dune systems
Most of Coolbinia usually sits on the transition between yellow Karrakatta sand of the Spearwood dunes and grey Bassendean sand further east. Both are free draining. No wetland is named in the suburb and the water table is generally several metres down, so there is rarely a groundwater problem to design around. The main thing on a large garden lot is keeping paving bases separate from irrigated beds, so reticulation water does not wash sand out from beneath the edge pavers. Big gardens also mean big roots, so where the lot allows we place new soakwells well clear of mature trees and keep paving edges restrained with a concrete haunch.
Soakwells for a low density block
The City of Stirling requires all rain falling on the lot to be held there by soakwells or another approved system. Standard lots are sized for at least a 1 in 1 year, 60 minute storm, about 15 mm over the site: the roof and paving area in square metres times 0.015 gives the cubic metres needed. A Coolbinia home with 200 m2 of roof and 90 m2 of new paving needs about 4.35 m3. The minimum roof water soakwell is 900 mm in diameter and 600 mm deep, set at least 1 m from structures and boundaries. Our City of Stirling soakwell requirements page covers the detail.
Source: City of Stirling, On Site Stormwater Drainage Criteria (June 2024).
Bradford Glick Bushland, Menora and nearby suburbs
Coolbinia keeps a patch of native bush in the Bradford Glick Bushland Reserve, looked after by the Friends of Coolbinia Bushland group. Around it, we also service Yokine, Menora, Mount Lawley, North Perth and Joondanna. See areas we service for the full list.
