A last-minute legal challenge against the construction of a controversial bypass highway in WA’s south has failed in its bid to stop bulldozers from clearing native bushland.
Key points:
A Federal Court judge has dismissed a legal environmental challenge against the highway
At $1.25 billion, it is WA’s single most expensive road project
Clearing of native bushland is expected to resume today
On Friday, construction was halted at the southern and final leg of the $1.25 billion Bunbury Outer Ring Road when an eleventh-hour injunction was granted by the court.
But the court today agreed with government lawyers that the legal challenge “had no legs”, and dismissed the injunction, clearing the way for construction to resume today.
Judge Craig Colvin was not satisfied with the opponents’ legal argument about the legitimacy of the federal process Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek took to grant environmental approval.
Work to clear 71 hectares of native habitat for the road began last week, prompting protests from members of the local community who have said the impact on the critically endangered western ringtail possum would be too great.
At least five people were arrested for trespassing onto the site and locking themselves on to machinery and trees.
The court was told about 72 critically endangered western ringtail possums could perish as a result of the clearing and the road fragmenting their habitat.
During the court hearing, lawyers for the Friends of the Gelorup Corridor group attempted to pick holes in the ministerial approvals process.
Justice Colvin acknowledged the opponents to the project were concerned the damage to western ringtail possums, Carnaby’s black cockatoos and black strip-minnow would be too great if the project went ahead.
“It is difficult because of competing priorities,” he said.
But he said it was not for the court to decide on the merits of the environmental conditions for the project.
Justice Colvin noted the WA Solicitor General’s argument that delay to the project would be costly, and that work had been done to limit impact on possums, and there was evidence the possums would ‘relocate.’
Local group ‘devastated’ by ruling
The Gelorup group behind the legal action released a statement within minutes of the court’s decision, saying the group was “devastated” but would continue to fight.
A person wearing a giant possum costume at a July rally against the Bunbury Outer Ring Road.(ABC South West: Sam Bold)
“Our community has been strengthened and splintered by this action, and the enormous distress of watching our 400-year-old trees shredded through a woodchipper will now recommence,” the statement read.
It said the assertion impacts to the wildlife could be managed were “brutally wrong”.
“The federal minister still has it within her power, particularly in the light of this devastating news so early into the project, to halt all works and reassess. We hope she finds the will power to action this today.”
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President Biden seemed unfamiliar Monday with the specifics of the massive spending bill dubbed the Inflation Reduction Act that Senate Democrats passed Sunday, saying only that it funds healthcare “and God knows what else.”
Moments earlier, the president misstated the size of last year’s $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure spending law while touring flood damage in Kentucky.
“We’ve never done this before, but because of a number of things we got done on a bipartisan basis — like a billion, two hundred million-dollar infrastructure project — like what we’re doing today, we passed yesterday, helping take care of everything from health care to God knows what else,” said Biden, standing in front of a flood-damaged home on his first official trip since recovering from a “rebound” case of COVID-19.
“What we’re going to do is — we’re going to see, for example, they got to put a new water line in the community,” the president stumbled. “There’s no reason why they can’t at the same time be digging a line that puts in a whole new modern line for Internet connections. why? Why can’t we do that? So it’s going to be different. We’re going to come back better than before.”
As President Biden toured flood damage in Kentucky, he said that the Inflation Reduction Act recently passed in the Senate funds health care and “God knows what else.”AP
Biden spoke for only about four minutes, much of the time with his back to cameras as he looked around at buildings and people impacted by the recent flooding.
At one point in his remarks, the president — who turns 80 in November — suggested it may become possible to control the weather, before jokingly telling his destitute storm-ravaged audience, which included the commonwealth’s Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear and Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.), that it was time to “run laps.”
“We’re all Americans. Everybody has an obligation to help. We have the capacity to do this. It’s not like it’s beyond our control. The weather may be out beyond our control for now. But it’s not beyond our control,” Biden said.
Biden incorrectly stated the size of last year’s $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure spending law during his speech.REUTERSThe legislation passed Sunday contributes almost $400 billion for environmental programs to combat climate change. REUTERS
The Senate-passed legislation, which is expected to pass the House of Representatives as early as Friday, provides nearly $400 billion for environmental programs, including tax credits of up to $7,000 to buy electric vehicles, and roughly $64 billion to extend more generous COVID- 19-era Obamacare subsidies.
The spending is offset by new taxes on corporations, including a new 15% corporate minimum tax, increased IRS enforcement and allowing Medicare to directly negotiate drug prices.
A Federal Court injunction that halted the construction of a contentious $1.25 billion highway in Western Australia’s south has been extended, as an environmental legal challenge gets underway.
Key points:
At $1.2 billion, the road is WA’s most expensive
A last minute environmental challenge has been mounted in court
A halt on construction has been extended as proceedings enter a second day
Bulldozers began clearing bushland for the final leg of the Bunbury Outer Ring Road last week but work suddenly stopped on Friday afternoon when a local environmental group mounted a legal challenge, and an injunction was enforced.
Opponents say the road’s environmental and social impact is too great, but both the state and federal governments say the risks can be managed.
In the first day of proceedings, Justice Craig Colvin heard arguments for and against Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek’s approval of the project in late June.
Justice Colvin ordered a pause on construction must remain until midday tomorrow as the case enters its second day.
Possum species ‘might vanish’
Lawyer Angel Aleksov, representing the Friends of the Gelorup Corridor group, put forward a series of legal arguments he said proved the ministerial approval of the project had been unlawful.
That included a claim that much of the environmental mitigation plan the project’s approval rested on would not occur until much later.
He said by that stage, it would be too late for animals such as the critically endangered western ringtail possum, which “might vanish from this earth.”
Western ringtail possums are only found in pockets of WA’s south west.(Supplied: GeoCatch )
Mr Aleksov claimed Main Roads WA was working on an assumption that 9,000 western ringtail possums remained in the region but that “Wikipedia” showed there could be as few as 3,000 possums left.
I have conceded delaying the project was costly but said the cost “does not outweigh risk to species that might leave this earth”.
It was revealed in court the project had already been delayed from April to August, at a cost of up to $10 million.
“There are large financial ramifications, but there are very, very large environmental consequences,” Mr Aleksov said.
Lawyers argue all procedures followed
Both the Solicitor General of WA, Joshua Thomson, and Commonwealth lawyer Emrys Nekvapil argued all procedures had been followed and every measure taken to mitigate environmental damage.
Mr Thomson argued the Friends of Gelorup Corridor’s legal argument was not strong enough to grant an injunction.
“If so…why was it overlooked until this time?” he said.
The northern section of the Bunbury Outer Ring Road largely passes through cleared farmland.(ABC South West: Anthony Pancia)
Mr Thomson said if the project was stalled now, it would have to be delayed another seven months, due to the western ringtail possums’ breeding patterns.
He said there were major benefits to the completion of the Bunbury Outer Ring Road, including separation of freight and local traffic and economic benefits to the entire region.
“This must be weighed against bringing [the project] to a shuddering halt for seven months,” he said.
He said three western ringtail possums had been found dead due to predation during the past weeks’ clearing.
A tree taped off within the Gelorup road reserve that is marked for clearing to make way for the highway.(ABC South West: Asha Couch)
Mr Thomson said there were very strong steps in place to project animals including fauna spotters on site and GPS collars tracking the locations of possums at all times.
Mr Emrys Nekvapil, acting for the Ms Plibersek’s office, said there was “not a serious question to be tried”.
He said the plan to ameliorate or mitigate the impact on the environment was completely orthodox.
Justice Craig Colvin ordered court resume at 9.30am WST on Tuesday.
Bunbury bypass ‘not Roe 8’
Opponents of the road had likened its construction through the Gelorup corridor to the aborted Roe 8 highway project in Perth.
Land clearing for the six-lane freeway through the Beeliar wetlands had well progressed in the lead-up to the 2017 WA election.
The McGowan government had campaigned on canceling the $1.9 billion project, which they did almost immediately after winning the election.
Amid a large amount of community opposition, the McGowan government campaigned on canceling the Roe Highway extension which traversed the Beeliar Wetlands.(Supplied: Main Roads WA)
But speaking ahead of today’s hearing, Premier Mark McGowan said it was an incorrect comparison to make.
“They’re very different projects. Roe 8 and Roe 9 weren’t really necessary because the port was going to fill,” Mr McGowan said.
“Whereas a road around Bunbury will just save many lives and ensure that people’s commute between the south west and the city is much more efficient and quick.”
Mark McGowan said his government was committed to building the road.(ABC News: James Carmody)
Mr McGowan defended the project’s environmental merits.
“Look, it’s been through two rounds of environmental approvals,” he said.
“We’ve done everything we can to ameliorate the environmental impacts by offsets and other plantings and fauna initiatives costing many millions of dollars.
“I understand people’s concerns. We just want to get on and complete this project.”
Concerns for community, environment
The southern section of the road, which involves the clearing of 71 hectares of native vegetation, has received full state and federal environmental approvals.
Clearing on the southern section of the Bunbury Outer Ring Road was stopped after five days due to the court injunction.(ABC South West: Anthony Pancia)
In May, Environment Minister Reece Whitby said it was clear the proposal would have a long-term impact on the local environment, and noted the “uncertainty” as to whether the Gelorup population of western ringtail possums could recover in 10 or 15 years.
“It is accepted that 72 [western ringtail possums] will be lost from the area due to the permanent loss of habitat,” he said.
He said that environmental offsets to counterbalance the loss of habitat would include acquisition of land and revegetating other areas, including in nearby state forest.
The road has garnered bitter debate in the south west, with locals expressing concern it will split the suburb of Gelorup in two.
Main Roads has long said that the chosen route has the least environmental impact, compared to other options.
LIND, Wash. – After destroying 14 structures Thursday, the Adams County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) said the Lind Fire is now fully contained.
ACSO said the firefighter who was airlifted to Spokane is now home with his family and recovering.
Local crews are mopping up and monitoring hot spots.
Last Updated: August 5 at 10:30 am
In a statewide briefing, Washington Department of Natural Resource (DNR) officials said the Lind Fire is not yet contained but is “looking really good.”
DNR said firefighting progress is moving in the right direction and they are optimistic that there will be no more damage to structures.
Last Updated: August 5 at 8:30 am
All evacuations have now been lifted for the Lind Fire, after 14 structures, including six homes and eight other structures, were lost to a quick-moving wildfire. Officials say the fire is now contained and under control, but crews will work through the night to make sure it doesn’t spark back up.
State fire assistance was put in place to support local firefighters who are working to contain it. Ground and air support responded to the fire.
The fire started on the south side of the town and began approaching homes. Adams County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) and Washington State Patrol (WSP) crews are helping with evacuations.
WSDOT East
Highway 395 was closed in both directions as well as SR 21 but has since been reopened.
Update regarding the wildfire burning south of Lind: We have reopened US 395 in the area but our crews are on standby if the fire warrants a closure. State Route 21 is also open but be advised there are some low visibility areas.
The Red Cross was assisting displaced people at the Ritzville Elementary School.
#UPDATE: Just arrived at Ritzville Grade School, the evacuation site for those in Lind, which had a population of around 600 people. Shelter is about 20 min north of the front lines of the fire south of Lind.@KHQLocalNewspic.twitter.com/g7ANp5boke
An 11th hour Federal Court injunction has temporarily halted the construction of a contentious major highway project in Western Australia.
Key points:
The Bunbury Outer Ring Road is WA’s most expensive ever road project
Work to clear land for the road began this week, amid protests
But an 11th hour Federal Court injunction has temporarily halted work
Clearing of bushland to make way for the $1.25 billion Bunbury Outer Ring Road began this week to a chorus of backlash from local community members who say the highway will cause irreversible environmental damage.
The injunction issued late on Friday by the Federal Court of Australia prevents Main Roads and its contractors from conducting any more clearing work on the southern section of the road through the semi-rural community of Gelorup.
Clearing of the land, which sits on a 40-year-old road reserve, began on Monday following a visit to the site by former Greens leader Bob Brown.
Opponents had been campaigning for Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek to reverse her decision to sign off on environmental approvals, paving the way for construction to begin.
The Bunbury Outer Ring Road has cleared all environmental hurdles at a state and federal level.
The court order is in place until a scheduled hearing on Monday afternoon.
The injunction does not prevent work from continuing on the northern section, which has been under construction for months.
Main Roads would not comment on the injunction, other than to confirm work at the site had stopped until the court hearing.
Dr Sue Chapman is the vice president of local action group Friends of Gelorup Corridor.(ABC South West: Sam Bold)
Sue Chapman — a local resident whose name is on the court application — said it was a big win for the community.
“We are just so relieved, it’s been the most traumatic week watching the beautiful trees, just simply bulldozed, and wood chipped immediately,” Dr Chapman said.
“To finally feel like there’s a sense of reprieve. It’s just been overwhelming.”
premier backs road
Earlier this week, Premier Mark McGowan said his government would be building the road and the route had been planned for decades.
“The Bunbury Outer Ring Road is designed to save lives and to reduce the pressure on traffic going through Bunbury,” Mr McGowan said.
“It’s been in the plans for the South West for [more than] 30 years. Whichever route you choose, there would be some clearing.
“It’s designed to make life much better for people in the South West. We’ve actually done Bussell Highway as well — which lots of people were dying on as well — in addition to that project.
“So look, that’s the plan. We actually got full environmental approval, the whole range of offsets, that’s replantings, preserving possum habitat and the like.”
A map of showing the route of the southern section of the Bunbury Outer Ring Road.(ABC South West: Asha Couch)
WA Police said there had been very little enforcement required to maintain order at the construction site, despite several protesters being removed for trespassing.
Since Monday when land clearing began, there have been five arrests for trespass, four move-on notices issued and one court summons.
Main Roads said it understood there were a lot of emotions at play, and the community had a right to peacefully protest.
But it said it would call police when people accessed the construction site without authorization and put workers’ safety at risk.
Construction of the northern section of the road is well underway.(Supplied: Nearmap)
A WA Police spokesperson says “engagement has been very positive between protesters and police, including those who have removed themselves from machinery or trees when requested.
“We support any person who wants to protest as long as it is done lawfully and in an orderly manner.”
Infrastructure WA, the body charged with advising the Premier’s Department on the state’s medium and long-term infrastructure needs, has proposed overhauling road funding by eventually replacing the fuel excise with a road-user charge that also creates incentives to reduce congestion.
Key points:
Infrastructure WA has made 93 recommendations about the state’s future needs
The report aims to guide planning and investment for the next 20 years
The state government is required to respond within six months
The wide-ranging 20-year plan, Foundations for a Stronger Tomorrow, was tabled in State Parliament on Wednesday.
One of the 93 recommendations involves planning for the eventual transition from internal combustion to electric vehicles and how road infrastructure will be funded with the decrease of the fuel excise.
Nicole Lockwood, chair of Infrastructure WA, told Nadia Mitsopoulos on ABC Radio Perth that while the switch to electric vehicles would be “fantastic for the environment and climate change,” it also posed challenges.
“It does mean that the revenue source that comes from our fuel at the moment, that goes towards paying for our roads, will diminish over time,” she said.
“SW [the recommendation] is trying to find a mechanism where the government still has the ability to fund that infrastructure in a way that doesn’t disincentivize people from moving towards electric vehicles.”
EV tax coming in 2027
While the state government has already announced it will introduce a 2.5 cent per kilometer charge for EV’s from mid-2027, Infrastructure WA’s recommendation 58 goes further, proposing that WA work with other states to develop a nationally consistent road user charge that could influence driver behaviour. .
“The scheme has the potential to include vehicle mass, distance, location and time-of-day pricing elements,” the recommendation says.
Such a scheme could potentially charge different rates for road usage in peak hours, or differential rates for different roads.
Ms Lockwood says the report recommends looking at ways to influence congestion and road use.(ABC News: Andrew O’Connor)
“What we’ve said is, let’s design a mechanism that has flexibility, so that in time if we wanted to use those levers we could,” Ms Lockwood said.
“We saw it very starkly during COVID, when people were not using the roads during the day, at certain times suddenly we had huge amounts of capacity.
“In the future, when we can’t continue to build more lanes, we will need other mechanisms to be able to manage demand on the system.”
The proposal met with a mixed response from ABC Radio Perth listeners:
Mike: “Again lower socio-economic people who cannot afford to live close to work will pay the most, the system working to keep the gap between the haves and the have nots.”
Greg: “The state government is not incentivizing enough the use of electric vehicles. The proposed road tax is a major disincentive. The benefit to the environment is the major issue and there won’t be the gains there should be. We pay for our roads Mainly via our local government rates so EV drivers will be paying double if we get this bad policy.”
Cynthia: “Surely a toll on cars with only one occupant would make sense? Or a fast lane for cars with two occupants.”
While Max Light Rail was shelved in 2016, Infrastructure WA recommended future planning around light rail and rapid bus networks.(Supplied: PTA)
Planning for light rail mooted
The report also recommends the state government look again at the role of light rail and rapid bus transit in Perth’s public transport mix.
A previous plan to link Perth suburbs through the Max Light Rail network was shelved by the Barnett government in 2016, and the McGowan government has been focused on delivering its expansion of the heavy rail network, Metronet.
Ms Lockwood said a plan to link people across suburbs and between stations was still needed.
“We very much back the government’s commitments to Metronet and the heavy rail system, but what we see in the future is a need to look at the next tier of connection for the city,” she said.
“That mid-tier public transport system that links buses and other parts of the network into the Metronet network is really important.
“Part of that is about making sure that the [already identified transport] corridors are protected.
“We really have to think about the spaces we’ve got and how we use them… then the state government needs to then pull a plan together to map that out for the whole of the metro area,” she said.
The infrastructure report also recommended a new desalination plant at Alkimos, a whole-of-government emissions reduction target and a package to reform hospital emergency departments.
The WA Government has six months to respond to the report and is obliged by legislation to respond to each recommendation as well as provide an implementation plan for the ideas that it accepts.
The ACT government has today released its 2022-23 budget, setting out its spending for the coming year.
There are few surprises enclosed in the documents, with major announcements for health and housing already made in the past week.
But what the papers do reveal is an ACT economy that is thriving, despite outside forces continuing to threaten Canberrans’ hip pockets.
1. Things are better than we thought
First, the good news: the territory is faring better than expected.
In October last year, ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr delivered an economic update. An outbreak of the Delta variant of COVID-19 had forced a lengthy lockdown, leading to a $951.5 million deficit.
But, according to the budget papers released today, that position has improved, with the deficit now sitting at $580.4 million.
“The ACT economy has outperformed expectations, demonstrating resilience and flexibility in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and other adverse global and national events,” the budget papers state.
Today, Mr Barr, who is also the ACT’s Treasurer, credited that improved economic position largely to a surging population.
“Revenue has driven that improved situation, which is largely a reflection of the territory’s increased population,” he said.
The ACT economy’s recovery from the effects of lockdowns has been stronger than expected.(ABC News: Ian Cutmore)
But it’s not all good news — that boom in people also has a downside.
“The fact that our population has grown by nearly 90,000 people demonstrates that people want to live in Canberra,” Mr Barr said.
“And that explains why we have seen such strong demand for housing, such strong enrollments in our schools and pressure on our health system.”
And it’s that growth and demand that has guided much of the budget spending announced today.
2. Costs are going up, but the government says we can afford it
Some costs are expected to increase, including parking fees and gas bills.(ABC Everyday: Fiona Purcell)
Over the past two years, many costs have been mitigated or put on pause by the government to ease financial pressures brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
But those measures are gradually ending.
A pause on an increase to government paid parking is set to end, which means Canberrans will notice a jump in prices.
Home owners will also notice an increase in household rates of 3.75 per cent on average.
For homes, that means $111 more per year and, for units, an extra $67.
Other levies will also go up — the fire and emergency services levy by 3.25 per cent and the safer families levy by $5.
A trip to Access Canberra will also incur a greater cost, with car registration fees set to increase by $27.
One cost that won’t go up, however, is public transport fares.
Of course, the cost of living overall is being impacted by pressures further afield — the ongoing pandemic and the conflict in Ukraine having the greatest effect.
Weighing on many Canberrans’ minds is the announcement of yet another interest rate rise, but the ACT projects government Canberrans can weather the storm better than most other Australian jurisdictions.
“These effects are expected to be temporary, with the economy expected to continue to grow at 3 per cent over the coming years, supported by population, employment and wage growth,” the budget papers state.
While there are some relief measures outlined in the budget, such as a utilities concession increase of $50 for more than 31,000 low-income households, overwhelmingly, these are costs the government says most Canberrans are expected to manage well thanks to higher than average incomes.
3. The long shadow of COVID-19 remains
The ACT budget shows the risk COVID-19 still poses to the economy.(ABC News: Mark Leonardi)
Canberra is experiencing strong economic growth. And, as industry booms, there are a lot of jobs up for grabs.
But budget papers reveal China’s ongoing lockdowns to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 are having far-reaching effects, including on the ACT’s economy by limiting the arrival of workers.
And with Omicron sub-variants running rampant, this lack of workers is being felt especially harshly across the healthcare system.
The ACT government’s “upside scenario” in the latest budget papers assumes that these pressures will ease in the near future and the flow of migrants will increase steadily.
The government is also cautiously optimistic that the number of international students and tourists coming into the ACT will increase — two important revenue streams for the territory.
But the government’s optimistic budget forecasts have been wrong before and the potential risks posed to the ACT’s economy, from a myriad of external forces beyond the control of local government — including COVID-19, are also laid bare in the budget papers.
4. Another budget devoted to health
Health is a major part of the ACT budget, as the government aims to create more jobs and continue expanding the hospital campus.(ABC News: Penny McLintock)
Healthcare is, predictably, a major focus of this budget.
Record levels of COVID-19 patients, illness within the healthcare workforce, long emergency department wait times and a shortage of specialist doctors are not new problems for the government.
But how to solve them remains less of a sure thing.
The budget papers list a number of funding announcements—some already unveiled—aimed at addressing these issues.
$59 million has been set aside in the 2022-23 budget solely for the ACT’s COVID-19 response.
Further investments are also aimed at boosting the workforce, with plans to employ an additional 400 healthcare workers “ahead of schedule”, the budget papers reveal.
And with eight per cent of Canberrans surveyed reporting experiencing high levels of psychological distress in late 2021, the budget named mental health as an area of community concern.
As a result, $70 million will go towards mental health over four years.
There are few surprises in the budget spending, as the same projects that have been underway for some months continue to be funded.
This includes the Canberra Hospital master plan, which was launched late last year, and will see the existing facility expanded over 20 years.
5. A necessary debt, but cautious optimism
Chief Minister Andrew Barr said the ACT was accruing necessary debt in order to grow.
Throughout the pandemic, the government drove economic growth through infrastructure, and the zest for building shows no signs of slowing down.
Mr Barr said the government was prioritizing a few key areas as part of a $7 billion five-year infrastructure program — $1.4 billion in 2022-23 — including health, education, and emergency services.
“These are assets that will be enjoyed by generations of Canberrans,” Mr Barr said.
But they’re assets that come with a large price tag, with the ACT debt expected to grow from an estimated $4.9 billion to $9.8 billion over the next four years.
“They’re assets that we need to build now, and so it is appropriate to borrow in order to build those assets, and that the users of those assets over the decades and sometimes centuries ahead will make a contribution to that cost over time, Mr Barr said.
He said that debt was “sustainable” and would be financed largely through land releases.
The budget details plans for 30,000 extra dwellings in Canberra over the next five years.
But there’s no quick fix — at least, not in this budget — for the ongoing crisis in housing affordability and rental availability.
Residents opposed to a major highway being built through a community in WA’s South West have protested as bulldozers move in, with police intervening as people tried to block machinery.
Key points:
Protesters have disrupted the first day of clearing at the Bunbury Outer Ring Road
Former Greens leader Bob Brown rallied at the site, calling for work to be halted
The $1.25 billion Bunbury Outer Ring Road is WA’s most expensive ever highway
The $1.25 billion Bunbury Outer Ring Road will take traffic around WA’s second-biggest city to create a more direct route between Perth and the Margaret River tourist region.
After a lengthy environmental approvals process, fences were this month erected around a decades-old road reserve cutting through the semi-rural community of Gelorup.
More than 300 people gathered on Sunday afternoon to protest the road going through their suburb, which they say will devastate the local environment.
People protest the construction of the southern section of the road through their semi-rural community.(ABC South West: Ellie Honeybone)
This morning, bulldozers and excavators were on stand-by, with about 20 people turning up in the middle of a severe weather warning to protest.
At least one person was issued a move-on notice by police after refusing to move out of the way of machinery.
Bob Brown calls for road rethink
Former Greens leader Bob Brown addressed the crowd gathered on Sunday, calling for federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek to reverse her decision to clear the 200 hectares of woodlands.
Bob Brown urged construction work to be halted.(ABC South West: Sam Bold)
“This is an absolute utter disgrace if this goes ahead,” Mr Brown said.
“There’s alternatives, there’s open cleared areas where the proposed road could go but there’s no alternative to this woodland for these rare creatures that live in it.”
Mr Brown drew a link between the Minister’s National Press Club speech in which she detailed the degradation of Australia’s natural environment, due in part to sustained land clearing.
More western ringtail possums were surveyed in the road reserve than originally thought.(ABC South West: Sam Bold)
“You’re off to a bad start … and if you don’t get this right, if you don’t turn this around — like the possums in the way of the bulldozers — you won’t recover.”
WA’s Main Roads agency had considered an alternative route that would take the highway around Gelorup.
An environmental impact assessment found that while the original route would have a higher impact on the western ringtail possum, the alternative option would significantly impact on wetlands and endangered aquatic fauna.
Residents have vowed to keep fighting as the excavators move in.(ABC South West: Sam Bold)
Ms Plibersek said in a statement her approval required Main Roads to show it could “protect matters of national environmental significance” and “minimise the impacts of habitat fragmentation.”
She said an environmental offset strategy was also being prepared.
‘Rigorous’ environmental approvals
Main Roads WA has been bound by a strict set of environmental conditions to minimize impacts on the local flora and fauna — including the endangered Carnaby’s black cockatoo and western ringtail possum.
The road corridor has been preserved for more than 40 years and contains dense bushland.(ABC South West: Anthony Pancia)
A Department of Environment spokesperson described the process as “rigorous”.
The road being built is a significantly reduced version of the freeway-standard route initially planned.
A total of $852 million was budgeted for the Bunbury Outer Ring Road when it was announced in 2019, however, it was revealed earlier this year that figure had blown out to $1.25 billion.
A kangaroo within the road reserve set to be cleared over the next few weeks.(ABC South West: Asha Couch)
Despite that, four bridges that would have carried traffic over existing major roads have been abolished from the plans in order to save money in the face of rising construction and material costs.
It meant a promised 15-minute time-saving on the journey around Bunbury had been abandoned, as had the promise of a free-flowing freeway, with motorists instead having to negotiate roundabouts at key intersections.
Fences were installed around the road reserve in the past week.(ABC South West: Anthony Pancia)
Further cash injections had also not been ruled out, with the WA government’s upper house leader Sue Ellery telling parliament in May that additional funding would be sought if it were needed to deliver the project.
Main Roads said the road is set to be completed and opened to traffic by late 2024.
Construction is already well advanced on the northern section of the road.(Supplied: Nearmap)
Residents opposed to a major highway being built through a community in WA’s South West have protested as bulldozers move in, with police intervening as people tried to block machinery.
Key points:
Protesters have disrupted the first day of clearing at the Bunbury Outer Ring Road
Former Greens leader Bob Brown rallied at the site, calling for work to be halted
The $1.25 billion Bunbury Outer Ring Road is WA’s most expensive ever highway
The $1.25 billion Bunbury Outer Ring Road will take traffic around WA’s second-biggest city to create a more direct route between Perth and the Margaret River tourist region.
After a lengthy environmental approvals process, fences were this month erected around a decades-old road reserve cutting through the semi-rural community of Gelorup.
More than 300 people gathered on Sunday afternoon to protest the road going through their suburb, which they say will devastate the local environment.
People protest the construction of the southern section of the road through their semi-rural community.(ABC South West: Ellie Honeybone)
This morning, bulldozers and excavators were on stand-by, with about 20 people turning up in the middle of a severe weather warning to protest.
At least one person was issued a move-on notice by police after refusing to move out of the way of machinery.
Bob Brown calls for road rethink
Former Greens leader Bob Brown addressed the crowd gathered on Sunday, calling for federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek to reverse her decision to clear the 200 hectares of woodlands.
Bob Brown urged construction work to be halted.(ABC South West: Sam Bold)
“This is an absolute utter disgrace if this goes ahead,” Mr Brown said.
“There’s alternatives, there’s open cleared areas where the proposed road could go but there’s no alternative to this woodland for these rare creatures that live in it.”
Mr Brown drew a link between the Minister’s National Press Club speech in which she detailed the degradation of Australia’s natural environment, due in part to sustained land clearing.
More western ringtail possums were surveyed in the road reserve than originally thought.(ABC South West: Sam Bold)
“You’re off to a bad start … and if you don’t get this right, if you don’t turn this around — like the possums in the way of the bulldozers — you won’t recover.”
WA’s Main Roads agency had considered an alternative route that would take the highway around Gelorup.
An environmental impact assessment found that while the original route would have a higher impact on the western ringtail possum, the alternative option would significantly impact on wetlands and endangered aquatic fauna.
Residents have vowed to keep fighting as the excavators move in.(ABC South West: Sam Bold)
Ms Plibersek said in a statement her approval required Main Roads to show it could “protect matters of national environmental significance” and “minimise the impacts of habitat fragmentation.”
She said an environmental offset strategy was also being prepared.
‘Rigorous’ environmental approvals
Main Roads WA has been bound by a strict set of environmental conditions to minimize impacts on the local flora and fauna — including the endangered Carnaby’s black cockatoo and western ringtail possum.
The road corridor has been preserved for more than 40 years and contains dense bushland.(ABC South West: Anthony Pancia)
A Department of Environment spokesperson described the process as “rigorous”.
The road being built is a significantly reduced version of the freeway-standard route initially planned.
A total of $852 million was budgeted for the Bunbury Outer Ring Road when it was announced in 2019, however, it was revealed earlier this year that figure had blown out to $1.25 billion.
A kangaroo within the road reserve set to be cleared over the next few weeks.(ABC South West: Asha Couch)
Despite that, four bridges that would have carried traffic over existing major roads have been abolished from the plans in order to save money in the face of rising construction and material costs.
It meant a promised 15-minute time-saving on the journey around Bunbury had been abandoned, as had the promise of a free-flowing freeway, with motorists instead having to negotiate roundabouts at key intersections.
Fences were installed around the road reserve in the past week.(ABC South West: Anthony Pancia)
Further cash injections had also not been ruled out, with the WA government’s upper house leader Sue Ellery telling parliament in May that additional funding would be sought if it were needed to deliver the project.
Main Roads said the road is set to be completed and opened to traffic by late 2024.
Construction is already well advanced on the northern section of the road.(Supplied: Nearmap)
In the push to decarbonise Australia’s economy, much has been made of the need to transition to electric cars.
But advocates say there is a much cheaper and greener EV to consider — the electric bike.
While you will likely have to go on a 12-month waiting list and come up with at least $40,000 to buy a new electric car in Australia at the moment, you could get a two-wheeled vehicle with a battery that costs less than 10 cents to charge, remove easily.
Chris Jones, president of the Australian Electric Vehicle Association, says many of us have forgotten that bikes are a form of transport, and often see them as simply for fitness and recreation.
Chris Jones says EVs on two wheels seem forgotten by policy makers.(ABC Radio Perth: Emma Wynne)
“It’s a bit sad that this humble, very efficient, highly affordable electric vehicle is often overlooked,” Dr Jones said.
“I think a lot of people, especially in Perth, have always viewed bicycles as toys or recreation; they’re very rarely viewed as transport.”
But that is rapidly changing.
“[E-bikes] are the most abundant EV on the market right now. E-bikes are outselling electric cars 10 to one,” he said.
They range from about $1,200 to convert an existing bike to an electric motor and from $2,000 to $3,000 for a factory-built e-bike, and the running costs are “negligible”.
“The battery on my e-bike is about half a kilowatt hour. Based on Synergy [WA’s energy retailer] rates, that’s anywhere between 3.5 and 7 cents to fully charge the battery,” Dr Jones said.
‘You’re halfway there before you know it’
In the Perth hills, we met Andy, who had ridden his bike into the Kalamunda town center to do some shopping.
He bought his e-bike second-hand six months ago after his license was suspended and said it had been a practical replacement for the car, and one he planned to keep using even when he got back behind the wheel.
“It’s more fun riding to the shops and getting around than getting in the car and driving in traffic,” he said.
“And I haven’t had to worry about fuel, so that’s been good, especially with the price of fuel now. You get the pick of the parking spots.”
Andy got his e-bike six months ago, and says it is more convenient for short trips than driving.(ABC Radio Perth: Emma Wynne)
He has used push-bikes and motorbikes before, but the thing that surprised him most about the e-bike was just how easy it was to get around.
“It’s easier than walking out to the car and jumping in and all that turning it on and getting on the road,” he said.
“You’re halfway here before you know it.”
But it has highlighted for him the gaps in cycling infrastructure in his neighbourhood.
“The paths could be better, that’s for sure. I wouldn’t have picked up on that before.”
Removing barriers to riding
While there is nothing that an e-bike can do differently to a pedal-powered one, the powered motor removes barriers to cycling for trips where people would otherwise use their cars.
An electric motor takes away a lot of the difficulty in riding up hills.(ABC Radio Perth: Emma Wynne)
It is also attractive to people who want to ride but don’t have the fitness or desire to work up a sweat, but want to keep riding, according to Henry Shiel, who works at Fremantle e-bike shop Solarbike.
“We see people who, for example, want to commute a relatively short distance, but don’t feel that they want to work up too much of a sweat,” Mr Sheil said.
“The electric bike is like having a little helping hand pushing you along, you still make some effort, but you don’t work up the same sweat otherwise.
“In addition to that, quite a few parents drop their kids off to school with the bikes.
“We also have people who are older, or people who have lost perhaps a sense of balance, maybe after a little medical episode.”
.Henry Shiel repairs an e-bike wheel. (ABC Radio Perth: Emma Wynne)
He said the shop recently sold an electric tricycle to a young man with a disability.
“He can go out with his family and keep up with them, and his father has told me that it has really been a huge benefit to the young man in terms of his independence.
“And there’s definitely a portion of people who have decided to eliminate the car, for the cost and the environmental impact.”
Planners says encouraging people to ride rather than drive will be crucial.(ABC: Emma Wynne)
While most e-bikers choose to pedal while assisted by the motor, they do often come across the attitude that having a motor to assist is somehow cheating or failing to give them the full exercise benefit from cycling.
“I absolutely reject that,” Mr Sheil said.
“I found that [having the motor] meant that I used the bike on days that I otherwise might have gone: ‘Oh, it’s too windy, it’s too rainy, it’s too hot’ and taken the bus, or driven or something else.
“Whereas with the e-bike, I found that I actually use the bike a lot more, and therefore my aerobic fitness, felt the benefit of that.”
Reducing car use crucial to emission reduction
Removing that temptation to just jump in the car is vital if Australia is to achieve a net zero emission target, according to Courtney Babb, senior lecturer in urban and regional planning at Perth’s Curtin University.
“As part of the move towards net zero, we need to move people out of cars and to reduce car use,” Dr Babb said.
“There’s a focus on electric vehicles as doing that, and reducing our emissions that way, but that’s not going to be enough, we actually have to reduce car use.”
He says there is good evidence that e-bikes did that.
“Research shows e-bikes replace 20-80 per cent of trips in different cities around the world, with the cycling-friendly cities having the higher rates,” he said.
A bicycle boulevard in a “safe active street” in Perth’s northern suburbs.(ABC News: Gian De Poloni)
He noted since the start of the COVID pandemic, there had been a growth in sales of both bikes and e-bikes, but there were still barriers, and one of the key ones was cycling infrastructure.
“One of the main drivers for people to cycle is having safe cycling environments,” Dr Babb said.
“We have a very good primary cycling network [in Perth]although it could also be better.
“But what’s missing is a lot of the secondary links… cycling on local streets and roads in general is considered unsafe.
“The United Nations recommends that about 20 per cent of transport budgets are dedicated to active transport, and I think about 2 per cent of ours is.”
Extending EV subsidies to mooted bikes
A number of Australian states and territories now offer subsidies and rebates to buy electric cars.
Dr Babb suggested governments could look at extending that financial support to e-bikes as well.
“I think if the government was serious about de-carbonising transportation, but also addressing some of the issues associated with a very car-focused, car-dependent transport system, we need to think about solutions other than just electric cars and providing subsidies for people for e-bikes might be one way of doing that,” he said.
“Even with a subsidy or a rebate for an electric vehicle, they’re focused on people who are on the wealthier end of the spectrum.
“With e-bikes, you can maybe address people who don’t have that much money to spend on an electric car and also substitute a lot of those trips within that 15-kilometre catchment where they live.”
There are calls to extend subsidies and rebates to e-bikes.(ABC News: Gian De Poloni)
Chris Jones agrees.
“I think the fact that really efficient two-wheeled electric transport has been completely overlooked by the various schemes that are in existence is quite disappointing,” he said.
“I think governments often forget just how cheap e-bikes are as a transport option.”
