Photograph by Jean-Paul Horré (this page) & Kristina Soljo (opposite).
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N
o recent state-government decision has incited so much
anger in suburban Perth as the go-ahead for Roe 8. This
highway extension, part of the larger Perth Freight Link
project, was planned as a 5km dual-carriageway that would
ostensibly ease traffic congestion on the Leach Highway by
diverting heavy trucks more directly to the port of Fremantle.
Besides questioning the necessity of the $540 million project,
locals were incensed that the immediate casualty would be
the Beeliar Wetlands, an important part of the remaining
ecosystem in an area that’s seen decades of development.
Rachel Pemberton, a Fremantle local councillor and strong
advocate of creating liveable urban environments, says she
has never seen such an outpouring of local passion. Ordinary
people, many of whom had no prior involvement in public
protests, stood in the way of earthmoving equipment in
attempts to stop early assaults on the integrity of the
wetlands. Police have been called to the site numerous times,
including in early February, when 38 protesters (along with
Rachel) were arrested for civil disobedience after handcuffing
themselves to machinery.
The political bulldozer in this conflict, says Rachel, was an
obstinate and inconsiderate state government – led by the
recently deposed Liberal MP Colin Barnett – that revived
50-year-old plans to extend the highway. “The plans are now
out of date,” says Rachel, who claims residents’ very reasonable
demands for living space and respect for one of Perth’s last
natural habitats have been ignored.
“One of the key issues facing all Australian cities in the
future is to switch thinking,” says Rachel. “It is 20th-century
thinking to solve road congestion first without thinking more
deeply about the consolidation of urban planning, public
transport and a balance of open space. “[The Beeliar Wetlands]
are an incredibly unique asset in a suburban area,” says Rachel.
“They are precious to our community and it’s about time
consideration was given to other transport solutions.” #
ABOVEPolice watch on as protesters settle in for another sit-in against
the Roe 8 highway extension through the Beeliar Wetlands.