This article was originally published here
Hailing from Perth and growing up going to school across the road from the now threatened Beeliar Wetlands, myself and a large community around Perth have been protesting and campaigning against the construction of the controversial Roe 8 Highway. Home to thousands of species, including many critically endangered species such as the iconic Red-tailed Black Cockatoo, the destruction of the wetlands and tens of local properties will have a devastating impact on the community of Western Australia’s popular tourist town, Fremantle.
Since arriving in Perth for the Christmas holidays, I have witnessed protesters chaining themselves to gates and bulldozers, causing road closure and prolonged delays to the destruction of bushland. This is something that, for those of you who don’t know Perth, is pretty rare. So with this in mind, seeing the people of this city out in huge numbers putting their bodies and livelihoods on the line, you can understand how significant this really is.
According to reports, Up to $40,000 per day is being spent sending police to the site to try and deter protesters. If the road goes ahead the state government’s $1.9 billion Perth Freight Link project will be used to transport heavy freight to the ageing Fremantle Port. However, for the likes of Environmentalists, Indigenous groups and local communities the work on this highway is absolutely devastating. Yet, despite the people of Perth’s very clear message, premier Colin Barnett is still belligerently blundering onwards with his decision to go ahead with the project.
Last week the protest group Save Beeliar Wetlands tried to challenge the State Government’s environmental approval for the road but were unsuccessful. The Conservation Council of WA stated that the environmental approval of the Highway should be trashed, after it was revealed that the environmental approval given by the State Government would probably be found invalid if challenged, because several board members of the EPA were deemed to have a conflict of interest.
According to CCWA director Piers Verstegen, “the conflict of interest needs to be laid on the public record so it can be investigated, what people don’t realise is the highway has been assessed three times by the EPA and knocked back twice on environmental grounds. The last time they assessed it was apparently when it was the subject of the conflict of interest”.
Amongst other travesties and loss of community, purely the history of the wetlands holds huge weight as to why the destruction should not be going ahead. The lakes are host to many sacred burial and birthing sites and were a centre of activities for the Swan Coastal Aboriginal people, the Noongar.
According to Save Northlake the area, “…is associated with the mythology of the female Waugal which is part of the Aboriginals’ need to respect special places to ensure harmony in the world.” The waterholes and springs around the bushland were known as the place of ‘spirit children’ and thus were a centre for birthing. The nearby high grounds in the wetlands have been used as burial grounds for thousands of years. A site that should not be razed to the ground with bulldozers and covered in concrete and bitumen. Currently the lakes remain significantly important to the Aboriginal people, and are thought to be one of the most significant sites within the Perth metropolitan area. We wouldn’t do that to our memorial sites would we?
What seems to not be making sense to me though, as I walk down the dusty path on this 42 degree day, where families have set up camp and children run around with painted faces whilst their parents take shifts holding signs and working tirelessly to defend the lands, is why Colin Barnett’s big idea is so great when alternative solutions are staring him blankly in the face.
And it’s not just the community that are opposing the highway, Labour and the Greens have both criticised the project. Arguing that Roe 8 and the Freight Link are a waste of money as well devastating for the area which would destroy habitat of endangered animals. This isn’t the first time there has been a push for Roe 8. Footage has recently re-emerged from a news report in 1984 where protestors are seen standing in front of the moving bulldozers trying to clear the wetlands.
In fact the EPA have conducted assessments in 1978, 1998 and 2004 and all concluded that the Roe 8 Highway should not go through the Beeliar wetlands. So when the approval in 2013 came, the community were caught in confusion, some of whom have been protesting to converse the wetlands for over 30 years.
Whilst Barnett is determined to see this road go through before the state election in March, protesters and campaigners are determined to stay, myself included. What needs to happen now more than ever is nation wide support. I am sure if there is enough of us on the front line Barnett may just get a dose of people power and realise we are willing to stand up for what is right. If we can learn anything from recent events at Standing Rock, it is that community and people can make a difference.
Maile Shanti 