Following several months of community consultation, environmental studies and local protests the existing road reserve through Gelorup has been selected for the southern alignment of the Bunbury Outer Ring Road.
The State Government announced the decision yesterday with Transport Minister Rita Saffioti acknowledging the uncertainty caused in the community by the process.
Bunbury MLA Don Punch said he supported the decision following the consideration of complex factors to determine the best route overall.
"While it is inevitable with a project of this size that some people will be unhappy with the outcome, I believe the right balance has been struck," he said.
Following community consultation a number of changes to the preferred alignment were made including moving the Gelorup connection from Hasties Road to Centenary Road and the protection of a locally valued large tuart tree.
Ms Saffioti said 36 property owners would be impacted by the alignment selection including six landowners due to protecting the tuart tree.
Created in response to the project, Greater Bunbury Community Group founding member Brian Rettinger described the decision as extremely disappointing.
"For the residents of Gelorup, their lives have been put on hold for more than a year, which is totally unfair," he said.
"The community is being isolated by progress being made on the BORR and alignment designs."
Impacted land owner Glenys Malatesta said she was disgusted with the decision and that Rita Saffioti had not come down to see what would happen.
A Friends of the Gelorup Corridor spokesperson said the announcement had sparked outrage.
"We are outraged at the governance that has allowed this to happen and will continue to fight vigorously whilst the proposal remains in place," they said.
"Walking the corridor it is plain to see how unsuitable it is for a major highway and we are certain that the outcome would have been different if the decision makers actually viewed the area."
The project will be subject to further project development and design before an alignment is referred to State and Federal environmental regulators.
Construction is expected to begin at the end of 2020.
