Shire of Capel council opposes planned southern route of Bunbury Outer Ring Road

The Council will instead support the staged construction of an alternative route for the Outer Ring Road that would see the existing portion of the Ring Road link up with Bussell highway along the existing Centenary Road reserve.

The alternative alignment would extend the existing middle section of the ring road down Centenary Avenue, past the Bunbury prison and along an existing road corridor to link up with the Bussell highway.

The alternative route would mean the road would not cut through the suburb of Gelorup.

The motion was moved by Councilor Kieran Noonan who referred to it as a 'legacy motion', placing emphasis on the type of Shire that would be left behind for future generations to come.

"The current plan that Main Roads is pursuing has major flaws in it. There are issues that were not apparent 50 years ago when the Outer Ring Road was planned," Cr Noonan said.

The stages proposed by Cr Noonan also included the completion of a light vehicle Inner Ring Road and a heavy vehicle Outer Ring Road.

Cr Noonan said the creation of a highway system with two major routes that connect Bussell Highway instead of one was an important, strategic position for the Shire to take.

"The proposed alternative route that I'm asking councilors to endorse and then have the CEO put forward meets a number of very important issues. This will allow for better heavy vehicle access to the port from the south and the south east. It's particularly important as the transport of lithium from the Greenbushes project is set to increase."

In his motion, Cr Noonan said the alternative route would remove the need to bulldoze bushland and preserve the Gelorup corridor.

"The Gelorup corridor has so much tourist potential. I know no other place in the world that has five trees from four different places in the world. In our Shire we have the worlds two largest Mistletoes. They're bigger than the previous known recorded Mistletoes in Busselton by 1.5 metres."

"Environmental tourism has increased dramatically in last 20 years and it will increase again when Covid is brought under control."

Shire of Capel President Councilor Michael Southwell seconded the motion and questioned why the Outer Ring Road which fundamentally goes around Bunbury, had to come through Gelorup.

"The other thing that people don't seem to realise is that when you set aside a road reserve for construction but don't actually build for 40 or 50 years, you get a lot of vegetation. To bulldoze now would be a great shame. This will be four lanes with a concrete barrier in between, squeezed through the Gelorup corridor. It will compromise the safety and standard of the road just to squeeze it through," Cr Southwell said.

"I'm very glad that Councilor Noonan has reminded us to stick to our guns because this is I think the defining issue of this Council since the last election."

"We have to stand as a Council and represent as we should the people of Gelorup who are being walked all over by this monumental travesty of a decision."

Councilor Kaara Andrew also agreed with the motion, stating that there was very little in history that was designed 50 years ago that is still in use today.

Councilor Sebastian Schiano voted against the motion and created a heated debate that saw the Council enter a committee.

"What Councilor Noonan's proposal does is take a problem that we have and shifts it away from the residents and the fauna and flora of Gelorup, and takes it to Boyanup to the doorsteps of our multigenerational farmers," Cr Schiano said.

In Cr Schiano's argument he drifted away from the motion and said how he had received mixed messages about how Gelorup residents felt in regards to the destruction of the corridor.

He added that the council didn't seem to want a freeway but was content with minesites setting up basalt rock reserves in the suburb.

The route proposed by Cr Noonan would not lock up the basalt rock reserves whereas Main Road's current preferred route through Gelorup would do so.

Cr Schiano argued that in the last council election the 150 word statements submitted by each Councilor that outlined their intentions, did not mention the Bunbury Outer Ring Road except for Cr Noonan's.

Cr Southwell talked over Cr Schiano at this point and said although Cr Schiano's comments were passionate, the comment about the 150 word statements did not comprise the entirety of a Councilor's campaign.

"A lot of furphies have been raised in your contribution, Cr Schiano," Cr Southwell said.

Councilor David Clews also chimed in and took offense at Cr Schiano's comments and said he was not a 'one issue' candidate.

"I've always been very clear in my opposition to the BORR. I'm disappointed that this has become personal and away from any relevant fact. It is almost offensive. Cr Schiano has reflected adversely on my character," Cr Clews said.

Cr Schiano debated back acknowledging that his comments were emotive only because he was talking about the lives of the Shire's residents.

"This has obviously triggered something in Councilors but this is what I've asked for us to represent as our position. The fact that we've come into committee is very unfortunate and to use this as an opportunity to create a punching bag for is appalling."

Cr Southwell moved to end the committee, asking Cr Schiano to confine his remarks to the issue at hand rather than the last election.

Cr Noonan was then invited for his closing remarks.

"Both times we have contacted Main Roads they have ignored our suggestions, so we need to use every avenue we can to send a clear message to the State and Federal governments that this is simply the wrong place. We want the road, but lets put in one existing infrastructure corridors that are already there. There's shorter amount of new road on this new proposal, so I would encourage councilors to support the motion," Cr Noonan said.

"We have an obligation to make sure that this road goes through the very best location it possibly can. This road will permanently shape the structure of not only the Capel Shire, but the entire greater Bunbury area."

The motion was voted evenly by a three to three vote, but was carried due to Cr Southwell's casting vote.