Concerns over EPA report into Bunbury Outer Ring Road continues

The Environmental Protection Authority released its report on October 25 which recommended the WA environment minister approve the project.

Main Roads WA proposes to construct the 10.5 kilometre route through the suburb of Gelorup.

The proposal goes through residential land as well as native forest that is the habitat for the critically endangered Western Ringtail Possum and Black Cockatoos.

The authority has recommended Main Roads would need to counterbalance the loss of 60.5ha of western ringtail possum habitat; and buy and protect about 179ha of existing habitat and create 220ha of new habitat.

Main Roads spokesman Dean Roberts said it was already looking at how it would acquire, protect and create new habitat to fit the authority's recommendation.

"Main Roads is currently determining the cost of the additional requirements," he said.

Gelorup Corridor spokesperson Debra Lim said it appeared the authority had "acquiesced" to Main Roads WA, the Premier and transport minister Rita Saffioti.

"...despite the overwhelming evidence to prove this route is socially, environmentally and economically unsustainable and the worst possible option," she said.

"The mitigation measures that have been recommended are known to be ineffective and no amount of offset will compensate for the loss of over 5000 trees including six of the biggest in their species and over 13 million tonnes of basalt."

An authority spokesperson told the Mail the environmental impact assessment process was rigorous.

They said the authority had to review public submissions and advice from relevant experts and agencies which took two years to complete.

"The EPA undertook extensive consultation with the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) in its assessment," the spokesperson said.

"Main Roads also involved a number of independent experts in preparing reports and information for the EPA's consideration.

"These included a number of high-calibre scientists with extensive experience in research and management related to western ringtail possum populations and ecology."

Non-profit organisation Fostering and Assistance for Wildlife Needing Aid president Susanne Strapp said they were not consulted about the project and what it would mean to relocate a whole habitat for possums and cockatoos.

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She has spent over 10 years with the organisation and said there was "very little proof that relocating possums didn't result in death".

"The possums currently lives in a native forest that has been around for thousands of years and their whole ecosystem will be destroyed," she said.

"They want to take a degraded area and make it a possum habitat - that is ridiculous, it isn't like for like."

The authority spokesperson said it published Main Roads' referral information for proposal for public review for seven days.

The EPA also published the proponent's updated Environmental Review Document on its website for public review for eight weeks.

The authority's report with recommendations is open for public appeal until November 15.

While the authority's report provides a green light for the project, the Shire of Capel council have put up another road block.

At the shire's ordinary council meeting on October 27, there was a unanimous decision to recommend the WA Planning Commission refuse Main Road's development application on the southern route of the Bunbury Outer Ring Road.

The officer's recommendation justified the position to refuse the application because:

The last recommendation was for council to ask the planning commission not to make a decision on the proposal before a decision was made on the Environmental Protection Authority's report was finalised by the environment minister.

In the officer's comment of the council agenda it noted how the application had a "deficient" amount of information.

The project application now sits with the planning commission.

Councillor Keiran Noonan raised another motion for council to ask the Shire to submit an appeal to the EPA on its latest report.

However this motion was voted down.

Main Roads spokesman Mr Roberts said it believed the application provided all the necessary information that was required to the planning, environmental and constructability aspects of the project.

"It should be noted that of all the local government authorities tasked with reviewing the development application, only Capel found any issues," Mr Roberts said.

"Many of the reasons given for refusal in the Shire's recommendation are incorrect as they refer to the Shire's Planning Scheme, which is not applicable to public works applications as these are dealt with under a regional scheme.

"Additionally, the vast majority of the proposed works will be located on land that has been reserved for Primary Regional Roads in the Greater Bunbury Region Scheme and therefore there is only a very small amount of land that is the focus of the application."