WA environment minister approves EPA recommendations on southern section of Bunbury Outer Ring Road

A ministerial statement was published and sent to Gelorup residents on May 31 showing the WA government had approved the Environmental Protection Authority's and appeals covenor's recommendations on the route.

The Bunbury Outer Ring Road has become a billion dollar infrastructure investment by both state and federal governments.

Construction of the road has already begun in the northern section which starts around Paris Road off the Forrest Highway.

The southern section proposes to split through the semi-rural suburb of Gelorup and clear 71 hectares of land.

Many Gelorup residents have been opposed to the development and have pushed for an alternative route which they say has a smaller environmental impact on endangered flora and fauna.

The EPA received 170 appeals to its recommendations which led to an appeals convenor developing a separate report.

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The appeals convenor mostly agreed with the EPA's recommendations and added more offsets to be made to ensure the endangered animals would survive.

The Friends of the Gelorup Corridor group released a statement on Monday June 6, saying they will continue to fight against the route.

"Our community will not rest until we have exhausted all available avenues to stop this environmental vandalism," they said.

The statement criticises WA environment minister Reece Whitby for not visiting the area and talking to the residents as well as promoting the state's native vegetation policy while approving the clearing of land for the outer ring road at the same time.

"Without ever visiting the area, he has pushed the Critically Endangered Western Ringtail Possum and Black Cockatoo species closer to extinction, by wilfully bulldozing high quality habitat for breeding and foraging," the statement reads.

A state government spokesperson said the EPA undertook a "rigorous and independent assessment" of the southern route.

"On the Environment Minister's behalf, the Appeals Convenor investigated all of the appeals. In doing so, the Appeals Convenor visited the site and met with the appellants," the spokesperson said.

The southern section is still being investigated under Commonwealth's Environmental Protection and Biodiversity and Conservation Act which if recommends the project's approval, will seal the deal on the last piece of the highway.