Saving the Beeliar wetlands - lessons for people who want to save the wetlands around Toondah Harbour

[Chris]

We are not the only people with wetlands under threat from development.
It can be instructive to understand the battles that are being fought elsewhere and perhaps to learn a bit about how various conservation groups argue their case.

So here is some information about the Beelier wetlands which are threatened by a major road development proposed by the WA Government and supported by the Abbott Government.

In Western Australia there have been long standing plans to put a road through the Beeliar wetlands, Last year the WA Government reignited these plans with a proposal to put the Roe8 highway through Bibra Lake and North Lake.
Some details including a basic map are available here:
http://www.bushlandperth.org.au/member-groups/4-south-of-the-river/73-save-beeliar-wetlands

WA Greens parliamentarian Lynn MacLarren has penned an article for the Guardian which says in part:

Today we can visit Beeliar wetlands and experience a taste of the stunning Western Australian wetlands that once extended along the Swan coastal plain. A rich tapestry of flora and fauna have made these wetlands their home but now face an uncertain future: successive governments have catastrophically failed to protect the native habitat which have earned Perth’s status as a biodiversity hotspot.

Less than 20% of these wetlands remain today. If we do not act now to conserve and protect these precious places, there will be nothing left for future generations.

A long standing threat to these wetlands is dangerously close to becoming a reality. A four lane, estimated 5km highway extension – proposed on and off for decades – has received financial backing by Tony Abbott’s federal government to the tune of more than half a billion dollars.

As revealed in Senate and State Estimates hearings through questioning by Greens MPs, the PM allocated this money without a proper business case, traffic modelling, or federal environmental and heritage assessment. He has done so despite the fact that appeals regarding the Roe 8 portion are still under consideration by the WA environmental protection authority. The number of people who opposed the project throughout the submissions process was substantial, with 3,200 public submissions demonstrating the strong long standing community opposition to the project. Over 160 appeals to the EPA decision are still under consideration.

Read the whole article here
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jun/17/saving-the-beeliar-wetlands-is-vital-we-cant-have-a-highway-destroy-it

here is a link to the Save Beelier Wetlands website:
http://www.savebeeliarwetlands.com/

And their facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/savebeeliarwetlands/