Bush Not Bricks campaigners are cautiously optimistic that ¾ of the linkage, and most of Lemnos Street Bush, will apparently be saved!  The Post Newspapers broke the story on Friday. We are still awaiting official confirmation of the decision and details.

After a 4-year long campaign to save the entire linkage, it seems the Statutory Planning Commission (SPC) of the WAPC was listening and will knock back most of the development in the linkage, as proposed by LandCorp.

Although the best outcome would have been to safeguard and enhance the linkage in its entirety, we are satisfied that the southern patch of the existing bushland will not be cut up and there will be great potential to enhance this special place. The SPC was no doubt under pressure from LandCorp and private developers, who had their eyes on this prime real estate, and the State Government who was right behind the destructive plans.  So we are really grateful that the SPC had the integrity to apply its own policies which require that the linkage be saved and to reject LandCorp’s plan.

We would eventually like the zoning for the bushland, designated under the SPC’s decision as Public Open Space (POS), to be changed to a parks and recreation zoning or other conservation based zoning which would better protect it from future development.

 As mentioned in a previous update, we were disappointed with the outcome of the Legislative Council Committee inquiry that was undertaken as requested in our Parliamentary Petition.  We were not satisfied that the process properly investigated the issues that we raised, and we intend to pursue this via a complaint to the appropriate channels.

Thanks to everyone who has supported us: who had a role large or small, who signed our various petitions, who regularly protested outside the development site (Sharon et al), who came to the protests on the steps of Parliament House and outside the bushland, who wrote letters and emails to various Ministers and other Labor MPs, who wrote submissions to the Federal Government relating to the EPBC Act assessment and about the clearing permit and who formed the crowd for media events. And in particular to Max Hipkins, Mayor of Nedlands; the Honourable Alison Xamon MLA and her staff particularly Kirsten Richards; Heather Henderson – former Mayor of Subiaco: Penny Taylor, Mayor of Subiaco; Julie Matheson Subiaco Councillor; Councillors past and present on both Nedlands and previous Subiaco Councils who supported resolutions during the planning stages, that the bushland  should be saved and the linkage area not developed; to the Conservation Council of WA; to well-known conservationist Margaret Owen who was there in the trenches with us at every step, to scientists Ric How, Rob Davies, Bronwen Keighery for their knowledge and valuable scientific opinions, the Post Newspaper for publishing our letters and reporting that helped keep the issue in the public eye (reporters Lloyd Gorman and Ben Dickinson), and the unwavering support of the Urban Bushland Council and its indefatigable President Mary Gray.

Although we have lived and breathed this campaign for far too long, it seems it may have been worth it!

Yours Sincerely,

The organisers: Heidi Hardisty and Lyn Jennings