It has been a while since our last update.
Because of you, there have been some positive changes to the planned improvements at the Salt Valley and Sandplain Road intersections resulting in reduced clearing. This includes the reduction of the cleared area at Salt Valley and Sandplain intersections from 90 to 50 metres with a 4 metre instead of an 11 metre cut through the hill. It also looks as though we have saved the 420-year-old powderbark wandoo and a couple of its neighbours which is great news. The orchids near Dryandra Road apparently won't be touched on one side of the road, unfortunately, we have been unable to sway MRWA from destroying that patch completely.
However, what MRWA still have in their plans between Dryandra Road and Salt Valley Road is quite devastating - far exceeding what we saw at Jingaling Brook and therefore we are actively working on a case for less damaging designs.
SASTR met with Main Roads Western Australia (MRWA) representatives recently, including their new regional manager, Mohammad Siddiqui. At the meeting, SASTR team members walked through key road sites.
Apart from the modifications to the plans at Salt Valley/Sandplain Road and the bend near Dryandra Road, which will result in a small reduction in clearing, MRWA gave no indication that further modifications will be considered. Furthermore, MRWA seemed surprised that we were advocating for further changes. Given what they had been told in previous meetings, they should not have been surprised at our demands.
Just a couple of days ago, The State of the Environment Report documented evidence of accelerated deterioration in all areas studied, including habitat loss, species extinction, invasive species, and pollution of waterways and the atmosphere from mining and industry.
According to the report, over 100 species of Australian animals are either extinct in the wild or have been listed as extinct. Australia has lost more mammal species than any other continent, and its rate of species decline is one of the highest among developed countries. Introduced species, habitat destruction and clearing are the main causes.
The road modifications planned between Dryandra Road and Salt Valley Road will require the clearing of hectares of vegetation for a major road redesign not requested. The vehicle density is less on this stretch than it is closer to Perth, but the result will be an over-engineered superhighway, as can already be seen east of Jingaling Brook Road, which is only a fraction of what is planned to be cleared. Picture what we see now at Jingaling Brook but magnified: hectares of bush removed, trenches dug through hills, enormous excavations, and more overtaking lanes than the community requested (or currently needs).
Some see the loss of 56 hectares of vegetation as of no significance in the global picture, but our global situation is now so precarious that any loss, particularly of mature trees which cannot be replaced overnight by roadside plantings is unacceptable and this is not the only area MRWA plans to clear throughout this state’s roadworks.
Meanwhile, SASTR will continue to critically look at what is planned, particularly as it is portrayed on the MRWA’s simulated video (sastr.com.au/maps-impact) travelling along the new improved Toodyay Road. We continue to see a combination of unnecessary clearing and missed opportunities to improve the road at less cost to the environment.
Please share the petition and also conisder sending a letter of concern directly to Council, State and Federal environment Ministers and cc. MRWA.
We still fight.