Keane Road Development
The Friends of Forrestdale welcome and applaud the Minister’s decision to uphold the EPA’s recommendation to reject the City of Armadale’s proposal to extend Keane Road through Bush Forever Site 342 part of Jandakot Regional Park. This is a big win for conservation in general and of a very biodiverse site in particular. The Friends are grateful to all our friends and supporters for their support during the six-year campaign to stop the construction of the road. We now have to stop the Water Corporation from constructing a sewer pipeline in the same road reserve.
The Original Proposal
We welcome the release for public comment of the state Public Environmental Review for the proposed extension of Keane Road in Forrestdale, and encourage all supporters to submit comments.
The Friends of Forrestdale, in conjunction with local residents and other conservation groups, are opposed to the development of the road. The impact of this road on the Anstey-Keane damplands would be devastating with the following impacts:
- Habitat fragmentation
- Increased wildlife deaths from vehicle impacts
- Increased risk of introduced invasive weeds
- Degredation of the reserve
- Increased risk of pollution and rubbish-dumping
We agree with the comments made by Professor Stephen Hopper, Visiting Professor at the University of Western Australia, former Director of Kings Park and Botanic Gardens and of Kew Gardens, and an eminent botanist:
Ephemeral wetlands are a special favourite of mine. I have worked in particular on gnammas on granite outcrops since the 1970s, as well as being actively involved in rare flora conservation for damplands, and in helping securing Brixton St Kenwick as a reserve when I worked in CALM [now DPAW]. Such damplands are truly unsung biodiversity jewels of international significance, at risk from many perspectives. Perth itself is one of the most biodiverse cities on Earth, and its ephemeral damplands are at the sharp edge of conservation concern given their rarity and vulnerability. In this context putting a road through the Anstey-Keane damplands would be ill-advised indeed when suitable alternatives could be implemented.