A fourth Medicare Urgent Care Clinic (UCC) for Western Australia has been confirmed at Lagoon Medical Centre in Yangebup that will support Beeliar and surrounding areas the clinic will provide treatment for urgent illnesses and injuries requiring same day assessment for people who may otherwise have visited an emergency department be open seven days a week and accept walk in patients Seven clinics will be located in Western Australia with the following opening earlier this year: The process for establishing UCCs in Midland and Broome is currently underway All clinics will be in located in existing facilities such as general practices and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services They are part of a national Australian Government initiative to establish 58 Medicare UCCs nationally timely and affordable health care to thousands of Australians WA Primary Health Alliance is coordinating the EOI processes and supporting selected practices to establish their clinics Find out more about WA’s Medicare Urgent Care Clinics. WA Primary Health Alliance acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the country on which we work and live and recognises their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our respect to them and their cultures and to Elders both past and present. Trees have been cleared as part of the Roe 8 extension but the globally recognised Perth wetlands may yet avoid destruction • Carmen Lawrence: Perth Freight Link shows business-as-usual awarding contracts to firms with a chequered past Carmen Lawrence: Perth Freight Link shows business-as-usual awarding contracts to firms with a chequered past The extension – known as Roe 8 – has been fought by community groups in the courts and is opposed by the local council and state Labor and Greens politicians. The demolition work has been delayed by protesters who have locked themselves to equipment, and expressed their anger with a 1,000-strong demonstration in the city. “They have bulldozed right through the woodlands and about halfway into the wetlands,” says Danielle Brady, an academic who lives in Perth, and a member of the Save Beeliar Wetlands community group. There were 38 arrests at protests on Monday, which delayed the work, but Brady says she thinks the bulldozers have made up for lost ground since then. “They went twice as hard bulldozing yesterday.” Concerned community members protested at the site again on Wednesday. A Fremantle resident, Sue Foster, says there were about 300 protesters and 60 police. Read more“The community has rallied again this morning,”Foster says dads.” Foster says some protesters locked themselves onto equipment again Foster says bulldozers cleared some old melaleuca trees But other bulldozing was delayed by protesters chaining themselves to equipment and others climbing trees The Beeliar wetlands are an important habitat for threatened species including the Carnaby’s black cockatoo and the forest red-tailed black cockatoo Western Australia’s Environmental Protection Authority concluded in 2013 that the development would have “significant residual impacts to the environment” including habitat loss for those two species Bulldozer continues working 10m away from 3 women locked on in barrels. STOP WA Liberals STOP NOW. STOP bulldozing! #noroe8 #wapol pic.twitter.com/ZVYmh3fiwN And despite evidence of Indigenous heritage in the bulldozer’s path, with artefacts found dating back 6,000 years, the site was deregistered asan Aboriginal heritage site and the state’s Department of Aboriginal Affairs reversed its opposition to a proposed freeway Foster says while the area has now been permanently damaged if the construction of the highway is stopped some recovery will be possible For many people who have been introduced to the Roe 8 toll road and the Beeliar Wetlands via their recent nightly news they might be wondering what all the fuss is about But hidden under the surface of the newspaper reports and two minute news bulletins is a story that would shock most Western Australians The truth is that there is much more at stake than many people realise This is an issue that could threaten the future of all West Australians and all of us should be taking action the area around the Beeliar Wetlands is one of the last remaining remnants of an ancient and endangered ecology that exists nowhere else on Earth the area is incredibly sacred to Aboriginal people and contains Indigenous Heritage that pre-dates the Pyramids it is well loved by local people seeking to enjoy nature - and get fit.Yes there are far better alternatives for freight and passenger transport that will yield more permanent jobs and reduce costs to motorists and taxpayers the 24-hour exposure to toxic diesel emissions from the toll road will permanently affect the health of children and communities in its path especially when the trucks get stuck in lengthening  queues once they leave the highway.And yes the lack of a credible business case and the $1.7 billion dollar price tag for taxpayers at a time of spiraling debt and deficit is economically reckless in the extreme these reasons alone are enough to motivate an act of protest as we have seen over recent weeks with a diverse range of community groups joining six councils to vehemently oppose the project.But this battle is actually far bigger than that Wherever you live – if you drink water and breathe air if you eat food and if you enjoy the natural environment then your future is threatened by this project That’s because if it is allowed to go ahead unchallenged it will open the door to far greater damage to our environment and communities across the State.To understand why we need to go back to the court cases where a community group challenged the environmental approvals granted by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) and WA Environment Minister Albert Jacob I stood in the court with Kate Kelly from Save Beeliar Wetlands to hear the ruling so many were dreading During the hearing it was confirmed again that due process was not followed by the State Government the EPA and Minister had to ignore important environmental policies and procedures the State Government lawyers never contested this point.Despite this the Court found in favor of the government on a technicality ruling that our environmental laws do not actually compel the EPA and Minister to comply with their own policies The most recent attempt to block clearing in the courts met with a similar result the view taken by the Judge was that no independent or evidence-based test is required to demonstrate that the environmental conditions set by the Federal Environment Minister are actually complied with by the State Policies and conditions provide safeguards that are there for a reason and to generally maintain a healthy environment and the clean air and water that we all depend on And in most of these areas the buck stops with the State Government – there is no other line of defense No other responsible party to step in.Our inadequate laws may have rendered the courts powerless but as citizens and members of a community we all have a right and responsibility to act where we see wrong especially when it threatens our wellbeing.The alternative is unthinkable.If we stand by as a community and allow the Roe 8 toll road to go ahead unchallenged then we create a very dangerous precedent To do so would be to give the State Government a license to disregard every environmental policy ever written for whatever purpose the Government chooses.The significance of making a stand on this does not end there It also goes to the motivation behind the Government's decision to begin destroying this most ancient threatened ecology just before an election For the timing and nature of this decision reveals that it is not - as the Government would like us to think - about a critical piece of transport infrastructure.Hard as it is to fathom we must understand that the targeting of the beautiful Coolbellup bushland is a highly deliberate act of malicious environmental damage calculated to serve the political objective of a government desperate to hold on to power.The Government wanted to demonstrate before the election that they are 'getting on with the job' of building the toll road - making tough decisions and getting things done The Liberal party know this will come at the cost of local votes in the progressive-leaning seats of Fremantle and Willagee The political bargain they are hoping to strike is that commencing works will win support in other key seats they desperately need to retain government They hoped to draw out the community and provoke confrontation with their provocative actions and extraordinary police mobilisation knowing that it would appear on TV news night after night as a reminder of the Barnett Government’s ‘can-do attitude’ and a very welcome distraction from the other issues plaguing the Government This may yet turn out to be a fundamental miscalculation because it relies on a degree of ignorance in the electorate that will be difficult to sustain.No matter what your political persuasion seeing a government engage in deliberate and unnecessary acts of environmental damage and setting a dangerous precedent that threatens our future - simply for the sake of its own short-term political agenda is not something that will inspire confidence in voters There are many ways you can support the campaign to save the Beeliar Wetlands and maintain the integrity of our environmental policies and laws here in Western Australia People all over the State are contacting their Members of Parliament and political candidates writing letters and donating to support the campaign Your donation is urgently needed now to fund community outreach efforts to  mobilise thousands of voters to show their support for the Wetlands © 2023 Conservation Council of Western Australia Except where otherwise explicitly authorised any material on this website that may be construed as electoral material or an electoral matter under any state or commonwealth law is authorised by Mia Pepper The Western Australian State Government is under intense community fire for allowing preparatory work to begin on the controversial Roe 8 Highway extension which would irrevocably damage the Beeliar Wetlands between North and Bibra Lakes before a High Court hearing on the issue takes place on December 16 In a shocking provocation to the community just weeks before this hearing and only months before a state election the Barnett government has sent in contractors under the “supervision” of a strong police contingent to begin the destruction of bushland near the Beeliar Wetlands Temporary fencing has been erected with an intention to trap Quendas and other fauna to be relocated to make way for clearing It is known that the survival rate of relocated animals is very poor so even these preliminary works are a serious environmental crime The response from the community has been swift with a strong presence of both protesters and police There have already been numerous move-on notices issued by police but this will not deter the community with many pledging to do whatever necessary including sitting down in front of bulldozers with the community literally risking their lives to protect the wetlands from the construction of Farrington Rd This short video captures their courageous fight which has become known as the Farrington Rd Blockade of 1984 and is cited as an inspiration and benchmark to many Roe 8 campaigners The Beeliar Wetlands are the most significant site of Aboriginal heritage in Perth Firestick and Spirit Children Dreaming stories are integral to this site Custodian and community leader Corina Abraham has lodged a challenge to the Aboriginal heritage approval arguing the WA Government failed to follow procedural fairness in permitting the disturbance of a highly significant spiritual site of Bibra and North lakes Thanks to community monitoring efforts it has been found that internationally protected Rainbow Bee-eaters are nesting in the area to be cleared having flown all the way from SE Asia on their annual migration The unique birds nest in the ground and are extremely vulnerable to trampling or vehicle traffic so they are under direct threat right now their presence had not even been identified by the environmental plan Days before High Court hearing, months before an election, @ColinBarnett gov clearing 100 hectares of bush for #Roe8 https://t.co/7eVb3wuUO0 pic.twitter.com/yLwKy499pe Rare and endangered species threatened by Roe 8 include: Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo Recent studies have recorded 198 fauna species in the area 177 species of native birds are likely to be present plovers and sharp-tailed sandpipers are often sighted in the area frogs and turtles will not be able to safely cross this highway; nor will swans who walk their cygnets from North Lake to Bibra Lake to stay until they can fly It is estimated that on average 60,000 trucks and cars might use Roe 8 daily diesel particulates and heavy metals would build up over decades A single accident like a fuel truck overturning would pollute groundwater and devastate the wetlands The Roe 8 project would also invade high-risk acid sulphate soil areas Once disturbed by road and bridge building these soils become acidic - causing serious environmental and health impacts Runoff from these soils can potentially kill aquatic life in the surrounding water requiring complex and expensive remediation Friends of the Earth Australia stands with local community groups such as Rethink the Link in believing there is a better solution to the proposed Roe 8 Perth Freight Link and the raft of negative economic environmental and social impacts it will have on the WA community TAKE ACTION: Please call Colin Barnett on 08 6552 5000 to urge him to protect our precious wetlands we are Friends of the Earth (FoEA) — A federation of local groups working for a socially equitable and sustainable future Friends of the Earth Australia meet and work on stolen lands of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people and respect that sovereignty of those lands was never ceded and acknowledge the pivotal role that Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people continue to play within the Australian community All electoral material authorised by Cam Walker Go to Campaigners Area - Log in Endorsements are coming thick and fast for candidates in the City of Canning’s Beeliar by-election with Mayor Patrick Hall defending his decision to make a sponsored video endorsing his preferred candidate and as a sponsored post it has a far greater reach on Facebook than your typical post Ms Sekhon has also been backed in publicly by Deputy Mayor Ben Kunze and councillors Amanda Spencer-Teo and Paul Tucek No other councillor has publicly endorsed a candidate however former councillor Lindsay Holland has publicly supported Shouv Sarker and former councillor Yaso Ponnuthurai has publicly backed Raveesh John Mr Hall defended his decision to publicly back in Ms Sekhon with a public saying it did not disadvantage other candidates “The endorsement by any elected member at any level of government is completely acceptable,” he said “It’s not unusual for members of State Parliament to actually endorse members of councils and they are far more powerful people than mayors or councillors “There’s nothing inappropriate with any elected member endorsing any candidate.” “It is up to voters to decide where they cast their vote.” Mr Hall added that he would have no problem working with a candidate such as Mr Sarker – who has been extremely critical of the city at times – despite his endorsement of Ms Sekhon I’ve gone out of my way to meet with a number of candidates “I will work with anyone the community chooses to elect to council “I just hope the people we have on our council are people who are positive people who are genuine and focused on the community.” Get your Local Examiner Digital Edition straight to your InboxName*Email* Are You a Human Residents of two southern Perth suburbs are suffering from dust and smell that say comes from the nearby coal-burning Cockburn Cement plant This story was originally published in The West Australian on 24 April 2018 with the headline "Coal-fired plant makes sea breeze a reeking nightmare for residents of Beeliar and Munster." © Peter Milne Opening your house to the cool sea breeze is a treasured summer tradition in Perth but one that Beeliar’s Gloria Horton can’t enjoy The alternative, she says, is to suffer itchy, watery eyes from fumes generated by the immensely profitable Cockburn Cement lime plant in nearby Munster “We tend to go to the beach for walks a lot and when you breathe in that beautiful fresh air that’s what you should be breathing here,” she said residents say they have to cope with dust falling on their houses two or three times a week Mrs Horton and her husband found out about the long-running problems in the area only when they smelt the fumes while visiting their then under-construction house “I felt cheated and I felt this should never have been developed as a residential area,” she said It is only by chance that the State Government will soon decide on calls for the plant which is the jewel in the crown of publicly listed construction materials company Adelaide Brighton to clean up its act above and beyond what the environmental regulator wants Greg Hocking’s neighbour in Beeliar told him he had spotted a mention in a public notice that the plant’s licence had been amended worked over Christmas to beat the deadline and lodge an appeal on behalf of his neighbour Mr Hocking spent a good part of last year building his case and by February this year the appeal had grown to a 200-page point-by-point demand for more stringent conditions on the plant and tougher enforcement by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation Mr Hocking had to base his initial appeal on a report that had been heavily redacted by DWER after Cockburn Cement claimed the information was commercially sensitive After a yearlong freedom of information process Mr Hocking received a less redacted report and supporting studies in February He learnt that while the company claimed it was not the primary source of odours in the area Expensive filters installed in 2012 and 2013 successfully reduced dust from the kilns but there was still dust from the storage and handling of loose cement The report classified this dust as a high risk without the extra controls that DWER proposed in December 2016 Major consequences of dust exposure included permanent prolonged adverse health effects for a small number of people Odours from the kilns also attracted a high risk rating but with less severe consequences including expected short-term effects requiring treatment The plant is the only facility in the Perth metropolitan area that burns coal “They should change the fuel from burning dirty coal to burning natural gas which will substantially reduce the range and the quantity of the pollutants that are going into the air,” Mr Hocking said stated “it is well known that emissions of sulphur dioxide and particles from natural gas combustion are negligible compared to coal” The regulator’s report concluded that the sulphur content of kiln fuel was a vital factor in generating the odours The report revealed the regulator had rejected a request from Cockburn Cement to increase the allowable sulphur content in its coal from 0.7 per cent to 0.8 per cent The company said it was concerned about the future availability of lower sulphur coal It is understood that the plant burns about 250,000 tonnes of coal a year The Munster plant is one of the biggest and lowest-cost lime operations in the world Adelaide Brighton’s recently released 2017 annual report says The plant has operated at about 80 per cent of its capacity The Munster plant accounted for about 95 per cent of the company’s total production It was estimated the operation produced lime worth $3 million in sales a week last year Taylor Collison head of research Robin Morgan estimated that lime’s share of earnings at Adelaide Brighton was double its share of sales that analysis suggests the South Australian-headquartered company made more than $38 million in after-tax profit from the two lime kilns in Munster Lime production could be increased because the two operating kilns can produce an extra 250,000 tonnes a year and the two kilns under care and maintenance could be restarted sits at the top of a 1.5km-radius buffer zone Local resident Sharon Polkinghorne said her nose felt burnt by the sulphur smell and in the morning her car could be covered in a fine Lisa Rainsford has had the same experience there will be more people living on the buffer’s edge Adelaide Brighton made $8.4 million profit from selling 12ha of old quarry south of McLaren Avenue Environment Minister Stephen Dawson said once he had read the Appeals Convenor’s investigation he would form an opinion on the adequacy of the current conditions and the performance of DWER He said he was aware of the significant community concern about the emissions Main picture: Cockburn Cement plant in Munster I worked in oil & gas in commercial and engineering roles for 20 years All the info and a bit of comment on WA energy industry and climate in your inbox every Friday You've successfully subscribed to Boiling Cold Check your email for magic link to sign-in On Saturday 18 November, members of the community gathered at Cockburn Education Wetlands Centre for the CCWA Community Conservation Awards 2017. Hosted by our President Prof. Carmen Lawrence and Vice President Tim Barling, together we acknowledged some of the most inspiring environmentalists in Western Australia. Our most prestigious award - the Bessie Rischbieth Conservation Award - was established in honour of Bessie Rischbieth, a pioneer of the conservation movement in WA. Every year we award it to an individual who has demonstrated unmatched commitment to the Western Australian environment. This year, we presented the Bessie Rischbieth Conservation Award to Kate Kelly. Kate showed incredible fortitude, foresight, leadership, integrity, and determination in her role as Convener of Save Beeliar Wetlands. Kate was instrumental in several legal challenges, including the successful case against the EPA's environmental approval of the Roe 8 highway extension. Kate built an incredible community of support around her group and the campaign and inspired others to step up and take action in so many different ways over a period stretching well over a decade. Eventually the campaign that Kate built was successful, becoming instrumental in delivering a change of government in WA and making political and environmental history in the process. Even in the most difficult times of the campaign with bulldozers destroying Kate's beloved bushland, Kate never gave up. Kate never compromised her values and never ceased to inspire others to take action. For Kate, the loss of the Beeliar Wetlands were simply not an option. Kate's legacy in environmental policy and law, and in the protection of the Beeliar Wetlands will be permanent and inspiring for generations of environmental activists and communities in the future. Kate's humble approach, her good humor, and her phenomenal self-taught ability in political, legal, media and community organising strategy  make her a standout nominee for this award. The Len Howard Community Group Award was established in honour of Len Howard, who founded and led for 20 years one of WA’s most successful conservation groups, the Peel Preservation Group. The recipient of this award is a community group which has demonstrated an outstanding commitment and success in the conservation of the Western Australian environment. This year we granted the Len Howard Community Group Award to Barrabup Conservation Group, which was accepted by Shona Hunter. Barrabup Conservation Group has demonstrated outstanding commitment and courage in advocating the protection of the High Conservation Value Barrabup forest from logging. The group has worked tirelessly, voluntarily, and remotely, to draw an impressive degree of attention to the issues. The two leading members, Ellie and Marty McKie, have demonstrated excellent capacity in research and communication, using available regulations and policies, building support in the South West and the city, engaging media, and maintaining public pressure to protect nearly 60 hectares of forest. The John Oldham Conservation Employee Award was established in honour of John Oldham, the Foundation President of the Conservation Council of WA from 1967 to 1970, and a long term delegate to the Council. It’s awarded annually to an individual employed in the conservation sector who has demonstrated tremendous commitment to our environment. This year we granted the John Oldham Conservation Employee Award to Thelma Crook. Unfortunately, Thelma couldn’t be with us on the night, so accepting on her behalf was her daughter, Jo Harvey. Thelma has been a passionate advocate of Landcare in the Peel-Harvey region for almost three decades. She worked as a natural resource officer with the Department of Water and Greening Australia, and has volunteered for the past five years to co-ordinate the annual Shorebird 2020 counts when funding to support these ceased. In 2010, Thelma received a fellowship under an Alcoa Australia's sponsored Earthwatch program to work overseas and spent two weeks in the Jizera Mountains in the Czech Republic studying the impacts of acid rain on vegetation and waterways. Those named to Conservation Council of WA Honours List this year have demonstrated a long term commitment to the Western Australian environment. The recipients have been actively involved in the conservation movement for many years, have made a constant and invaluable contribution to their groups, have contributed to vital networking and cooperation between conservation groups, and have displayed qualities of integrity, reliability, and commitment. This year we named the following people to the Conservation Council of WA Honours List: With the Young Environmentalist Award, CCWA acknowledges an individual aged thirty years or under who has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to the WA’s environment, and who has played a leadership role in advocacy or campaigning to achieve greater environmental protection. We were pleased to announce that this year’s Young Environmentalist Award went to Correa Driscoll, for putting consistent energy and effort into organising and campaigning within the climate movement across groups. Correa is a very impressive person. This year also marked the creation of a new award, the Non-Violent Direct Action Award, which we presented to more than 200 protectors whose outstanding commitment and dedication protected the Beeliar Wetlands in the summer of 2016 to 2017. Receiving this award on behalf of the protectors was Shona Hunter. And thank you to you - everyone in our CCWA Community - for another inspiring year! Together, we will continue to protect WA’s wildlife and environment for present and future generations to enjoy. See you next year! © 2023 Conservation Council of Western Australia. Except where otherwise explicitly authorised, any material on this website that may be construed as electoral material or an electoral matter under any state or commonwealth law is authorised by Mia Pepper, Conservation Council of Western Australia, 1186 Hay Street, West Perth, WA 6005. Tel (08) 6558 5155 2 min readPublished 30 January 2017 9:32pm ShareGet SBS News daily and direct to your InboxSign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.Your email address *Morning (Mon–Fri) Peter Newman is affiliated with the Beeliar Group – Professors for Environmental Responsibility Curtin University provides funding as a member of The Conversation AU View all partners A statement by the Beeliar Group explains: The environmental assessment process was over-ridden and the conditions associated with construction are constantly being disregarded Important Aboriginal sites and health impacts were not taken into consideration The Commonwealth normally assesses and funds but does not suggest specific projects The desperate activism associated with these three projects suggests we need to avoid such top-down planning How do we depoliticise infrastructure planning and delivery What is happening around the world on major infrastructure projects And what principles and processes can help create infrastructure that satisfies long-term responsibilities The problem with freeways is that they create an ever-increasing dependence on cars and trucks. As soon as they are finished, induced demand leads to more congestion and the need for more highway capacity At least 22 cities have now removed freeways This has happened especially in areas where freeways do most damage – as in the central and inner city where urban fabrics are built around walking and public transport Or sometimes freeways are stopped when they have severe impacts on major public open spaces Copenhagen abandoned its American-style freeway plans when it was clear much-loved lakes would be filled in River frontages in most cities are no longer seen as places to put corridors of bitumen And hanging over all new infrastructure is the shadow of climate-change responsibilities How should we proceed in our cities to provide 21st-century mobility There are two key principles: the economics of infrastructure should be the basis of assessing value; and partnerships are needed to create value from infrastructure Three core factors create value in a transport infrastructure project: accessibility, amenity and agglomeration Each creates economic value and can be measured – though the really big value happens when they occur together new urban rail projects generate the most economic value Road and rail projects that unlock value in freight delivery are also important In contrast to Roe 8, building a new outer harbour at Kwinana and redeveloping Fremantle harbour would solve current issues and look to be very good economics The new harbour would create 11,000 direct jobs and A$13.9 billion (net present value) in gross regional product over 20 years Redeveloping the old harbour would generate 7,265 direct jobs and $4.4 billion A range of other benefits would flow on from these projects. These include not having to clear environmentally sensitive bushland and removing the negative impact of container trucks from the city and suburbs The kind of value creation outlined occurs through partnerships between government agencies the private sector – which usually owns the land and builds the projects – and local communities True economic value is created when they put their money powers and abilities together into one project pot that delivers accessibility This did not happen on Roe 8 – it fails on all three parameters – but potentially can happen on the outer harbour In the 21st century we need new processes to build these partnerships. The creation of Infrastructure Australia, which cut across government agencies and enabled close partnerships with private sector expertise and finance, was a major step forward. It has been copied around the world Infrastructure NSW followed. It has boosted the state’s infrastructure, particularly by creating public-private partnerships. The model’s potential benefits for other states has led to a proposal for Infrastructure WA Such bodies are able to tackle major infrastructure assessments and help develop new ways of creating value through partnerships they need to involve local communities if they are truly going to create local amenity as well as accessibility and agglomeration benefits public transport has developed a market in cities due to its speed and spatial efficiency But this can only be funded if land developers are brought into partnership with transport providers and government planners as well as local communities Unlocking the value of land and of reduced car dependence depends on creating such partnerships where governments alone cannot do it This is the basis of what we call the Entrepreneur Rail Model for creating and delivering new transport value in cities This model can help considerably in developing the passenger transport side of the Roe 8 plan rather than an old freeway concept Freight needs similar partnerships. A suggested alternative to the Roe 8 and Perth Freight Link is a new set of road and rail links around the city to a new port at Kwinana. The local council and community have strongly embraced this Some facilities have even been built already. This includes a large intermodal terminal as the site has the potential to take large container ships that no other Australian port can manage, then link across the nation through rail lines. This is why the project has been called the Indian Ocean Gateway Such a project would create huge economic value without forging new partnerships with the private sector to unlock the possibilities for private finance and public good Infrastructure solutions for cities in the next 50 years cannot just continue to be rolled out as they were in the past 50 years It will be especially dangerous if politicians intervene in favour of old solutions that do nothing to create value We’re sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. We’re working to restore it. Please try again later. Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Second term's the charm for the WA Labor party, who have kicked off the New Year by recommitting to a key 2017 election platform to rezone the Beeliar Wetlands to prevent the construction of the controversial Perth Freight Link. Legislation to rezone 85 hectares of the wetlands from primary road reserve to parks and recreation hit an impasse in parliament's upper house last year with the state government unable to secure cross-bench support. Transport Minister Rita Saffioti and Environment Minister Stephen Dawson have announced a recommitment to introducing laws to rezone 85 hectares of the Beeliar Wetlands from primary regional roads to parks and recreation.Credit: Peter de Kruijff The Liberals, Nationals, Shooters and Fishers, WA Party and One Nation all railed against the proposal and Labor was unable to secure the crucial vote of Liberal Democrat Aaron Stonehouse who was the government's last hope to pass the bill. Environment Minister Stephen Dawson said Labor was promising to reintroduce the legislation if re-elected and invest $3 million to build a new boardwalk and revegetate land cleared by the outgoing Barnett Government for its ill-fated $1.9 billion Perth Freight Link project. "We will work with the various parties after the 13th of March," he said. "Hopefully if the McGowan Government is re-elected those parties will respect our mandate, respect we have made this commitment and work with us to make sure that we can protect these wetlands for future generations. "In an ideal world Labor will have more members in there ... we will work with whoever is in there to make sure we can get this legislation passed." Opposition leader Zak Kirkup has committed his party to trying to revive the Roe 8 and 9 extensions as part of the Perth Freight Link. He said a Liberal government would have tenders out for Roe 8 within 100 days of being elected and the project would take 74,000 cars and 7000 trucks off local roads. The Liberal party is opposed to Labor's plan for an outer harbour off the environmentally sensitive Cockburn Sound, which is a major breeding ground for pink snapper, as a solution to the logistical limitations of Fremantle Port as the key trading hub of the state. Transport Minister Rita Saffioti said the Liberal Party had no plan in relation to freight and trade for WA. "They have come out and said there is no need to build a new port ever in Kwinana," she said. "The Liberal Party have abandoned what has been bipartisan support for a new port for decades." Community concerns over the use of Leach Highway as a key freight corridor into Fremantle Port has driven the Liberal push for the Perth Freight Link. Labor has provided rail subsidies over its term to incentivise companies to take more containers off the roads. The government has managed to lift the percentage of freight on rail from 15 per cent to over 20 per cent by spending about $7 million to $8 million each year on the subsidy. Ms Saffioti said there was now a need to build up inter-modal capacity because of the current constraints preventing a higher percentage of containers being transported by rail rather than roads. Opposition transport spokeswoman Libby Mettam said Labor had failed to detail how it would deal with congestion on roads in the southern suburbs. "There is already money set aside by the Commonwealth to build Roe 8/9 and that includes plentyof capacity for a boardwalk in Beeliar, which is already part of the WA Liberals’ plan," she said. "Building Roe 8/9 will also create thousands of jobs and be a key piece of economic infrastructurefor the state." Jandakot, Bicton, Willagee, Bateman and Fremantle are just some of the state election seats where the Beeliar Wetlands and Perth Freight Link proposal are a hot button issue. Second term's the charm for the WA Labor party, who have kicked off the New Year by recommitting to a key 2017 election platform to rezone the Beeliar Wetlands to prevent the construction of the controversial Perth Freight Link. Legislation to rezone 85 hectares of the wetlands from primary road reserve to parks and recreation hit an impasse in parliament's upper house last year with the state government unable to secure cross-bench support. The Liberals, Nationals, Shooters and Fishers, WA Party and One Nation all railed against the proposal and Labor was unable to secure the crucial vote of Liberal Democrat Aaron Stonehouse who was the government's last hope to pass the bill. \\\"We will work with the various parties after the 13th of March,\\\" he said. \\\"Hopefully if the McGowan Government is re-elected those parties will respect our mandate, respect we have made this commitment and work with us to make sure that we can protect these wetlands for future generations. \\\"In an ideal world Labor will have more members in there ... we will work with whoever is in there to make sure we can get this legislation passed.\\\" The Liberal party is opposed to Labor's plan for an outer harbour off the environmentally sensitive Cockburn Sound, which is a major breeding ground for pink snapper, as a solution to the logistical limitations of Fremantle Port as the key trading hub of the state. \\\"They have come out and said there is no need to build a new port ever in Kwinana,\\\" she said. \\\"The Liberal Party have abandoned what has been bipartisan support for a new port for decades.\\\" \\\"There is already money set aside by the Commonwealth to build Roe 8/9 and that includes plentyof capacity for a boardwalk in Beeliar, which is already part of the WA Liberals\\u2019 plan,\\\" she said. \\\"Building Roe 8/9 will also create thousands of jobs and be a key piece of economic infrastructurefor the state.\\\" This is probably not the page you’re looking for