Bunbury Outer Ring Road approved by Federal Government threatens environment

Construction on the contentious 27 kilometre Bunbury Outer Ring Road - a $1.25 billion bypass highway in Western Australia's south - has been approved despite its threat to a number of ecosystems.

The Bunbury Outer Ring Road is being constructed to take traffic around WA's second-biggest city to create a more direct route between Perth and the Margaret River tourist region. The four-lane, high standard road will link Forrest Highway to Bussell Highway with Main Roads Western Australia  advising “the project will be delivered in three sections, easing congestion, providing safer, more efficient traffic routes for freight, tourists, and locals.

“The project requires various approvals, including environmental from both State and Federal environmental regulators. We make every effort to mitigate or minimise the environmental impacts of our activities.”

Federal Minister for the Environment and Water, Tanya Plibersek’s department gave green light despite the recently released State of Environment report finding Australia’s natural heritage is in poor and deteriorating health - with land-clearing playing a significant role.

The ring road proposal includes 10km of dual-carriageway outside Bunbury that cuts through the Gelorup environmental corridor, which is home to critically endangered western ringtail possums, black cockatoos and tiny black-stripe minnow fish.

Construction is already well advanced on the northern part of the road, however, the southern link has been delayed because of strong opposition by a coalition of conservationists and community, including former WA Labor premier Carmen Lawrence, who have written to Minister Plibersek expressing concerns WA’s main roads agency will not be able to meet the environmental conditions placed on the project, including providing offsets for the affected species and ecosystems.

The Friends of Gelorup Corridor group have urged Minister Plibersek to stop the project and investigate a lower-impact route for the road. Along with the clearing of habitats, the group is also worried about the fate of four trees that are more than a hundred years old, including a woody pear thought to be 175 years old, two moodjars and a holly-leaf banksia at 200 years old.

The WA Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water has however said the road was approved with conditions that would manage impacts, including the requirement to prepare management plans, noting that any work affecting the threatened species and woodlands could not start until those plans were finalised.

Former Greens leader Bob Brown is among those lobbying against the development and comments “It’s inexplicable. These rare and endangered species and woodlands and ancient trees are being sacrificed for no gain.”

A total of $852 million was budgeted for the road when it was announced in 2019, however, it was revealed earlier this year that figure had blown out to $1.25 billion.

The increased cost also came with a decrease in the project's scope of work.

Four bridges that would have carried traffic over existing major roads have been abolished from the plans. This means a promised 15-minute time-saving on the journey around Bunbury had been abandoned, as had the promise of a free-flowing freeway, with motorists instead having to negotiate roundabouts at key intersections.

Main Roads Western Australia has advised the entire road construction project is anticipated to be completed and opened to traffic by late 2024.