Greens senator Scott Ludlam calls on environment minister to order bulldozing on Perth highway stop until inquiry carried out

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

A snap inquiry will be held into alleged breaches of environmental conditions placed on Perth’s freight link extension after a motion was passed in the Senate on Thursday.

The Greens senator Scott Ludlam put the motion forward after receiving allegations of dozens of breaches of environmental conditions for the project, known as Roe 8, saying bulldozing of the Beeliar wetlands should cease until the inquiry had been held.

The Senate’s environment and communications references committee will hold a hearing in Perth late next week.

“At the federal level the government has repeatedly ignored due process and transparency, leaving no recourse but an inquiry into these breaches,” Ludlam said.

The allegations include claims endangered animals were being trapped and relocated in a manner that breached regulations.

Environmentalists were infuriated by comments made by the federal environment minister, Josh Frydenberg, that he received no evidence any environmental conditions placed on the Roe highway extension had been breached.



The Senate this week ordered Frydenberg to provide a summary of breaches of approval conditions during bulldozing at the site of the of the $1.9bn project.

Senators expected to vote for inquiry into alleged breaches of Roe highway conditions Read more

But a response from Frydenberg’s office to the Senate said “neither the minister nor the department has received correspondence or reports with evidence of compliance breaches with approval conditions since construction commenced”.

But on Wednesday night protesters and environmentalists forwarded to Guardian Australia dozens of emails that had been sent to Frydenberg and his office over the past few weeks highlighting alleged breaches of environmental conditions.

The alleged breaches included that traps to capture the endangered southern brown so the animals could be relocated were not being set according to requirements. It is required that the traps be set for between three and four days, and that trapping continue until there have been at least two consecutive nights of no bandicoots being caught.

Community members monitoring the wetlands around the clock say they saw bandicoots being caught and removed from the Coolbellup bushland site just two hours before clearing began. Several similar instances were recorded between 13 January and 5 February, including in one of the most ecologically sensitive areas of the wetlands.

Allegations have also been made to the minister that asbestos and dust management plans are not being adhered to; that a survey of potential nesting hollows of Western Australia’s endangered black cockatoos was not completed; and that fencing to protect animals from injuries and death during the bulldozing was not being installed properly.

Frydenberg’s office was yet to respond to a request from Guardian Australia for comment.



The WA environment minister, Albert Jacob, dismissed the claims of breaches as “completely unfounded”.



“The Roe highway extension is being constructed in accordance with the approved conditions and management plans,” Jacob said.

“Before clearing started, trees were inspected in accordance with the fauna management plan for the presence of active nesting or breeding by black cockatoos. No active nesting was found.

“Likewise, before clearing each site, a fauna trapping and translocation program has been undertaken in line with the fauna management plan, which requires that no bandicoots are trapped for two consecutive nights or as determined by a fauna expert.”

'It's not too late': Beeliar wetlands activists fight on as bulldozers roll in Read more

He said the Office of the Environmental Protection Authority had independent auditors on site daily to monitor compliance with conditions.



“All allegations have been examined and there have been no incidences of non-compliance to date,” Jacob said. “The Roe highway extension is the most scrutinised project in recent history. Not only has the project undergone rigorous environmental assessments at both the state and commonwealth levels, it has withstood several court challenges.

“I have confidence in the robustness and legality of the project’s environmental impact assessment and ongoing management and compliance with the ministerial conditions.”

Ludlam has called on Frydenberg to intervene and order that bulldozing stop until an investigation had been carried out.