“It all gets shunted down the line, signed, sealed and delivered. Money has changed hands, developers have bought and sold blocks, then there might be a token community workshop to ask our opinion,” she said. Prominent scientists including former Kings Park director Stephen Hopper and director of science Kingsley Dixon voiced alarm in 2016, calling it a “serious oversight” to only complete environmental impact studies on the land in the footprint of the industrial zones, and not on the wetland being surrounded. Even the industrial footprint contains numerous endangered species and plant communities, all interlinked both above ground and through a complex water system that includes Crystal Brook and Yule Brook. The scientists and Alliance group say the “piecemeal” system of assessing and planning for precincts in stages is failing to capture the potential effect on the wetland, and is stopping the state’s environmental watchdog assessing the whole picture. Precinct 3A of the industrial zone, though largely cleared by 1995, retained patches of native trees that amount to many hectares, as well as more recent plantings.

One patch of river red gums has emerged in the 2018 Great Cocky Count as night refuge for 334 cockatoos, including 90 fledglings. While results of the Count are still being collated, in the context of last year’s count this places the roost as the fourth largest in the Perth-Peel region for forest red-tailed black cockatoos. This proposal must be now assessed by the federal government because of its potential impact on the species, and is fiercely opposed by the local community. The EPA had the chance to make a formal assessment of the early stages of rezoning in 2016, but decided not to. Ms Tauss said clearing it would increase the birds’ vulnerability, forcing them to fly further through Perth for already scant food.

Locals counting cockies at the roost. She said the process so far had “shocked and saddened” her. “My family lived nearby for over 60 years. Some of my first memories as a child in this district were of huge flocks of black cockatoos, wildflowers, and wetlands,” she said. “I am one of many graduates of UWA who fell in love with our native plants on student excursions to the Brixton St Wetlands, and have studied them ever since.” The EPA told WAtoday it was only after it decided not to assess that the number of forest red-tails greatly increased, and began to roost as well as feed there; and that the emergence of the roost had now triggered discussions with the developer.

A spokesman for Linc Property said the developer had created a conservation strategy for the roost, designing its development to maintain 70 per cent of the trees, and delaying completion of the plans until after the Great Cocky Count. Long term it would “reshape” the roost by planting 60 extra trees, making it slightly larger than before, and the water management plan would give the river red gums greater access to water. The forest red-tailed black cockatoo. Credit:Shannon Morris The strategy included using all parts of the development, such as roads and vegetated drainage swales, to host specific tree plantings to provide food and flight paths. It would also help plant more than 500 trees over several hectares of the nearby wetlands within 20 years.

Ongoing scientific monitoring of the roost had been proposed, along with funding to assist university and WA Museum researchers. This proposal would be referred to the federal government as legally required. Gosnells chief executive Ian Cowie said it was “vitally important” to the council that development accord with legal requirements. “The emerging issue of the black cockatoo roost and foraging habitat is complicated and potentially far reaching,” he said. The scientific and local communities say the planning system let them down in allowing nearby foraging habitat to be cleared.

7ha feeding habitat already cleared; no EPA assessment or federal referral Ms Tauss said Linc clearing 7 hectares of foraging habitat in Precinct 3A already showed system failure. Her environmental consultancy Tauss and Associates originally surveyed the vegetation there for the City of Gosnells in 2010. It reported 7 hectares of “prime” black cockatoo foraging, roosting and potential nesting habitat, as well as threatened ecological communities downstream.

A separate consultant also prepared a black cockatoo survey for the city in 2012, identifying roosting sites, a nesting hollow and extensive black cockatoo feeding activity. The appendices to their report also showed 7 hectares of total habitat, Ms Tauss said. This habitat did not contain significant native understorey plants and was technically classed as being in ‘degraded condition’ with regard to flora composition, but its significance as quality cockatoo habitat was due to the many mature healthy marri trees producing heavy fruit crops. Commonwealth referral criteria states that what is degraded in terms of flora biodiversity can remain highly significant cockatoo habitat. “Quality should be assessed as it pertains specifically to black cockatoo use of the habitat. For example, the condition of the understorey is a standard component of most ecological habitat quality surveys but is of limited relevance to considerations for some black cockatoos, particularly in relation to breeding habitat,” Ms Tauss said.

But the state’s Environmental Protection Authority deemed the rezoning did not warrant its formal assessment. River red gums are not native, but still perform important functions for the cockies. It gave informal advice to the city to manage environmental matters through the planning system, and “reminded” the developer of its obligation to refer any proposal impacting more than a hectare of black cockatoo habitat to the federal government. It recommended retention of as much native vegetation as possible, particularly foraging, nesting and roosting habitat. Ms Tauss said the EPA “made a big mistake” in not making a formal assessment.

“It was clear from previous consultant reports to the City of Gosnells that precinct 3A and areas downstream from the changes proposed in precinct 3A contained significant conservation values that would be significantly impacted,” she said. “These were all available to the EPA at the time. The EPA was clearly out of line. There was factor upon factor pushing them towards formal assessment. “To give them credit it’s a very complicated situation. The various precincts have been presented to the EPA for assessment by the City of Gosnells in a piecemeal approach, precinct by precinct, making it hard both for the public to follow the paper trail and possibly for the EPA, in its under-resourced state, to do a technically valid assessment.” One of several declared rare flora species within the Greater Brixton Street Wetlands. Credit:University of WA Professor Hans Lambers She said the decision not to formally assess had meant the proposal could “slip through” without the public noticing or being consulted.

After the EPA’s decision, the WA Planning Commission did not impose environmental controls. The City of Gosnells signalled at the time these would be addressed with individual precinct plans. The plan for Precinct 3A was approved last year, but did not prevent the clearing of the foraging habitat. The EPA told WAtoday it did not consider this significant, being it“was degraded vegetation of both native and introduced tree species, spread over an area of more than 50 hectares”. Linc Property’s spokesman said its own environmental consultant had recommended no federal referral was necessary to clear the “scattered” foraging habitat. This advice had been peer-reviewed. Brixton Street Wetlands contains one of four remaining known populations anywhere of the carnivorous rainbow plant.

Progress marches on The next two precincts to be rezoned are Precinct 2 and 3B. Despite their dull names, they are high-stakes areas, directly adjoining the wetlands and containing threatened flora. “That’s where the damage can really be done,” Ms Tauss said. “It will be disastrous for the environment if those are allowed to go through in the same way as 3A has done, without the opportunity for formal public comment. “By the time of the first token ‘community forum’ held by the City of Gosnells in mid 2017 to discuss Precinct 3A ... it was already too late for the public to comment as the crucial EPA and WAPC approvals had already gone through behind closed doors in 2016, with no appeals allowed.”

The EPA stated it was aware of the threatened flora, the wetland and Yule Brook in these precincts and had requested further information before deciding on whether to make a formal assessment. Gosnells chief executive Ian Cowie said the council was “aware of the high level of community interest” and was holding off on its application pending further public consultation. Impact on “Perth’s most precious wetland” remains unknown The Greater Brixton Street Wetlands is regarded as the most complex and sensitive area remaining on the Swan Coastal Plain, hosting numerous scientists visiting from overseas. One of the Clay Pans flowers loved by a miniscule, critically endangered native bee. Credit:Dr Hongtao Zhong

It is home to more than 21 per cent of Perth’s entire floral biodiversity and is on the Register of the National Estate. Ms Tauss said virtually all native vegetation left in the area belonged to one of four nationally listed threatened plant communities, the major one being the critically endangered “Clay Pans of the Swan Coastal Plain.” These are home to more carnivorous plant species than can be found in the whole of Europe, including one of only four remaining populations anywhere of the carnivorous "rainbow plant"; 11 listed threatened flora; and the critically endangered native bee Leioproctus douglasiellus. “These look like a muddy dustbowl in summer but in winter they become shallow standing water. As rainfall begins they become a fairyland of enormous biodiversity: carnivorous plants, trigger plants, native daisies, and all sorts of little other plants and native insects found only in the clay pans,” Ms Tauss said. Three of the threatened flora species in the greater wetlands, including the tiny Mulla Mulla, which Ms Tauss rediscovered there in 2010 after they were thought extinct for 160 years, are not found anywhere else.

There has still been no holistic assessment of how the total planned industrial development will affect the central wetland. “The WA Planning Commission seems not to have the time or appetite to do anything but rubber stamp it and say we’ll look at it further down the process. The EPA also says we’ll deal with it later in the planning system. Once the land is rezoned to industrial the value grows,” Ms Tauss said. “This process is undemocratic, un-transparent and just totally developer driven.” Save the Brixton Street Wetlands Community Alliance held a protest breakfast recently to raise awareness. Gosnells chief executive Ian Cowie said the draft structure plan included proposed minimum 50-metre buffer zones around environmental assets, consistent with industry standards. The draft continued to evolve and the ultimate buffer distance would be determined by state agencies.

Conservation Council of WA director Piers Verstegen said groups such as the Save Brixton Street Wetlands Community Alliance Loading were Perth’s “eyes and ears on the ground”. “This is yet another case where the local community is essential in holding developers and governments to account,” he said.

“The community has its eyes on Greater Brixton St Wetlands, and expects government and developers to follow due process every step of the way - including by conducting a formal, public Environmental Impact Assessment before any further industrial development occurs.”