Next to fall will be a third of the trees that make up the Edward Street Roost, a site where the cockatoos shelter at night; the fourth largest remaining roost for this species on Perth’s Swan Coastal Plain. Protesters are prepared to take nonviolent on-ground action to stop the bulldozers if necessary. On Friday, as they used their bodies to form a giant black cockatoo at Yagan Square, the state’s Environmental Protection Authority told WAtoday it had decided the development warranted further examination through a public assessment. It has now become clear that in addition to the known environmental values, there is a high level of public interest about the likely effect ... on the environment. EPA chairman Tom Hatton Chairman Tom Hatton said since receiving Linc property's two rezoning applications, the EPA had been seeking further information to determine whether the proposals warranted formal assessment. "The Greater Brixton Wetlands is one of the most biodiverse wetlands on the Swan Coastal Plain," he said.

“Over this period the community has also expressed growing and additional concerns on the amendments. "It has now become clear that in addition to the known environmental values, there is a high level of public interest about the likely effect of the scheme amendments on the environment. As a result, the EPA has determined the scheme amendments warrant a formal assessment. Loading "The EPA will be looking at the scope, content and cumulative impacts of the amendments. There will be an opportunity for public submissions on the scheme amendment and environmental review documentation. In addition, the EPA has recommended to the City of Gosnells that the public review period be extended from the minimum 60 days to 90 days." Save the Brixton Street Wetlands does not wish to stop the development but wants Linc to implement a more environmentally friendly drainage design to avoid felling the roost trees and avoid potential impacts on groundwater at the wetland, which supports more than 550 plant species including four federally protected threatened native plant communities.

They say rezoning the massive parcel of land block by block, with individual environmental assessments, failed to give a true picture of the extent of potential impact on the wetland within the circle. Local Paddy Cullen and botanist Dr Cate Tauss at the Edward Street Roost. Credit:Emma Young City of Gosnells council approved the rezoning of the latest block on Tuesday night as locals protested outside for the third meeting running. Save the Brixton Street Wetlands had written to Environment Minister Stephen Dawson pleading for his intervention. “Labor came to power on a wave of goodwill from the conservation movement by saving the Beeliar Wetlands. This showed a real understanding of the importance of the threatened wetland and woodland ecosystems of the Swan Coastal Plain - an area with some of the most biodiverse and vulnerable places, not just in Australia, but in the entire world,” they wrote.

The group wrote to Mr Dawson that without a public environmental review the process lacked opportunities for scientific peer review or public scrutiny of the scientific data in the developer’s environmental reports. “We have very little time to save this amazing ecosystem,” they wrote. City of Gosnells chief executive Ian Cowie said Tuesday night’s council resolution suggested the application from the developers should include a minimum 50-metre buffer zone between its development and the nearby wetland zone containing a threatened ecological community, and that the decision on the appropriate width of the buffer would be made by the state environmental agency. “The lobby group has been invited to meet with technical officers to put their concerns forward. Should this information exchange result in changes to strategic planning proposals for the MKSEA, the council would be involved in the decision-making process for any concept plan revisions, as would state government agencies,” he said. Loading A Linc Property spokesman said the developer would plant more trees in the area and this would “ultimately” result in a greater number of roosting trees than before. He termed this process a “reshaping” of the roost.

He said Linc had already redesigned its drainage system to protect the wetlands and its plan had been approved and endorsed by local government and state water regulators. “Linc Property has met with many members of the Beeliar Group and our team feels that their discussions have been fruitful and involved a good exchange of views," he said. "We acknowledge there are some members within the Beeliar Group who would prefer to see no change at the roost site, however, we still feel that the discussions have been useful in understanding the Beeliar Group concerns and have assisted us to prepare a conservation strategy that will deliver an excellent environmental outcome for the area. "We have reconfigured the development layout at a considerable cost to the project to maintain the function of the roost in consultation with leading experts." The project has also been referred to the federal Department of the Environment as it was a potential impact on a federally protected endangered species.

A decision on whether the federal government will assess the matter formally is imminent.