Perth Freight Link

The Perth Freight Link is a proposed $1.6 billion project in Perth, Western Australia, to improve the road freight link between Kewdale and Fremantle Harbour. The project includes a five-kilometre (3.1 mi) extension to Roe Highway, as well as upgrading Stock Road, Leach Highway, and High Street to provide a grade-separated route, bypassing fourteen sets of traffic signals.^[1] The plan includes mandatory GPS tracking of all vehicles over an as yet undisclosed size or weight with a charge per kilometre being applied for vehicles travelling along the route between Muchea and North Fremantle.^[2] The extension will take the highway from its current terminus at Kwinana Freeway approximately five kilometres (3.1 mi) further west through the Beeliar Wetlands to Stock Road, near Forrest Road in Coolbellup. The proposed route is along or within the vicinity of an existing road reserve in the Perth Metropolitan Region Scheme.^[3]

The project's environmental assessment by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) along with the approval of the development by WA Government Minister Albert Jacob was ruled invalid by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court on 16 December 2015.^[4] On 30 March 2016 Greg McIntyre QC, acting for Corina Abraham, lodged writs in the Supreme Court of Western Australia, alleging that Minister of Aboriginal Affairs Peter Collier and the Department of Aboriginal Affairs cultural committee denied procedural fairness when it failed to consult her.^[5][6] On 24 August 2016 the Supreme Court dismissed Abraham's challenge.^[7]

Route

The Perth Freight Link is proposed to connect the terminus of Roe Highway (at the Kwinana Freeway) with the Port of Fremantle. In conjunction with existing highways and the Gateway WA and NorthLink WA projects, the Freight Link will form part of an 85-kilometre (53 mi) free-flowing route between Muchea and the port.^[1]

Roe 8

Section 1, also known as Roe 8, is a five-kilometre (3.1 mi) extension to Roe Highway, from Kwinana Freeway to Stock Road,^[1] cutting through a significant portion of the Beeliar Wetlands.

Stage 2

Stage 2 will link the Roe 8 extension to Fremantle Port. The original route considered was via Stock Road, Leach Highway, and High Street, upgraded with grade-separated interchanges, bypassing fourteen sets of traffic signals.^[1][8] Following community opposition to the plan, which would require residential properties to be compulsorily acquired and the demolition of homes, alternative routes were considered by the government.^[9] As of November 2015, the second stage has been postponed indefinitely, due to the intricacies and costs involved.^[10]

Stage 3

A third stage would see the link cross the Swan River and connect into the port. Proposals for the design, cost, or timing of this section have not been released by the government.^[11]

Roe Highway widening

Another section involves upgrading Roe Highway between Tonkin Highway and Orrong Road, adding a third lane in each direction and constructing a new bridge across the freight railway.^[1]

History

Fremantle Eastern Bypass

Roe Highway was first proposed in 1955 by Gordon Stephenson as part of what was to become the Metropolitan Region Planning Scheme. The highway was intended to form the southern and eastern sections of a ring route around the Perth metropolitan area.^[12] In the 1950s, Stephenson planned for Roe Highway to continue westwards towards Fremantle, through South Fremantle along Marine Terrace and then north to connect with Stirling Highway and the Port of Fremantle. As part of the plan, in 1974 Stirling Highway was extended from its then terminus north of the Swan River southwards to Canning Highway. Over a period of approximately 20 years, Main Roads Western Australia procured land, and in 1985, Stirling Highway was extended southwards from Canning Highway to High Street (the western continuation of Leach Highway). The remaining 3 km strip of land south of High Street then became known as the Fremantle Eastern Bypass.

At the southern end of the proposed Fremantle Eastern Bypass, an 8 km east-west road reservation was proclaimed, and became known as Roe Highway stage 8. With a change of state governments in 2001, the planned Fremantle Eastern Bypass / Roe Highway stage 8 was cancelled, with a commitment by the government to sell the land reserved for the Fremantle Eastern Bypass. As part of the funding arrangement for Roe Highway stages 6 and 7, the federal government stipulated that the Roe Highway stage 8 reservation was to be retained.

Following a change in state governments in September 2008, planning work commenced on an extension of the Roe Highway from Kwinana Freeway to Stock Road.^[13] Planning was also under way for an upgrade of High Street to dual carriageway between Stirling Highway and Carrington Street.^[14]

Perth Freight Link project

Rethink the Link^[15] protest signs against the Perth Freight Link, 2015

The Perth Freight Link project was announced in May 2014, with joint funding between the state and federal governments.^[16] The announcement included plans for a toll on the route, which would only apply to trucks.^[17] In December 2014, the state government revealed that they planned to construct the Freight Link between early 2016 and 2019, and that the toll would apply on the 85-kilometre-long (53 mi) truck route between Muchea (north of Perth) and Fremantle, once the link was completed.^[18][19]

The project is controversial, and has been the subject of concern and protest from multiple community groups on various issues.^[20] As well as environmental issues with the extension of Roe Highway,^[18] Stephen Marley, president of the Livestock and Rural Transport Association of Western Australia, expressed concern in December 2014 that the cost of the truck toll will be passed on to farmers,^[19] and in May 2015, Palmyra residents protested the proposed compulsory acquisition and demolition of their homes to make way for Stage 2 of the link.^[21] Local people are opposed to the proposed route through the Bibra Lake area, including the local indigenous people, who described the area as a birthing place, the "King Edward Memorial Hospital for aboriginal people".^[20] The WA Road Transport Association has been critical of the November 2015 decision to postpone stage two of the project, as Roe 8 on its own would deliver little benefit to the transport industry. They would not support a toll if implemented before the link to the port was completed. Such a toll was a prospect put forward by Premier Colin Barnett that month, though this was contradicted by Transport Minister Dean Nalder.^[22]

The route of the Roe 8 section takes it through the Beeliar Wetlands, a habitat for the endangered Carnaby's black cockatoo.^[20] The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) approved the Roe Highway extension in 2013, following a review that included over 3,000 public submissions,^[18] and Environment Minister Albert Jacob confirmed his approval on 2 July 2015.^[23] In September 2015 the group Save the Beeliar Wetlands took legal action against the EPA, arguing that the authority did not follow its own policies.^[4] Preliminary site works began on the project during November 2015, which drew protests with many people being given move-on orders preventing them from being in the area. On 16 December 2015 the Supreme Court handed down its findings: that because the EPA did not follow its published policies as it is legally obliged to, the approval of Roe 8 and the subsequent approval given by Minister Jacob were invalid.^[4]

See also

• Freeways in Australia
• East West Link
• WestConnex

References