Every dollar helps. Here are the 3 ways you can donate:

1. If you are able to help our cause through a donation please directly transfer your chosen amount to

Friends of Gelorup

BSB: 633 000

Account number: 168 204 873

3. “Friends of Gelorup is a proud auspice of Friends of the Earth Australia. Friends of the Earth Australia is a deductible gift recipient - you can also support our work by making a donation here”.

Reminder - Urgent - Act NOW!

As a matter of urgency, Minister Plibersek needs to hear from as many people, groups and organisations as possible, to express our concerns regarding her decision to go ahead with the SBORR. Will you join us in sending a letter to Minister Plibersek, and CC’ing in the other relevant Ministers listed below? They are:

To: Minister for Environment Tanya Plibersek tanya.plibersek.mp@aph.gov.au

CC: Minister for Infrastructure & Transport Catherine King Catherine.King.MP@aph.gov.au

CC: Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Carol Brown senator.carol.brown@aph.gov.au

CC: Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen chris.bowen.mp@aph.gov.au

CC: Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy Jenny McAllister jennifer.mcallister@aph.gov.au

CC: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese A.Albanese.MP@aph.gov.au

Here are some quick and easy options:

Option : Copy and paste this Federal submission link by Friends of The Gelorup Corridor into an email to Minister Plibersek. Request that she reads this 50 page report before making her final decision:

https://static1.squarespace.com/.../FOTGC+Inc+EPBC...

Option : Copy and paste points of your choosing from the above Friends of The Gelorup Corridor Federal submission into a new page, to form your own unique and factual letter. The letter should end by asking Minister Plibersek to deny approval to clear the Gelorup Corridor in favour of a lower impact route.

Option : template attached below - copy and paste the template into a new page. If you have time, customise it by adding your own changes, to make your letter different from others which will be sent.

A sincere thanks to all for your continued efforts to save this precious corridor

Template

*insert name/ organisations detail

*insert date

RE: Southern Section Bunbury Outer Ring Road

To the Honourable Minister Plibersek,

I am writing to you today regarding the southern section Bunbury Outer Ring Road which has been approved to go through dense bushland on the Gelorup Corridor.

This highway entails the demolition of 3,000 mature trees including Critically Endangered Tuart Woodlands, Endangered Banksia Woodlands and habitat for critically endangered and endangered species, which are classified as Matters Of National Environmental Significance under the Federal EPBC Act.

This impact is avoidable as there are 1,600 hectares of cleared open paddocks sitting adjacent, within which a low impact green alternative route has been identified. This alternative has a much lower impact on all flora, fauna and existing residences. It also has a state owned, high voltage powerline reserve running the entire length which would service infrastructure such as lighting and a future rail line. Both State and Federal guidelines advise that cleared land is preferable for major road infrastructure projects.

I understand that to satisfy Federal Environmental legislation, the proponent was required to submit this alternative route as part of the referral process.

The Southern Section Alignment Selection Report (SSASR, BORR IPT, 2019b) states the “primary purpose of the study being to identify whether a suitable alternative alignment exists from Hasties Rd to Bussell Highway that has lower environmental impacts compared to the GBRS (Gelorup Corridor) alignment”. (p.5 section 2.1).

The SSAR results clearly show that the Gelorup Corridor route has a significantly higher environmental impact than the green alternative route.

Section 10, Table 12 (pp. 68-69) clearly shows that the alternative green alignment has less impact on Flora and Vegetation.

Section 10, Table 13 (p.69) clearly shows the alternative green alignment has less impact on fauna

Section 10, Table 18 (pp. 73-75) clearly shows the Gelorup Corridor alignment has the greatest impact on MNES.

In fact, 96.4% of the vegetation in the green alternative route is either degraded or completely degraded (BORR IPT, 2019).

A “high level Multi Criteria Analysis” was used to assess and compare the Gelorup Corridor and green alternative routes. In addition to environmental impacts, a range of social, engineering and economic aspects were introduced to skew the final outcome. (p.90 SSAR, BORR Team,2019).

The Federal Environmental legislation required an investigation of alternate routes to compare the environmental impacts with regard to MNES. While the green route has potential impacts on non-environmental factors, that was not the purpose of the report under the EPBC Act. It is clear that on environmental factors alone, the low impact green alternative route should be selected as the proposed route to satisfy Federal environmental legislation.

In regard to low impact alternatives, there is also the option of Centenary Road which the proponent has wrongly dismissed. If implemented, Centenary Road will have an even lesser environmental impact and cost than the low impact green alternative route.

In recommending that the high impact Gelorup Corridor route be approved, the EPA has not followed it’s own policies. The proposal is contrary to several key objectives which are set out in the Environmental Protection Act 1986.

The proposal also contravenes the recommended Recovery Plan for the Western Ringtail Possums by causing loss of habitat and fragmentation of their home ranges. The EPA has ignored the MNES guidelines which stipulate that they should be protected at all costs.

Similarly with the 3 species of Black Cockatoo, the proposal contravenes their recommended recovery plan by causing fragmentation and loss of habitat for breeding and foraging areas. These cockatoos are also classified as Matters of National Environmental Significance which has again been ignored by the EPA.

Those are just a few of many examples which demonstrate that the assessment undertaken by the State EPA is invalid.

The Appeals Convener said in her May 2022 report that the proponent acknowledged clearing the mature trees on the Gelorup Corridor would release 16,000 tonnes of sequestered carbon back into the atmosphere. This is both avoidable and unacceptable given that there is a low impact option available over cleared land.

As surveys for the Critically Endangered Western Ringtail Possum throughout Gelorup will not finish until September 2022, it is not possible for the EPA to truly assess the proposal as the information is currently incomplete. The road design is also still incomplete including where it would dissect an environmental linkage, so it is currently not possible to determine the full impact that it would have on the surrounding environment.

Further, despite repeated formal requests from members of the Gelorup Community and the Friends of The Gelorup Corridor Inc over several years, the WA Labor Ministers have never visited the proposed site through the Gelorup Corridor. It is therefore unlikely that they fully understand the impacts proposed upon this peaceful bushland community.

The approved route through Gelorup is unsustainable as it is decades old, narrow with no provision for future widening and no provision for a future rail line. The community must be listened to, to ensure that roads built for our future are environmentally sustainable, socially acceptable and economically affordable.

The EPA and Federal Government has a responsibility to protect our environment. As the proponent has not genuinely attempted to avoid harm to our West Australian flora and fauna by adoption of the low impact green alternative route, we ask that you reconsider your approval to clear the Gelorup Corridor.

Approving this Corridor has contravened the approved conservation advice for all Matters of National Environmental Significance, which advises against further clearing and destruction of habitat.

Please note that for my records, I require a formal reply which addresses each specific concern raised today.

Thank you for your time.

Regards,

References:

Statement that a proposal may be implemented, Office of Appeals Convener:

https://www.epa.wa.gov.au/.../1714%20Statement%20for...

Bunbury Outer Ring Road Southern Section Alignment Report:

https://www.mainroads.wa.gov.au/.../borr-south-alignment...

Environmental Protection Act 1986:

https://www.legislation.wa.gov.au/.../Environmental...

Western Ringtail Possum Recovery Plan:

https://www.awe.gov.au/.../draft-recovery-plan-western...

Black Cockatoo Recovery Plan:

https://www.awe.gov.au/.../wa-forest-black-cockatoos...

EPA Bunbury Outer Ring Road Report, October 2021

https://www.epa.wa.gov.au/.../EPA%20Report%201714%20...

donate to the friends of gelorup

Bank: Bendigo Bunbury

BSB: 633 000

Account No: 168204873

Account Name: Friends of the Gelorup Corridor Inc.

Reference: 1st Initial Surname (compulsory)

Help To Save Our Community

Write an email to those in power

Here are some suggestions to include:

• The current plan is 40 years out of date

• The Capel Shire has failed to protect landowners from this road

• We rely on rain water and are concerned about contamination

• Road closures on the plan will make it hazardous during bushfire season

• This road will divide our community in two

if you want to make an even bigger impact, you could write to- 

Hon. Amber-Jade Sanderson, MLA, Minister for Environment, Climate Action and Commerce

5th Floor, Dumas House

2 Havelock Street, West Perth, WA 6005

Email: Minister.Sanderson@dpc.wa.gov.au

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Hon. Rita Saffioti MLA  Minister for Transport, Planning, Ports

9th Floor, Dumas House

2 Havelock St, West Perth, WA6005

Email: Minister.Saffioti@dpc.wa.gov.au

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Hon. Mark McGowan MLA

13th Floor, Dumas House,

2Havelock St, West Perth, 6005

Email: wa-government@dpc.wa.gov.au

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Hon. Jodie Hanns, MLA, Member for Collie-Preston

76 Forrest St, Collie, 6225

Email: Jodie.Hanns@mp.wa.gov.au

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Hon, Alannah MacTiernan, MLC, Minister for Regional Development…

11th Floor, Dumas House

2 Havelock St, West Perth, WA, 6005

Email: minister.mactirenan@dpc.wa.gov.au

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Hon. Jackie Jarvis, MLC, Deputy Chair of Committees

PO Box 1382,

Margaret River, 6285

Email: Jaclie.Jarvis@mp.wa.gov,au

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Hon. James Hayward MLC

Shadow Minister for Local Government, Water, Regional Cities,

Unit 2, 8 Cassowary Bend

Eaton, WA, 6232

Email: james.hayward@mp.wa.gov.au

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Mr Shane Love, MLA, Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Shadow Minister for Transport…

Shop 1, 17 Moreton Tce,

Dongara, WA, 6525

Email: MooreElectorate@dpc.wa.gov.au

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Hon. Mia Davies, MLA Leader of the Opposition

PO Box 92, Northam, WA, 6401

Email: Mia.Davies@mp.wa.gov.au

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Hon, Dr. Sally Talbot MLC

Deputy Chair of Committees

Unit 3, 9 Cassowary Bend, Eaton WA, 6232

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Hon. Steve Thomas, MLC  Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council

48 Spencer St

Bunbury, WA, 6230

Email:steve.thomas@mp.wa.gov.au

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Sophia Moermond, MLC,

Level 1, Stirling House

8 Parliament Place, WA 6005

Email: Sophia.moermond@mp.wa.gov.au

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Hon Don Punch, MLA, 

4/31 Victoria St, Bunbury, 6230

Email: Minister.Punch@dpc.wa.gov.au

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Hon. Dr Brad Pettitt MLC 

41 Havelock St

West Perth WA 6005

Email: Brad.Pettitt@mp.wa.gov.au

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Hon. Tjorn Sibma MLC

Shadow Minister for Environment

Suite 1, 43 Cedric Street, Stirling, WA, 6020

Email: tjorn.sibma@mp.wa.gov.au

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THREE HUNDRED AND THIRTY THREE MILLION AND SIXTY TWO THOUSAND LITRES OF WATER REQUIRED FOR THE SOUTHERN SECTION OF THE BORR WILL BE TAKEN FROM THE YARAGARDEE

From Friends of the Gelorup Corridor Inc. we hope that you are well. The world is facing the biggest disaster since the World Wars. We have had to change and adapt our lives significantly overnight. Many have lost jobs, the health workers amongst us face daily challenges and no one knows how long this will last or who will be affected.

Whilst we are aware that you will have other things on your mind, it is now evident that the Bunbury Outer Ring road is steaming ahead and will probably be pushed through as an infrastructure stimulus package once this crisis is over.

Social Impact statement: The social impact statement was released several weeks ago with no comment from any politicians. People have been bullied into selling their homes.

Dwer Water Licenses: water license applications have been advertised in the paper with the hope that no one will notice. If the corridor is cleared, the acid soil run off could potentially contaminate the aquifer thus rendering our water unusable. The YARAGARDEE is used by the south west region, including Capel shire, Bunbury and surrounds for drinking water, so poses a significant question as to whether the future of our water supply would be affected. 

Asphalt Plant: After the Capel Council unanimously rejected the application for the Asphalt plant it has now gone to appeal and will be back on the table if this appeal is successful.

EPA: We await the next EPA public comment period. A six week window of opportunity to once again ask for consideration to stop the destruction of our native flora and fauna.           

The construction of this freeway will not provide the stimulus the South West will need to get back on its’ feet once the Covid-19 crisis is over. Long term, sustainable jobs must be a priority and the money would be better spent helping local businesses get back to work.

We will continue to inform you and lobby for changes to the BORR thorough Gelorup but with the current restrictions and with the safety of our members will be using our new Website, emails and Facebook page as our sources of communication.

What can you do?

Be informed. Stay up to date. Follow our Facebook and Instagram pages, visit our website for up to date information. Email us with your questions - we are happy to email back or call you if that it easier. 

Write or email your objection to the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation. Email us at friendsofgelorup@gmail.com for a template and information about how to do this. This objections has to be submitted by the 13th April 2020

Write to politicians, media, celebrities about our cause. Information is on our website.

Finally, we are a community-based organisation who cares about our members and all the people in the area. If you are having difficulties with any of the restrictive policies, please let us know and we will try and find someone to help you out. Stay safe. You are not alone.

Contact Us:

Email: friendsofgelorup@gmail.com

Facebook:Friends of the Gelorup Corridor EST 1995     Instagram:@friendsofgelorupwa