Roe Highway extension - PER

Extract from Hansard
[COUNCIL — Wednesday, 28 September 2011]
p7850d-7851a
Hon Lynn MacLaren; Hon Helen Morton

ROE HIGHWAY EXTENSION PUBLIC ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW

845. Hon LYNN MacLAREN to the minister representing the Minister for Environment:

(1) Is the minister aware of the reports “Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Survey of the Proposed Roe Highway
Extension” and “A Desktop Aboriginal Survey of the Roe Highway Extension within the City of
Cockburn, in Perth, Western Australia”, which were commissioned by South Metro Connect?

(2) Why were these documents not included as appendices in the Roe Highway extension public
environmental review?

(3) Is the minister aware of the former report’s finding that the majority of Nyoongah people consulted
were opposed to the project?

(4) Is the minister aware of the latter report’s finding that the North Lake area is an important site complex
and that SMC should redesign the highway alignment to avoid the three Aboriginal heritage sites that
lie directly in the proposed corridor?

(5) What action has SMC taken to address these concerns?

Hon HELEN MORTON replied:

I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question.

(1)–(5) The proposal to extend Roe Highway is currently the subject of an environmental impact assessment by
the Environmental Protection Authority. The public environmental review document was released in
June 2011 for a 12-week public review period. During this time, a number of submissions were
received, some of which raise concerns about impacts on Aboriginal heritage. All environmental issues
raised in submissions will be taken into consideration by the EPA as part of its assessment of the
proposal. The proponent will also be required to prepare and submit an adequate response to these
submissions.