Land clearing WA

Land clearing is the single biggest threat to biodiversity in Australia, and a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change.

Despite 80% of the Swan Coastal Plain (Perth and its surrounds) being cleared for industry, housing and development, the remaining bushlands and wetlands that provide crucial habitat for the survival of flora and wildlife continue to be cleared at an alarming rate.

Local community groups are campaigning hard to turn this around, from Bunbury to suburban Shenton Park, local people are saying enough is enough. No more clearing of our beautiful, remnant bushland for development!

Please read on, and support the actions of your local community by learning about the issue and writing to your local Member, and the Premier Alan Carpenter, or Environment Minister David Templeman.

Thank you.

Save North Lake Campaign

North Lake needs your support. It is threatened by the Roe Highway stage 8. This road would cut a huge swathe through the pristine bushland and wetlands and also impact on Bibra Lake.

Many Government reports have recommended that the Roe Hwy should not proceed. The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure has promised to delete it from the Metropolitan Region Scheme, but the roads lobby is resisting and calling for it to be built.  We need to respond urgently.

A comprehensive web site to explain the history of this issue and the values of North and Bibra Lakes has been created. There are also suggestions about what you can do to help in the ‘How to Help’ page. It only takes a few seconds to send a powerful message to the Minister, asking her to save North Lake.

Please help. Go to www.savenorthlake.com.au  and send a letter to the Minister. Future generations will thank you for it.

Save Underwood Avenue Bushland

Underwood Avenue Bushland consists of 32 hectares of unique Banksia, Tuart and Jarrah bushland (on the corner of Underwood Ave and Selby St, Floreat) and forms a vital part of a bush corridor linking Kings Park, Shenton Bushland and Bold Park. This important urban bushland area is currently under threat of being cleared, fragmented, developed for housing and ultimately destroyed.

Despite strong community opposition, The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has recommended approval for UWA to develop and sell Underwood Avenue Bushland for a residential subdivision involving the clearance of at least 13 hectares of regionally significant remnant bushland (Bulletin 1272 of October, 2007).

It is now in the hands of the Minister for the Environment and the Commonwealth Government to decide whether to approve or reject this proposal. We would like to show our support for the protection of Underwood Avenue and encourage the Minister for the Environment and the Commonwealth Government to reject this inappropriate development proposal.

Go to www.saveunderwood.org

College Grove – Bunbury

At College Grove, Bunbury, the State Government development agency, Landcorp, is clearing vulnerable tuart trees and removing habitat for the rare ring-tailed possum to build a housing development.

Over the course of the community campaign to prevent the destruction, hundreds of local people have turned out to walk through the forest, set up camps and build tree sits high in the Tuart tree canopies. A local group, Concerned Independent Activists (CIA), has also had several arrests due to their occupation of the forest.

For the latest information on the campaign and how to support them, visit http://www.freewebs.com/swec_wa/home.htm