SAVE STATE SIGNIFICANT BUSHLAND & STOP ENVIRONMENTALLY DESTRUCTIVE FREEWAYS

URGENT REQUEST FOR PEOPLE TO JOIN COMMUNITY PICKET AROUND ENDANGERED GRASSY WOODLAND NEAR FRANKSTON       (PENINSULA-LINK FREEWAY BULLDOZERS SET TO MOVE IN)

 

 

 

BACKGROUND

Congratulations to those who staffed the community picket today. It stopped the destruction of the westerfield bushland for today at least, let's hope for long enough for the Government to more seriously consider whether they could save all or as much as possible of this priceless environmental and heritage-listed asset.

 

Environmentally destructive and unnecessary Peninsula Link freeway is the first freeway State Government has approved under its new Major Transport Projects Facilitation Act. That act appears to allow construction projects to be pushed through without meaningful environmental safeguards or public scrutiny.

Bulldozers for construction company LMA have already destroyed valuable woodland habitat on the Peninsula Link route and are now poised to move into a very rare, diverse example of endangered Grassy Woodland on the Heritage Victoria listed Westerfield Property. The owners of this property, Simon and Joyce Welsh, have been caring for this habitat for decades and have appealed to Heritage Victoria about whether the freeway should be allowed to push through it, or whether alternative routes or a tunnel should be required. Or whether the area of bushland to be taken can be reduced if the on/off ramps are shortened or if the proposed Shared pedestrian/bicycle Path remains where it is alongside the nearby railway line instead of moving to the freeway reservation Under the Major Transport Projects act, LMA are able to bulldoze through without waiting for a ruling from Heritage Victoria, without completing an environmental management plan, and without finding offsets for their intended habitat destruction. This total disregard of environmental values and due process needs to stop. This is a freeway we don’t need – more public transport and improvements to existing roads are a much better solution to transport needs of Frankston and Mornington Peninsula.

A community picket around the Westerfield property was started early this morning, and so far construction workers and bulldozers have stayed on the outside. Frankston mayor Christine Richards and local MPs Neil Burgess and David Morris (Liberal Party) are amongst those who have spoken out against the environmental destruction. However the organisers desperately need more people to continue the picket tomorrow, and possibly on Wednesday, covering both sides of the property.

If you can spare some time tomorrow, or Wednesday, please contact Gillian Collins on 0414 309 960, picket organiser, coordinator Friends of The Pines Flora and Fauna Reserve. Please see attached map of how to get to the Westerfield property (please save first otherwise map becomes scrambled).