Land restoration exceeds expectations after highway project halt
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Main Roads and the City of Cockburn in Western Australia have seen positive results from their ten-year project to rehabilitate bushland damaged by the abandoned Roe 8 highway extension.
Almost a decade ago, the state government cancelled the controversial Roe 8 project, which would have extended Perth’s Roe Highway and connected it to Fremantle’s freight port.
The project’s construction had already begun to clear parts of the Beeliar Wetlands, sparking protests from conservationists concerned about habitats for endangered species like Carnaby’s black cockatoos. After work stopped in 2017, the City of Cockburn and Main Roads partnered to restore the damaged land. Recent surveys of the 18-hectare rehabilitation area show the re-vegetation efforts have surpassed expectations, with over 200,000 plants now established.
Researchers detected more than 4,300 animals representing 97 different species, including the return of Carnaby's cockatoos and quendas, a type of marsupial native to Australia. Despite the success, officials acknowledge complete restoration will take centuries. Challenges remain, as some plants, like scented sun orchids, must return naturally, and the cleared land initially created a harsh microclimate for new growth.
City of Cockburn Mayor Logan Howlett, who previously protested the highway project, now hopes to extend the rehabilitation work beyond the initial ten-year plan.
