ALISON BOLAS is a long-time environmental and heritage campaigner. She lives in Hamilton Hill where she operates Randwick Stables, the oldest registered horse stables in WA.

THE state government recently released a proposed alternative route for the Perth Freight Link.

This so-called alternative includes the building of Roe 9 from Stock Road and the construction of a tunnel under Clontarf Hill, through Beaconsfield, White Gum Valley and finally emerges at the junction of High street and Stirling Highway.

But this is not an option with fewer social and environmental consequences than widening High Street, Leach Highway and Stock Road.

I have been dismayed to see how easily the community can be divided by the proposition of an alternative route that is in no way less destructive to the community than the original plan. The Perth Freight Link from the construction of Roe 8 through the beautiful and fragile Beeliar wetlands to its emergence in North Fremantle is a very expensive and destructive undertaking, whichever route is chosen.

Naive

I can only presume people who consider the tunnel a soft option are naïve and uninformed of the consequences. Obviously, as the tunnel is a major road tunnel it will require requisitioning of property and open-cut construction. Tunnelling through Clontarf Hill will destroy most, if not all, the natural vegetation, including the stands of Tuart trees either side of Healy Road.

Vibrations during construction will cause damage to homes in a significant area either side of the tunnel, as happened in Northbridge during the construction of the Graham Farmer Tunnel where many properties literally fell apart. The building of the tunnel will impact hugely on the residents of White Gum Valley, Beaconsfield, South Fremantle and Hamilton Hill both during its construction—the amount of noise, dust and obstruction—and afterwards as it will effectively divide communities. This particularly applies to the construction of Roe 9, a major freeway with huge walls dividing Hamilton Hill.

There is also a major health concern as the construction of the tunnel will include ventilation stacks to emit exhaust fumes that accumulate in the tunnel. These will contain both diesel gas and particulates. The gas contains carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulphur oxides and hydrocarbons including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as well as benzene, formaldehyde, inorganic lead, 3-nitrobenzathrone (one of the strongest carcinogens known).

Diesel particulates comprise of microscopic soot particles, PAHs and metallic compounds, most in the sub-micrometre range of 100 nanometres-ultrafine. Inhaled particles can easily penetrate deep into the lungs and the rough surfaces of these particles make it easy to bind with other toxins. Diesel particulates have been classified as a grade one carcinogen by the World Health Organization. The particulates have been linked to cancer and other health problems including asthma, other lung diseases, as well as heart disease and possibly immune system problems. A study published in the Lancet in 2011 concluded traffic exposure is the single most preventable trigger of heart attack in the general public.

The government will most likely attempt to reassure the public these exhaust fumes will be well dispersed within the atmosphere, as the NSW state government tried to do. However, remember this road is being built to primarily serve freight carrying trucks to the port, consistently emitting diesel exhaust.

The building of the tunnel will also considerably affect prominent heritage sites in Fremantle. The location will severely impact on the heritage-listed property Randwick Stables which will no longer be able to be maintained as a working stables and whose landmark and aesthetic qualities will be destroyed.

The tunnel will emerge in close proximity to the site of the original Hamilton Hill farm (circa 1830). Clontarf Hill is also incredibly significant to indigenous and early settler heritage and as previously stated will be destroyed to make way for the tunnel.

The building of Roe 9 will create a huge barrier dividing Hamilton Hill, destroying the natural bushland and green corridors that currently make the suburb a pleasant place to live. People require access to open spaces and wild areas to maintain their mental health and wellbeing. Furthermore the remanent bushland is essential as habitat for endangered species. We cannot continue to disregard the importance of these places in favour of economic interests that ultimately benefit the few.

We should not feel it necessary to argue for what we know to be important within the confines of corporate and government terms. The government is dismissive of environmental and social concerns and would rather argue from a purely economic point, which does not stand up to scrutiny anyway. However I believe it is important not to limit the discussion within terms and language that is biased in favour of the corporate world.

Linked

The Perth Freight Link, which is primarily to carry freight to the Fremantle Port from Kewdale, and the proposed privatisation of the port are intrinsically linked. The building of the link will justify the privatisation of the port, as the infrastructure will help facilitate its sale. Proceeds from selling the port could be used to justify the construction of the Perth Freight Link. The sale of the port to corporations makes it less likely the government will be able to build the outer harbour in Kwinana as this would take freight from Fremantle and impact on the profits of Fremantle’s corporate owners.

We could find ourselves in a no-win situation in which the interests of the community are given no consideration.

There is a viable alternative to the Perth Freight Link, that is to build the outer harbour at Kwinana where the infrastructure already exists to transport freight to the harbour by rail. There are also road alternatives with the upgrading of Leach Highway so traffic moves more efficiently and the creation of hubs for the distribution of containers, reducing the unnecessary transportation of empty containers by trucks.

It is very important we do not allow ourselves to be divided on this issue, and instead unite to oppose the Perth Freight Link, whatever route is chosen.