ABOUT 10 hectares of a Bush Forever site are under threat from a proposed housing subdivision near Jandakot Airport and Cockburn Central.

Cockburn council is this week poised to adopt a draft structure plan for the section of Banjup to be known as Treeby, which will pave the way for an additional 3500 – 3800 houses and a small shopping centre.

Endangered

The site is bounded by Jandakot, Armadale, Warton and Solomon Roads and has been severely affected by quarrying and sand mining, but the patchwork of remnant vegetation has been lumped together as Bush Forever site 390; home of an endangered species of spider orchid.

A report on the structure plan, prepared for the council by CLE town planners, says about 4.2 per cent of site 390 is already “completely degraded” or cleared and the only orchids to be affected are two small colonies outside the development area which are to be moved somewhere safer.

Almost 95 per cent of the Bush Forever site is to be retained.

The subdivision will appeal to the Darryl Kerrigan’s of the world, being smack under the departure corridor of one of Jandakot Airport’s runways.

While CLE says modelling shows the noise will be within tolerance levels for housing, homeowners will probably get a memorial on their title reminding them the airport was there first (in other words, “don’t bother complaining”).

It’s also on top of the Jandakot water mound, but the Department of Water says it’s prepared to downgrade the mound’s protection if the development follows best practice.

This would include making lot sizes that reduce garden areas so there’s less fertiliser or pesticides, and designing roads to minimise car crashes so there’ll be fewer fuel spills.

Homeowners would be encouraged to use native plants and all lots would include “at-source stormwater infiltration, rain gardens and water harvesting”.

CLE says the area is ripe for a housing development because of its proximity to Cockburn Central, the train station and Kwinana Freeway, as well as nearby employment.