Tonkin Highway Grade Separated Interchanges (Hale Road and Welshpool Road)

Overview

Main Roads Western Australia has requested the EPA to suspend the public comment period for the Tonkin Highway Grade Separated Interchanges (Hale Road and Welshpool Road) referral.  In response to stakeholder consultation, MRWA have advised that it wishes to re-consider the design and provide further information to the EPA.  Main Roads will provide further information to the EPA once the  design of the interchange has been reconsidered.

The Commissioner of Main Roads Western Australia (Main Roads) is proposing to construct a single fly-over and grade-separated interchange at the existing intersections of Tonkin Highway and Hale Road in Forrestfield and Tonkin Highway and Welshpool Road in Wattle Grove respectively. In addition, Tonkin Highway will be re-constructed to a six-lane dual carriageway.

The proposal will result in the clearing of 33 hectare (ha) of vegetation within a 65 ha development envelope, and includes disturbance to:

• a Threatened Ecological Community
• Bush Forever (BF) sites
• Brixton Street Wetlands (Greater Brixton Wetlands BF site 387).
• threatened flora species Conospermum undulatum
• black cockatoo potential foraging habitat and potential breeding trees, none containing hollows.

Temporary groundwater dewatering will be required during construction.

Management and mitigation measures are proposed to be in place during the construction phase of this proposal.

Why your views matter

At this initial stage of the EIA process, comment is simply sought on whether or not the EPA should assess a proposal and, if so, what level of assessment is considered appropriate.

What happens next

Following the seven day public comment period and consideration of any comments received, the EPA will decide whether or not this proposal requires environmental impact assessment and, if so, what level of assessment will be applied.

The EPA's decisions on level of assessment are released each Monday on the EPA's website.