2017-12-16
Rob Delves
The December 2014 meeting of the Fremantle-Tangney Regional Group attracted larger-than-usual numbers, as it had been announced that the main item was deciding on our major community campaign for 2015 – and members were spoiling for a big campaign year. Refugees, climate change and several other issues were canvassed, but the meeting achieved strong consensus on a campaign to oppose Roe 8: the extension of Roe Highway westwards from its junction with the Kwinana Freeway. Even larger numbers turned up when we invited Kate Kelly and others from the Save Beeliar Wetlands Coalition to help us start planning at our first RG meeting in 2015. Fremantle-Tangney had grasped its issue and we were itching to sprint out of the starting blocks – though few of us would have predicted that this was actually the starting line of a two year marathon.
At our December meeting, the deciding factor had been that Roe 8 combined several issues that were absolutely central to Green politics: saving precious places, sustainable transport and reducing greenhouse emissions, preserving Aboriginal heritage, participatory democracy. During the campaign, several other important issues were added to this list. As this campaign progressed through 2015 and onto the March 2017 election, I continued to be amazed by the breadth of issues it encompassed. The multi-dimensional nature of Roe 8 is the main theme explored in this wonderful book, which ends with recommendations across 15 different areas.
Responding to community opposition to Roe 8 in the lead-up to the 2001 state election, the incoming Labor government took the project off the agenda. When Colin Barnett included a promise to build Roe 8 on the hustings in 2008, organisations opposed to this highway stepped up their campaign under a coalition called Save Beeliar Wetlands. Several Greens have been active in this organisation from the beginning. Despite Barnetts commitment, Roe 8 was barely mentioned in the next six years. What thrust it back onto the governments agenda was Tony Abbotts funding of the Perth Freight Link (PFL) in the 2014 budget. Now Barnett and co were all over the need to urgently build the PFL from the Kwinana Freeway to Fremantle Port. Construction would start with Roe 8 to Stock Road ASAP and then somehow find its geographic and economic way to the Fremantle Port in two stages - Roe 9 and 10 (“trust us - well tell you the details later”).
Chapter 5 of this book is titled A Twenty-First Century Grassroots Protest. It is written by Kim Dravnieks and three other campaign leaders. The chapter begins by describing the community response from early 2015. Although it acknowledges the initiatives of the Fremantle-Tangney Greens, I think the description understates our role, especially in the early stages. However, from the outset, we understood that this campaign was about outcomes and not about Greens promotion: therefore we not only pledged to work closely with other community groups seeking this outcome, but also to seek to expand the coalition. This section of chapter 5 perfectly captures the important fact that the campaign succeeded because it very quickly drew so many community groups together (page 83):
Meanwhile, in early 2015 a non-party organisation called Rethink The Link was formed with the backing of The Greens (WA) Fremantle branch and Kim Dravnieks as coordinator. They quickly set to work doorknocking and holding stalls in East Fremantle and Palmyra, informing unaware residents of the plans for a new freight tollway through the suburbs. Rethink The Link formed strong bonds with many like-minded organisations and together in July 2015 they formed the Rethink The Perth Freight Link Alliance. The alliance grew quickly, eventually numbering over thirty-five local organisations and five WA local governments.
Im proud of the way that so many Greens committed to this campaign over the long haul, choosing roles that suited the amount of time they could spare and their personality (I baulked at getting arrested, but many embraced it!). Our MPs, especially Lynn and Scott, were exceptional. Im in awe of the leadership provided by several Fremantle-Tangney Greens: Kim Dravnieks, Robyn Williams, Ted Griffin, Grainne ODonovan, Felicity Bairstow (apologies for some Ive certainly omitted). Amazing leaders also emerged from other community groups in the coalition. Kim and Felicity contributed to this book, along with other Greens including Leah Knapp, Nandi Chinna, Joe Dortch and Renee Pettitt-Schipp.
At 300 pages, Never Again can be skimmed in a single (OK, lengthy) session to provide an overview of the reasons people fought so hard to protect the Beeliar Wetlands in all their wonderful diversity (including their Aboriginal heritage), to demand more sustainable transport solutions, and to ensure much fairer, more democratic and inclusive decision-making.
However, it deserves a prominent, easy-to-find place on every Green bookshelf because its wealth of detailed information can be referred to again and again. One example is the longest chapter which details the history of Roe 8 and the PFL from the 1950s to today, in the context of changes in ideas about transport and land use planning. It is painful to recall the now discredited monocultural Car is King mentality of the fifties and sixties, though as a 10 year old I recall feeling very modern and witty chanting with my school pals the catchy slogan “be insane, go by train”. Not totally discredited, however: Tony Abbotts 2013 wonder-book Battlelines includes a chapter entitled “Kings in their own cars!” (that book isnt required reading for anyone applying for Greens membership) The biodiversity chapter 4 is another one to savour for its detailed stories and information about the plant and animal life of the Beeliar Wetlands.
The book is called Never Again because its myriad stories lead inexorably towards an understanding of what needs to change so that this sort of environmental, social and financial disaster can never happen again. Some recommendations are specific to this campaign: Remove Roe 8 from the Metropolitan Regional Scheme and replace it with a Community Wildlife Corridor which will include archaeological investigations of Aboriginal heritage sites; complete a master plan for the Outer Harbour and begin the regeneration of the South Victoria Quay section of Fremantle Harbour linking the Passenger Terminal to the CBD with attractive “walkability-based” mixed uses.
Other recommendations refer to using the Roe 8 experience to improve future decision-making about any major urban infrastructure development. Some interesting ideas are presented. The proposal for deliberative democracy forums has been discussed in Green Issue previously by Janette Hartz-Karp, who has the main input into that proposal here. Extensive reform of the Aboriginal Heritage process is another important recommendation - one that our Greens MPs have long advocated.
Taming the power of what many of us lovingly call 'Mad Roads is long overdue – other states incorporated Main Roads into their Department of Transport years ago. As a 1989 Victorian import I know the primary reason why WA chooses to do some things is simply to be different to the eastern states, but it helps if the thing we are doing also makes some sense. Having the Supreme God of Main Roads separate from and above other transport bodies makes no sense: integrated land use and transport planning urgently needs to arrive in WA, with Main Roads sharing an “important-but-equal” role with other agencies.
Above all, this book is a celebration of grassroots protest and the value of local engagement in decision-making. Enjoy your skim through this multitude of issues. Then keep the book as a handy, frequent reference for the next big campaign against the insane idea that massive road-building – with a good dose of environmental and heritage trashing thrown in – is the way to achieve Accessibility-Nirvana.
Header photo: Kim Dravnieks with Never Again. Rob Delves