Brixton Street Wetlands protestors voice concerns outside Gosnells council chambers

SAVE the Great Brixton Wetlands members gathered outside of the City of Gosnells’ council chambers last night to protest Linc Property’s nearby development.

Protestors set up before the meeting to voice their concerns surrounding the development taking place in precinct 3A of the Maddington Kenwick Strategic Employment Area, located close to the wetlands.

The group protested the proposed clearing of land within the precinct, which includes part of a major forest red-tailed black cockatoos roosting site.

The Great Cocky Count 2018 established the wetlands were home to the fourth-largest roost of forest red-tailed black cockatoos in the Perth-Peel region.

Protest organiser Paddy Cullen said the wetlands were a global biodiversity hotspot and must be protected.

“Not just a Gosnells hotspot, not just a Perth hotspot, not just an Australian hotspot, it’s a global hotspot. We need to preserve it,” he said.

“We don’t see why we can’t have an environmentally-friendly development. We’re not against development, but we want it to be a showcase of all that can be done well.”

Mr Cullen said the group wanted to protect the cockatoo roost from the clearing of land, they were also concerned about the development’s proposed ‘pit and pipe’ drainage.

“They’re talking about drainage that will take water away from the wetlands, we want an infiltration system which has been used successfully at the Perth Stadium,” he said.

“It will save the ratepayers money, as well as saving a home full of beautiful, incredible birds and all the other creatures.”

Linc Property previously released a statement which said it was wary of impacting the wetlands and a conservation strategy for the cockatoo roost was awaiting approval from the Department of Environment and Energy.