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Bayswater residents take wetlands fight to Parliament House

Toyah ShakespeareEastern Reporter

BAYSWATER residents continued their campaign to save the Carter’s wetland from development when they took to the steps of Parliament House this morning.

A 3000-strong petition was tabled in parliament, calling for the Minister for Planning Donna Faragher to grant a planning control area for the wetlands next to the Eric Singleton Bird Sanctuary.

The Skipper’s Row subdivision drew public outcry when bulldozers began works last month, after the WA Planning Commission (WAPC) approved the proposal despite a Bayswater City council refusal recommendation.

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At the beginning of month, council moved to try to buy the Carter’s wetlands portion of the subdivision.

No Houses in Wetlands member Rachael Roberts said the planning control area would aim to protect the area for five years until a more permanent solution could be found.

“The Minister for Planning has the ability to save the wetland,” she said.

Ms Roberts said, following the destruction of part of the wetlands, which was now halted, some oblong turtles had moved away from the area.

She said seven 3cm oblong turtles were found to have travelled to a nearby residential pool, something that had never happened before.

Ms Roberts said she also called on the D’Orazio and Carter families to work together to resolve the cul-de-sac issue; the Carters gave permission for the D’Orazio’s to create a cul-de-sac on their portion of the land.

Murdoch University’s Jane Chambers was assisting group to look at the sites environmental values.

Maylands MLA Lisa Baker said she called on the Minister to create the control area to prevent any “further desecration of the wetlands”.

She said the owners of the blocked lived all over world, which was making negotiations difficult.

Gosnells MLA Chris Tallentire said the site was integral to the health of the whole Swan River system.