Aboriginal Heritage Consultant to commence heritage surveys
 
As part of the project approvals process South Metro Connect will undertake extensive Aboriginal ethnographic and archaeological investigations and consult with Traditional Owner groups to ensure that heritage values of the area are understood and respected, and opportunities for enhancement and improved cultural awareness are explored. South Metro Connect has recently engaged the heritage consultant Australian Cultural Heritage Management (ACHM) which will commence heritage surveys this month.
 
ACHM will investigate and make recommendations for managing identified Aboriginal heritage issues that may be affected by the proposed extension of Roe Highway from Kwinana Freeway in Jandakot to Stock Road in Coolbellup, in accordance with the requirements of the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972 (AHA). Preliminary indications are that at least 2 sites will be impacted by the proposed Roe Highway development. The extent and detail of impact to the sites will be determined during the heritage surveys.
 
South Metro Connect will also seek advice from traditional owners during the heritage surveys regarding opportunities for the protection and, if appropriate, enhancement of Aboriginal heritage both in the immediate
vicinity of the project and the surrounding region.
 
Places customarily used by, or traditional to, the Aboriginal people of Western Australia are protected under the Aboriginal Heritage Act. If the surveys confirm that the final alignment of the road will impact on heritage sites consent to disturb these sites will be required from the Aboriginal Cultural Material Committee and Minister for Indigenous Affairs.
 
Applications to the Aboriginal Cultural Material Committee and Minister for Indigenous Affairs are required to be supported by a report detailing the outcome of all archaeological and ethnographic (study of human culture) investigations and consultation undertaken during the course of project heritage assessments. Aboriginal Heritage is also protected by the Commonwealth through the provisions of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Heritage Protection Act, 1984, which is administered by the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts.
 
For more information on Aboriginal Heritage or the surveys to be completed please visit the Cultural section of this website or contact us on 1800 132 572.
 
 
Look out for your Progress Update Brochure in your letterbox
 
Brochures are currently being developed to inform residents of changes made to the concept designs for the proposed Roe Highway Extension. The brochures selectively target areas where significant changes have been made and will be distributed to residents living in these areas. Downloadable copies will be available in the ‘Resources’ section of the project website. Many of the changes made to the concept designs are a result of discussions and comments received from the community at the design workshops held earlier this year.
 
If you have any questions in relation to the brochures please call us on 1800 132 572 or send an email to enquiries@southmetroconnect.com.au. Alternatively please feel free to visit our shopfront at 18 Blackly Row, Cockburn Central (Yangebup) 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday.
 
 
Your Safety Our Priority; Towards Zero
 
South Metro Connect has developed an integral partnership with the Safe Systems Working Group to implement measures that will minimise the number of people killed or seriously injured on the Roe Highway Extension project when completed.
 
Community values regarding safety and security on Western Australian roads, obtained during development of Main Roads’ sustainability strategy, were instrumental in establishing the Safe Systems Working Group, which was formed in mid 2007. Since its formation the Safe Systems Working Group has developed a framework that contains specific design criteria for significantly reducing crash severity and road trauma. This framework, Towards Zero, was first applied to WA’s largest road infrastructure project, the New Perth Bunbury Highway, and subsequently to the Mandurah Entrance Road project which is currently under construction.
 
“Safe road design needs to be complemented by good driving behaviour. Once you have implemented the elements of a safe road into the design to ensure that the road is as safe as possible the risk of road trauma is reduced but not negated. The road user also has a major responsibility to ensure road safety”, said Mr Sarkis Petrossian, chairperson of the Safe Systems Working Group.
 
The Safe Systems Working Group is an independent group comprising road safety specialists from Main Roads, the Office of Road Safety, Engineers Australia Transport Panel and the Curtin-Monash Accident Research Centre. The group is committed to finding sustainable road engineering and road safety solutions. It will apply the “Towards Zero Framework” to the current road design concepts which includes measures to prevent serious injury and death such as additional safety barriers, innovative intersection treatments, forgiving road and roadside design features, appropriate signage and intelligent transport systems that aid the driver.
 
Iain Cameron, Executive Director of the Office of Road Safety and a member of the Safe Systems Working Group, explained this further:
“The Safe Roads and Roadsides initiatives outlined in Towards Zero have the potential to save 2,700 people from being killed or seriously injured over the life of the strategy. It is important to ensure road safety is incorporated in the planning phase of road design so we can leave a lasting legacy of an inherently safe road network for future Western Australians.”
 
In addition to preserving lives and reducing road trauma, application of Safe Systems principles on the Roe Highway Extension project will also ensure that the complex environment within the Beeliar Wetlands will remain intact by preventing crashes that may affect environmentally sensitive areas.
 
 
Environmental Scoping Document available in your local library
 
South Metro Connect submitted an Environmental Scoping document on the 22 April 2010 to the Office of the Environmental Protection Authority (OEPA). The OEPA approved the document on 11 June 2010 following some requested minor amendments.
 
This document has been made available in the reference section at the
following libraries:
  • Spearwood Library
  • Coolbellup Library
  • Success Library, and
  • Melville Civic Square Library