Community Update: 22 September 2017

The City of Kalamunda has been in discussions with the developer, community members and Main Roads regarding 10 - 13 Gum Trees, proposed to be removed for the St Peters Jacobite Syrian Church to construct a slip lane, on Welshpool Road East.

Mayor Andrew Waddell, attended a public meeting regarding this matter on Monday 18 September. The Mayor requested staff to contact Main Roads to discuss potential options, following community concern regarding the removal of the trees.

Main Roads officers met with City of Kalamunda officers on Thursday to further discuss access to the new development.

Both Main Roads and the City agree that a slip lane is necessary in the interests of road safety, if access is to come off Welshpool Road East.

Mayor Waddell said: “Main Roads statistics indicate there have been 127 crashes on Welshpool Road East between Boundary Road and Crystal Brook Road on the last ten years, which resulted in five fatalities.

“Following this the City installed wire rope barriers on the southern carriageway in accordance with a national BlackSpot Project which received 100% Federal Government funding. These works were completed in June 2016.

“City staff have also spoken with the developer who advised they were open to considering alternative solutions.

“At this stage the only solution would be for the developer to seek access from another landowner.”

“We are now calling on the developer to enter into negotiations with adjoining land owners if they do want to save the trees.

“The developer is advising this is cost prohibitive.”

“It is extremely disappointing that they seem to be putting costs over community safety and the trees.”

“If the developer wished to retain the trees they must consider access other than from Welshpool Road East.”

“This is about saving lives. We cannot allow another entry point from Welshpool Road East without controls, as it is not safe.”

“If the developer goes ahead with the approval and creates the slip lane council has required them to replant new trees for any they remove.”

The City has already considered the constraints the existing trees pose in this area and have reduced the length of the combined left turn pocket and bus embayment to minimise the impact on the existing trees in this area and still meet Austroads standards. This was the option approved in November 2016.

Ten trees will need to be removed to construct the slip lane if the developer wishes to have access onto Welshpool Road East.

There are more than 800 trees along that stretch of Welshpool Road East, with 169 Scented Gums.

If the developer chooses to proceed with access to the site from Welshpool Road East the 10 lemon scented gums represent 6% of that species and less than 1.2% of the total number of trees on the street.

The developer is also required to submit a landscaping plan, and could replace the lemon scented gums next to the slip lane if they proceed as planned.