Efforts to rehabilitate land damaged by Roe 8 works exceeding expectations

Almost a decade after parts of sensitive West Australian bushland were razed for a controversial Roe Highway extension that was never completed, efforts to restore the area have exceeded expectations.

But while conservationists say rehabilitation is on track, it will take centuries to get back what took just months to destroy.

The extension of Perth's Roe Highway, known as Roe 8, was planned to ease congestion by providing trucks better access to the city's only freight port in Fremantle.

It was a part of the Liberal government's $1.9 billion Perth Freight Link, a heavy-haulage route designed to ease congestion.

The government said the project would take 2,000 trucks off Leach Highway between the freeway and Stirling Highway each day, and thousands more off surrounding roads.

But the project meant clearing parts of Beeliar Wetlands, with environmentalists warning it would devastate the area and destroy habitats for endangered animals such as Carnaby's black cockatoos.

The project sparked one of the state's most heated debates between government and the community.

Tensions erupted in 2017 as bulldozers began tearing down trees and protesters began tearing down fences, while court battles over environmental approvals were taking place in the background.

When Mark McGowan's Labor won the state election in March of that year, it suspended all work on Roe 8 indefinitely.

Damage done

Preliminary work on the extension began in 2016, causing damage to the bushland. 

The Liberal government argued the highway extension could be built using a method that minimised environmental impacts by bridging over the wetlands.

Then-premier Colin Barnett defended his decision to push forward with the project, citing benefits for the economy and road safety.

Research consultant Nandi Chinna has been a part of the Save Beeliar Wetlands group since 2008 and protested against Roe 8.

She said it was "exhausting", a "traumatic time" that still makes her emotional.

"Our lives were taken over by it, and we sort of felt like we'd become part of a peaceful army, I suppose," she said.

"We didn't know whether we would lose everything."

Standing in the area she fought to protect, Ms Chinna said she was proud.

"We're still here, fixing up the damage," she said.

"You have to draw a line in the sand somewhere, or a line in the mud in the wetland, and say, 'You can't keep doing this.'"

Rehabilitation success

The 10-year project "Rehabilitating Roe 8" was jointly funded by Main Roads and the City of Cockburn.

The City of Cockburn said its recent survey tracking the rehabilitation of 18 hectares across eight habitat zones has shown promising results.

The city's Adam Peck said the re-vegetation has exceeded his expectations.

"I'm really impressed with the way the bush has come back in that short period," he said.

Mr Peck said the survey showed the program's success and credited the more than 280,000 seedlings planted about eight years ago.

"[We've had] over 4,300 animals detected and 97 different species," he said.

"We've gone from virtually zero plants in the cleared area to probably over 200,000 plants on the ground now."

Before: This aerial image shows the extent of the destruction in 2017 . . After: and how it had recovered by August 2026.. .

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Results also detected the return of about six species to the area, including Carnaby's cockatoos and quendas.

But the project has had its challenges.

"Some of the plants are quite hard to propagate; for instance, orchids have to come in naturally," Mr Peck said.

"We can't plant them.

"And when an area is cleared, the microclimate is really hot, so it is hard to establish native plants."

Cockburn Mayor Logan Howlett has been in his position for 18 years and said he spent hours protesting alongside the community.

Cr Howlett is pleased with the progress made.

"You'd say nothing ever occurred except the trees are lower, smaller and the bushland's not as dense," he said.

"It's probably 30 per cent back to what it should be," he said

The Cook Labor government officially closed the Perth Freight Link project in January 2025.

Cr Howlett said as the rehabilitation project nears completion, reports of its success will be presented to the government.

"We don't want to stop after 10 years," he said.

"The initial work's been done, but there's also a lot of work still to be done."