CALLS TO PROTECT YAKAMIA FOREST IN ALBANY

Lester Coyne

Traditional Owners of Menang Noongar country are calling for stronger protection of the Greater Yakamia Forest near Albany as development pressures grow in the region.

A petition presented to the Parliament of Western Australia last month urges the government to halt plans to clear parts of the forest for a proposed road and instead consider alternative routes.  Supporters say the area provides important habitat for threatened wildlife, including the Western Ringtail Possum and several species of black cockatoos.

Elder Lester Coyne told Ngaarda Media "There's walk paths and tracks criss-crossing all the way through that we want to make into a walk forest all the way through, where people can come in and just idle through.  There's birds, possums, lizards, possibly snakes, there's any amount of creatures that live in here. This is home to them. So who else's home you want to knock down? It's ridiculous".

Mr Coyne said there is already a road being built nearby that could be used by emergency services as quickly as any new road and that building a new route would require significant clearing of vegetation, along with drainage works and major earthworks to make the area accessible.

Lester Coyne told Ngaarda Media "My message to the City of Albany is simple: take a close look at what’s being proposed. Use some common sense. There are routes that avoid destroying this bushland entirely".

The City of Albany told Ngaarda Media no final decision has been made on the location or design of Range Road and it will continue working with DPLH and other agencies to balance transport needs with environmental protection and community interests.

While there is broad agreement on the need for fast and reliable ambulance access, some community members argue that with careful planning, it is possible to improve emergency response times while still protecting the Yakamia Forest.

The issue ultimately comes down to how authorities balance competing priorities but many agree the outcome should not be at the expense of important bushland.