Roe 8 Corridor Rehabilitation: 200,000 plants and 97 species return; ecosystem only 30% restored

Nearly a decade after a controversial highway project damaged sensitive bushland in Western Australia, a long-running rehabilitation effort is showing encouraging signs of ecological recovery, although restoring the landscape to its former condition remains a distant goal. According to a report by ABC News journalist Lauren Smith, a recent survey of the former Roe 8 highway corridor recorded 97 animal species across 18 hectares, alongside a substantial return of native vegetation. Information published by the City of Cockburn and the Western Australian government also outlines the continuing effort to rehabilitate the damaged land and protect the surrounding Beeliar Wetlands. Scroll down to read more…A highway project that left a lasting markThe Roe 8 extension was planned as part of the Perth Freight Link, a major road infrastructure proposal intended to improve freight access to Fremantle Port and ease congestion on surrounding roads. The project, however, became the focus of intense environmental opposition because its proposed route passed through ecologically sensitive bushland and wetlands.Preliminary work began in 2016, and land clearing escalated in early 2017. Conservation...