When it comes to progress within a community, it seems the ‘naysayers’ always seem to have the loudest voice. This has certainly been the case when it comes to the completion of the Roe Highway through to Fremantle Port.

A group that calls itself ‘Pro Roe’ has become increasingly concerned that the opinions of anti-Roe activists are the only ones being seen and heard within the community. To highlight the facts to the broader community, the Pro Roe group recently sought a briefing from the City of Melville on the benefits to the community of completing the Roe Highway as well as the risks of not completing it.

Mayor Russell Aubrey briefed the group and voiced the City’s strong support of the recent announcement by the state government that it would complete the road using a tunnel to minimise impact.

“The City of Melville firmly believes the only solution to growing traffic congestion and chaos throughout this region is to complete Roe Highway and take tens of thousands of vehicles and trucks off our local roads each day,” said Mayor Aubrey.

The Mayor also made reference to the City of Melville’s Fact Vs Fiction campaign that aims to address the misconceptions about the highway. Click here to read the 20 Facts and Fiction sheet.

The key benefits of completing the Roe Highway as highlighted by Mayor Aubrey are:

• Taking a significant number of cars and trucks off the road each day (an estimated 75,000 vehicles and 6,000 trucks).
• Significant reduction in pollution – airborne carcinogenic particles and greenhouse gases would be reduced by an estimated 450,000 tonnes by 2031.
• Estimated cost savings of more than $820 million in the 20 major road upgrades that would be required if the Roe Highway project didn’t proceed as planned.
• Further environmental benefits with the preservation of green open space, urban forest and the protection of significant natural regional assets.
• Ensuring no homes, properties or jobs are lost in Palmyra and Willagee due to growing congestion and the major upgrades that would be needed if the Roe Highway project didn’t go ahead.
• More long-term job opportunities in the region – less congestion will ensure ongoing business investment in the region and allow people to access new places of work.
• The establishment of an effective transport route for residents throughout the community would give people easier access to important destinations like Fiona Stanley Hospital and Perth Airport.