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Post on 13-May-2018
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The Government, Main Roads WA and Melville Council all claim that building Roe 8 will be safer for our community. However, increasing the amount of trucks on our roads in our region will naturally increase the amount of accidents people experience. Apart from more accidents there are other key environmental and health concerns, which will be increased if Roe 8/Perth Freight Link is built. NOISE STRESS An increased level of noise is also a major health concern. Some sections of the freight freeway will be raised well above the surrounding suburban houses and businesses, amplifying noise from vehicles travelling at an increased speed to the current roads. Health reports show that high ambient noise causes stress to adults and children and has been linked to high blood pressure, loss of sleep and poor school performance. The 6 to 9 metre high sound barrier walls that will be placed just metres from some homes are visual intrusions but the concern is that these will only dampen not adequately deal with noise issues. AIR QUALITY One of the justifications for the Perth Freight Link is a projected doubling of heavy vehicle traffic over the next 15 years. Truck numbers at Stirling Bridge are expected to increase from less than 3000 per day to 13,000 per day if Roe 8/PFL is built.
POTENTIAL HEALTH IMPACTS OF THE PERTH FREIGHT LINK
Rethink Perth Freight Link is a growing alliance of 31 organisations and local Councils in opposition to the Perth Freight Link
www.rethinkthelink.com.au | facebook/rethinkthelink
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ALTERNATIVE SOLUTION TO THE PFL Building the Outer Harbour has had bipartisan support for many years as the Fremantle Port has been reaching its capacity. The Perth Freight Network Review in 2002 took 2 years of consulting with 150 stakeholder groups including industry, councils, planning authorities and community groups to develop an agreed strategy for freight. The alternative freight plan includes:
• better freight logistics management; • improvements to existing roads; • capping growth at the Fremantle port and transitioning to the
Outer Harbour in Kwinana; • moving more freight onto rail and using the intermodal hub at
Latitude 32 in Kwinana; and • using the Tonkin Hwy access from Kewdale to Kwinana, away
from urban populations. Councils such as Fremantle, East Fremantle, Mosman Park, Cockburn and Kwinana oppose the building of Roe 8 and the PFL and support the sustainable alternative freight solution. Rethink Perth Freight Link urge the government to stop all works on the PFL including Roe 8 until an analysis of all alternatives including the Outer Harbour are considered and a full public consultation has occurred with open and transparent processes taking place. Please take action by writing to the Premier and call for this too.
A parent’s response to MRWA’s PR campaign
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While many countries have set air quality standards with maximum levels of PM2.5, health experts have recognised that there probably is no safe level of Particulate Matter. The WHO declaration has been taken very seriously by cities such as Paris, where diesel vehicles will be banned by 2020. London is planning to follow suit. Whether the Roe 8/PFL is sited down Stock Road and Palmyra or goes through Hamilton Hill and White Gum Valley, with the help of the Freo Doctor we know that all residents will have increased diesel particulate exposure if we allow the freight link to be built in our urban communities.
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THE DANGER OF DIESEL The World Health Organisation (2012) has declared that diesel engine exhaust is a class 1. carcinogen, the same class as asbestos. Diesel engines are dangerous because they produce small particles called Particulate Matter, consisting of carbon bound to other pollutants. Very small particles with a diameter of less than 2.5 microns, known as PM2.5 can enter the airways through our lungs. This causes diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive airways disease, and increases the risk of heart disease, stroke and lung cancer.
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VALUE OF NATURAL SPACES TO COMMUNITY HEALTH There is a wealth of scientific evidence to show that the vicinity of natural areas and green spaces provide significant positive health benefits such as: · improved mental health and wellbeing; · increased likelihood of physical activity; · positive effects on children with reductions of ADHD symptoms; · reduced violence and aggression; · reduction in anti-‐social behaviour and incidence of crime; and · an improvement in air and noise quality. We know mental health issues and particularly suicide rates are greater now than ever before. Studies have shown that even if a person does not visit a park but lives within a short distance they can have improved mental health outcomes. VALUE OF CONNECTED COMMUNITIES The Perth Freight Link will reduce the connectivity between homes, schools and recreation areas, which will lead to a reduction in the use of cycling and walking for transport. WA reports show less than 60% of adults and 50% of children have sufficient physical activity, the lack of which is linked to cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. The full business case details, traffic modelling and final routes have not been released for public scrutiny. We believe that factors such as the loss of unique recreational spaces and natural bushland have not been fully considered in assessing the real cost to the community of the Roe 8/PFL. Our amenity, noise pollution, increase in accidents and the loss of connectivity within our communities must all be considered when a cost benefit ratio is developed for projects such as this.
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