Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

leading the way in environmental design and construction. We have Senator Ludlam here wanting to hold up this $1.2 billion project of national significance in our home state of Western Australia because he hates roads and because, he tells us, he is so passionate about the Beeliar Wetlands. But here are the facts. How much of the Beeliar Wetlands do you think is impacted by the Roe highway extension? It is 0.49 per cent—0.49 per cent of the Beeliar Wetlands is impacted by the construction of the Roe 8 extension. Of course, this is not about facts! For the Labor Party, it is about a religious hatred of roads. I get that; we just have to agree to disagree. But do not come into this chamber and hold up the business of the nation for your ideological little vendettas. Just because you are not getting your way, just because the people of Western Australia have rejected your outdated and ideological views, is not a good enough reason for you to come into the Senate and hold up the business of the nation.

Let me continue. Over 1,000 hectares of high-quality conservation land has been acquired as offsets. So, No. 1, just 0.49 per cent of the entire Beeliar Wetlands is impacted by the Roe 8 highway extension. Over 1,000 hectares of high-quality conservation land has been acquired as offsets. And listen to this. The Labor party and the Greens kept telling us that they are interested in emissions reductions, in policies to reduce emissions. Guess what? When you stop forcing trucks to stop and start at 14 traffic lights, do you know what the effect of that is? Do you know what the effect of smoother traffic with freight, going to Fremantle port, is? It leads to a reduction in carbon emissions. In fact, this has been quantified. Roe 8 and Roe 9 are expected to save—to save—450,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions by 2031. Now, I would have thought that the Greens would be marching in the streets for us to put that money into—

Senator Pratt interjecting—

I would have thought the Greens would be marching in the streets to urge the government to get on with it, to get the Perth Freight Link built, to get the tunnel built, to get the Perth Freight Link finalised as quickly as possible so we can start reducing carbon emissions.

Let me continue. More than $45 million has been invested in Roe 8 to specifically accommodate environmental sensitivities and to provide better recreational access. We have bent over backwards, both the federal government and the state government, to ensure that this is a world-leading project when it comes to environmental design and construction. The construction is on land already partly cleared for overhead power lines, to minimise the environmental footprint. The state government in Western Australia is pursuing a restoration program at North Lake and Horse Paddock Swamp, including revegetation of degraded areas and weed control. Grass trees, zamia palms, melaleuca, Western Australian Christmas trees and native animals have been relocated. Wetlands bridges over Roe Swamp and Horse Paddock Swamp will maintain ecological connections for native animals. Top-down construction will minimise the clearing footprint.

These are all pieces of information that of course the Greens do not care about. Senator Ludlam comes into the Senate, holds up the business of the Senate, saying, 'I want to see the full, unredacted business case,' even though he knows it would do commercial harm—