00:00Angry and disappointed, the Save the Greater Brixton Wetlands group losing their grip on
00:08their fight after a meeting with the City of Gosnell's Mayor turned sour.
00:13We went into the meeting today offering a different vision from what the Council had
00:19put forward.
00:20I took it that the Mayor was not facing up to the responsibilities that the City of Gosnell's
00:25has and that they're trying to greenwash this issue.
00:30The group wants to stop the Council's current plans to industrialise more than 250 hectares
00:36of land in Kenwick to expand buildings into the area.
00:40The rezoning is part of a larger industrial precinct under construction, but it goes against
00:45EPA advice due to concerns around the Reserve's complex hydrology.
00:50The City of Gosnell's told the ABC in a statement it's aware of the importance of protecting
00:55the wetlands, but that the area had been rezoned by the State Government for local use.
01:01It said the EPA report overlooks existing degradation of land surrounding the wetlands
01:07and that 95% of areas for this development holds little to no environmental value.
01:13But that's something the group, including several scientists, disagree with.
01:17Experts say this reserve, along with areas nearby, makes up about 1% of Greater Perth
01:23but is home to about half of the city's biodiversity.
01:26The whole of the southwest is a biodiversity hotspot, but this over here is the jewel in
01:31the ground of that biodiversity hotspot, so it must be looked after.
01:36The group says a proposal to build a regional park in the area instead is a better alternative.
01:43This issue has not stopped with this meeting.
01:47We will continue to go back to council meetings and ask questions.
01:51We will go to ministers and ask them to intervene.
01:54A fight far from over.
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