A sod turning ceremony, marking the start of construction of a second access road for residents of the Bullsbrook estates Shady Hills and the new Yarrimbah Heights, was held on Monday 20 November. If ever there was a stark reminder of how pressing the need for this road is, the tinder-dry hills in the background at the start of a week of temperatures nudging 40 degrees certainly provided it!
Residents in Shady Hills have been advocating for improved access in and out of the estate for more than a decade. Subjected to many potentially catastrophic bushfires over the years, the long-awaited road has been made possible by a three-way funding model between the City of Swan, State Government and QUBE, developers of Yarrimbah Heights.
Stephen Cain, City of Swan CEO, Said, “Projects like this don’t happen without the support of various funding partners, and we are particularly grateful for the State Government for standing with local government and assisting at times like this.”
Swan Hills MLA Jessica Shaw – who announced the funding arrangement as part of the 2021 state election campaign, and off the back of the devastating Wooroloo bushfire which made its way to Bullsbrook – said, “This project has been a long time in a making. Local governments are responsible for local roads, but in this particular instance, it was glaringly obvious that we needed to do something.
“It was great to be able to secure the $1.9 million towards this project.”
Jessica also acknowledged the people power behind the project, particularly Shirley Routley, coordinator of Shady Hills Bushfire Ready Group and volunteer fire fighter.
“Shirley has been an absolute legend on behalf of her community,” she said. “Thank you for your advocacy to me, and thank you for standing up for your community. Things don’t get done without leadership in communities, and without people coming together.”
City of Swan Mayor Tanya Richardson said, “I’m really pleased to be able to mark the start of this project, which will deliver 3.85 kilometres of new road, and upgrade to 590 metres of existing road. This will give our residents more peace of mind.”
With sod turned and earthmoving equipment rolling in this week, the road is expected by to be completed by July 2024.
