Tourism
Urbanisation of Perth Hills is contrary to Perth Hills position as a recreation, retreat and wilderness area for Perth. Visitors enjoy the hills for the natural environment, wildlife, hiking, mountain biking, our historic village pubs and to ‘get away from it all’.
Extending Perth’s urban sprawl with townsites modelled on template suburban designs, is the polar opposite of preserving the natural biodiverse environment for local, national and international tourism and for the untapped economic growth opportunities that arise from that.
“This project has so many levels of stupid. Perth is now one of the longest cities in the world and we have some of the worst urban sprawl of any city."
Dr. Brad Pettitt, MLC, Greens WA
1. The Perth Hills are a major feature of WA’s Southwest biodiverse and internationally recognised environment - one of the world’s few remaining Biodiversity Hotspots with outstanding natural environments, critically endangered native wildlife, and whose protection is considered essential at Federal Government and international UN level.
2. Already nearly 90% of all eucalyptus woodlands have been cleared throughout southwest WA (www.wwf.panda.org). This plan would see almost 160 more hectares of natural bushland and native habitat, including ancient Jarrah and Marri trees, destroyed.
3. Potential to preserve and continue to develop the Hills as a natural retreat and tourist haven, for recreation, education and connection to the natural environment.
4. At 534.6 hectares, the site is 136-hectares bigger than Kings Park, and larger in area than New York’s Central Park and London’s Hyde Park - combined. The area is part of an International Biodiversity Hotspot supporting highly sensitive and complex ecosystems that are known to be under threat. It represents a massive area that, as an urban housing estate, would be out of scale and scope with the surrounding rural landscape and Hills culture and environment.
5. Tourists won’t come to see urban sprawl. We should model Perth Hills on the visionary Adelaide Hills which enjoy their own ‘protection’ (much like WA’s coastal regions - protected by SPP 2.6), and are a highly valued environment and popular local, interstate and international tourist destination and attraction.