Murray-Wellington MLA Robyn Clarke has promised Bindjareb people concerned about the Pinjarra Heavy Haulage Deviation project the State Government will not proceed without proper consultation with traditional owners.
Ms Clarke made the declaration at Friday’s State Budget Breakfast in the Peel region, saying the timeline for the $250 million project has been pushed out to ensure the appropriate community consultation is undertaken with Bindjareb traditional owners.
“We’re going to do the right thing and work with our Bindjareb people to do this in a culturally responsible way,” Ms Clarke said.
The heavy haulage deviation will provide a route around Pinjarra in a bid to reduce congestion and improve safety in the town centre, and streamline the increased freight demand that will service major State projects like Westport in Kwinana.
But while the project is widely supported by Pinjarra residents, Bindjareb traditional owners have also raised concerns over the impact it will have on the Pinjarra Massacre site.
The deviation will require the construction of a road and bridge over the banks of the Murray River, where it is believed the remains of Bindjareb traditional owners rest after the 1834 massacre.
On October 28, 1834, a group of about 25 soldiers, police and settlers led by governor James Stirling, Thomas Peel and John Septimus Roe killed an estimated dozens of Bindjareb people.
Accounts of the notorious massacre remain hotly contested, with Stirling’s official account reporting about 15 Bindjareb men were killed and other accounts estimating up to at least 80 Bindjareb men, women and children.
It is understood Bindjareb traditional owners recently met to discuss the project’s impact and collate any concerns to bring back to the government.
The outcomes from the meeting, facilitated by Aboriginal Land Services, are yet to be revealed.
On Friday, Ms Clarke was steadfast in her commitment to culturally informed and appropriate consultation.
“Until we have proper Indigenous consultation and communication, we cannot have that bridge and that road,” she said.
While construction was originally due to commence at the end of 2024, the timeline will now see construction from 2026-28 after the planning and design process is complete by 2025.
Main Roads WA has since acknowledged the culturally sensitive issue in its project page online.
“We understand and respect areas associated with the Pinjarra Massacre and recognise these are both culturally sensitive to the Aboriginal community and highly significant in terms of national heritage,” the page says.
“Consequently, in April 2023, we are recommencing community and stakeholder engagement with Traditional Owners and their community members to help inform the project.”
The Federal Government has committed $200m and the State Government $50m to the project.