Planning History
The project underwent numerous planning studies and approval processes, which helped the State Government to determine the route and manage the impacts associated with its development.
Planning for a new route between Perth and Bunbury commenced in the 1970s as part of the original Corridor Plan for Perth and continued throughout the 1980s as part of the regional strategy for the South West corridor.
As part of this planning process, the route was included into the Metropolitan Region Scheme and relevant Town Planning Schemes.
At a State level, the reservation for the route was formally assessed by the WA Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) under the provisions of the WA Environmental Protection Act (1986) through a Public Environmental Review (PER). The project was subsequently granted environmental approval by the Minister for Environment.
At a Federal level, the project was also assessed under Part 8 of Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999 for both its direct and consequential impacts and was granted approval by the Minister for Heritage and Environment.
Consultation was undertaken with affected stakeholders and landowners, including the local Indigenous community.
Planning for the project has allowed for a future rapid transport corridor to be built within the median in the future to service the community’s growing transportation needs.
Why was the NPBH needed?
Rapid urban development in coastal areas in the Peel and South West regions, along with increased business and tourism opportunities contributed to substantial traffic growth in the Perth Bunbury corridor.
This population growth and the continued popularity of recreational areas within the South West increased traffic volumes on the existing coastal highway, which formed the main route to the region.
Traffic volumes on Old Coast Road were increasing by around seven per cent each year, creating greater levels of traffic congestion, reduced road safety and less transport efficiency. Similar traffic and safety problems were also occurring on South Western Highway, the secondary route between Perth and the South West, which still services several townships along the route, including Pinjarra.
These impacts reduced the level of service provided by the existing network, and contributed adversely to social and community issues. An increase in traffic was expected to continue in the Perth Bunbury corridor which would have resulted in an increase in service demands from the road network.
Why can’t the existing road be upgraded?
Progressively upgrading the existing network would maintain target performance, but it would not improve efficiency, safety or social amenity. To achieve this, a new road was needed to provide a viable alternative route and reduce traffic volumes on existing highways.
Public transport system improvements, such as the Southern Suburbs Railway, has catered for a greater number of trips between Perth and Mandurah and relieved some pressure. However, the regional road network will still need to be upgraded to meet the community’s growing needs.
In the year 2011, if the new highway was not built, traffic was estimated to reach around:
- 43,000 vehicles per day on the Mandurah Road;
- 9,500 on Old Coast Road, south of Lake Clifton; and
- 8,000 on South Western Highway, north of Pinjarra.
Estimates show that this growth would have increased travel times on the coastal road between Safety Bay Road and Lake Clifton from around 65 minutes to 70 minutes in 2011 and 90 minutes in 2021.
The continued growth of the State’s South West relies on an effective regional road network between Perth and Bunbury, and the Kwinana Freeway extension and Forrest Highway is critical in providing this network.