’I’ve been dealing with facts, and people want to create some absurd assertions. One is that it’s a wildlife sanctuary. The CEO of the Burswood Park Board last week said there were 25 dead birds in April because of the water.
“The idea that somehow it’s currently a place where people are picnicking, I challenge you to go down and see if there’s anyone picnicking. It’s not being used by the community…because there’s no infrastructure there.
Transport Minister Rita Saffioti.Credit: Photo Ross Swanborough
“For a big part of the year, it’s a marshland whenever it’s raining.”
According to noise reports, some residents within 100 metres from the proposed racetrack may be subjected to noise around 91 decibels on race day. The World Health Organisation says exposure at that range should be limited to four hours per week.
Saffioti echoed the EPA’s decision and said noise could be managed, while taking aim at opponents of the project for sending personal attacks about her and Victoria Park MP Hannah Beazley’s families over social media and via email.
“I’m happy to have a debate about the facts of matters … but when people, to be honest, make some extraordinary claims, use AI images to try and portray something and send personal attacks to local members and to ministers – grubby personal attacks that are sent late at night attacking people’s family – I’m sorry, that is just not a debate that I’m wanting to engage in,” she said.
“I think when people have to go to extreme measures and have those personal attacks, I think they discount themselves from a normal debate.”
Saffioti would not name who was sending the attacks or what was said.
Beazley confirmed she had been subject to the personal attacks.
“Some of the discourse around the Burswood racetrack and the campaigners against it have become very personal and quite hurtful, and have involved my family members,” Beazley said.
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“As the treasurer has said, that does exclude them from the public discourse.”
Save Burswood Park co-convener Robin Harvey said the group was deeply disappointed by the decision.
“[The EPA] must be seen as an organisation that does not support the environment and the negative impact of government and big business, who champion developments that impact the environment and the community,” she said.
“The government submission was very scanty on actual detail around noise and environmental mitigation and the EPA has not called them out on it.
“877 submissions asked for a full public review and this has once again been ignored. What is the point of requesting public submissions if they are ignored?”
Harvey pointed out that a formal EPA environmental review was conducted for the Keysbrook and Kwinana motor racing sites.
“Why not for this project? Only 17 people live within 2 kilometres of the Keysbrook site compared with 35,000 to 40,000 people within 2 kilometres of the Burswood site, and Kwinana is buffered by an industrial area and setbacks,” she said.
“Our trust in government is at rock bottom.”
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