RIVERSLEA residents will rally at Darch Brook on Thursday as they continue to fight for a patch of nearby forest.
About 20 community members met on Wednesday night to discuss how to stop the controversial housing development by Walsec Pty Ltd.
Walsec plans to clear the bushland to make way for more than 70 houses.
Residents vowed to start the rally at 10am, before approaching government authorities for help.
The community is pretty adamant that no social license was granted – no consulting with the community to check it was alright.
- David Rastrick, Margaret River Regional Environment Centre
Margaret River Regional Environment Centre co-ordinator David Rastrick said protesters would contact Barry House MLA, Member for South West Region, and state planning minister John Day.
He said the residents’ meeting went well but more research and brainstorming was needed.
“It was really encouraging to see so many people there, concerned about it,” he said.
Residents discussed checking the development approvals that were granted in 2002, to see if they could be reassessed.
“The community is pretty adamant that no social license was granted – no consulting with the community to check it was alright,” Mr Rastrick said.
“One thing that was flagged was the possibility of the [Margaret River Perimeter Road] offsets. If there’s patches of bush being cleared for the ring road, they need to preserve patches of bush elsewhere.
“We’ll do all we can to make sure the bushland stays for the community, and we’re willing to negotiate with the developer to find a win-win.”
Earlier in the week, Walsec Pty Ltd owner Lex Piper said he had all the necessary approvals and he intended to go ahead with the development.
