In the agricultural regions of Western Australia, road reserves are one of the few remaining refuges for remnant native vegetation, yet many older rural roads containing significant remnant vegetation are being progressively upgraded to accommodate increasing traffic, freight volumes and vehicle size. This paper describes Main Roads Western Australia's approach to reconciling its objective of conserving remnant vegetation with the need for better and safer roads. In addressing this challenge Main Roads is applying a strategic approach involving the avoidance of impacts on the best vegetation, and the development of regional-scale plans to coordinate revegetation efforts and to compensate for vegetation losses associated with future road upgrade projects. Advantages offered by this approach include more certainty in terms of environmental constraints and approvals for projects, opportunities to interface with broader regional conservation plans, and a net gain vegetation outcome demonstrated prior to clearing. Revegetation programs will also act as a vehicle for achieving other objectives such as roadside vegetation improvement targets. In doing so, the regional plans will utilise vegetation condition monitoring data that is now available utilising a drive-by digital photographic record. (a) For the covering entry of this conference, please see ITRD abstract no. 0612AR242E.
Abstract