Main Roads WA is consulting stakeholder organisations and the public as it tries to work out how to make Orrong Road right again. Or, at least, less wrong...
Last week, WestCycle was invited to a stakeholder workshop as Main Roads WA commenced an engagement process that will decide the future of Orrong Road and the communities that live, work, play, and learn near it.
Community members have until 30 September to submit an expression of interest in being part of a 70-person deliberative panel that will consider all options—yes, all—for what Orrong Road could be. More info and other ways to participate here.
If this collaborative process succeeds, it could set a new standard for how large state infrastructure projects are planned—emphasising genuine community engagement and shaping developments that truly reflect the needs and aspirations of the people they serve.
A new approach
We are allowing ourselves to feel a little optimistic about the Orrong Connect project. The approach Main Roads is taking this time is a significant departure from business as usual. The original plan for the road was to turn it into a trenched expressway, which would have further reinforced (entrenched?) the barrier between the Vic Park and Belmont communities and committed a huge sum of public funds to maintaining Perth’s dependence on private car transport.
This time, there is no plan. Everything is on the table. Our Active Transport Manager was ready for a fight and then the project team immediately disarmed her by talking about the importance of active transport and asking the community what they want.
It seems lessons were learned from the 2022 Charles Street Planning Study, which was spectacularly rejected by the North Perth community.
Charles St Planning Study: how not to do it
Charles St is a good case study for illustrating how different the current Orrong Connect approach seems to be, and why WestCycle is cautiously optimistic about it.
Firstly, the project was focused on solving a particular problem, which was how to efficiently move more vehicles (note, not people) from far away to the Perth CBD and beyond. If “movement of vehicles” is your number one priority, the road will be your central concern.
This is what annoyed the community so much. Charles Street isn’t just a “transport corridor” – it’s where they live.
The proposed concept would have resulted in the removal of these houses being removed, and around 300 other properties “impacted” (this could include losing a bit of land or entire structures).
Not that you would know that from just looking at the project website or its accompanying explainer video.
It’s not even immediately obvious when you look at the concept design. Look closely, however, and you can see the “proposed road reserve”:
Here’s the proposed new road reserve in purple:
Here are the houses shown in the video still:
Once you realise just how many houses would be “impacted” by the proposal, the video starts to feel less like a concept animation and more like propaganda:
While we would never suggest a government department would actually engage in propaganda, we do think it’s important not to take concept visualisations and project descriptions at face value.
For big state infrastructure projects, the documents with more detail are usually available at the bottom of the project website, though they can be difficult to interpret if you are not familiar with technical drawings and jargon. Community members are absolutely entitled to ask for these documents to be explained to them or to be provided in a more accessible format.
Back to Orrong Connect
Allowing stakeholders—especially community members—into the early visioning process for a road project is a bold move for a Main Roads WA, a traditionally conservative government department that has grappled with requirements for “engagement” in its projects. The Charles Street Planning Study, which marked a few hundred houses for destruction to facilitate even more car dependence, is an extreme example of many that show communities are tired of being “engaged” with as a token exercise once all meaningful decisions have already been made. To be honest, WestCycle is also tired of this! It was therefore a refreshing change to be invited to participate in a process that appears to be a genuine attempt to bring all ideas and perspectives to the table.
These routes are made for walking
WestCycle attended the first stakeholder workshop on 12 September 2024, alongside representatives from local government, the state transport portfolio, the Office of the Government Architect, the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage, and consultants in sustainability, urban design, transport planning, engineering, and landscape architecture associated with the project.
The format was a morning of presentations explaining the current context of the project area, followed by a “walkshop” at three locations on or near Orrong Road.
The vocal sentiment in the room was very much in favor of providing connectivity across Orrong Road to the surrounding neighborhoods and making it easier for people to walk, ride, and access quality public transport.
However, phrases like “win-for-traffic” appearing in the wordcloud suggest not everyone agreed with this vision (yet?).
That “traffic flow” ended up as a high priority for the project, despite all the great discussion about the opportunities for active transport and liveability, also points to how much cars dominate our imaginings of the places we live—even if it would mean more people could enjoy beautiful, safe, connected urban environments.
What now?
Now is the time to have your say.
Main Roads have outlined the engagement process as:
- September 2024
Broad engagement is now open. You can complete our survey, online map and attend pop-ups. You are also invited to express your interest (EOI) in being part of the deliberative panel.
- October 2024
Public survey closes for evaluation and review. Panel members are selected.
- November 2024
Deliberative panel gets to work, coming together over sessions between November 2024 and March 2025.
- March 2025
Deliberative panel reports on, and presents, its final recommendations on a plan for Orrong Road.
- April 2025-December 2026
Detailed planning and development. This phase will culminate in a submission to seek funding for construction.
What is a Deliberative Panel?
The Main Roads website for the project describes a deliberative panel as:
“…a demographically representative group of people brought together to collaborate and deliver a solution or recommendation to an issue or problem.”
Anyone is welcome to submit an Expression of Interest to be on the panel, and we encourage bike riders who share our values to put their hand up.
70 people will be selected in total.
From speaking with the project team earlier this year, WestCycle understands the composition of the panel will be
- 66% randomly selected from the nearby area
- 27% from community EOIs, and
- 7% targeted individuals, businesses, and organisations.
The aim is to create a panel that is representative of the wider community and includes people with specific needs and concerns.
Deliberative Panel members need to commit to the entire process including two days of workshops, and will be offered an honorarium of $450 for their participation.
We Encourage You to Get Involved
We urge everyone who lives, works, or spends time near Orrong Road to consider applying for the deliberative panel. This is a unique opportunity to play a direct role in shaping the future of your community. By bringing diverse voices together, we can collaborate on solutions that prioritize connectivity, safety, and sustainability over merely improving traffic flow.
Take Action
You can be involved in the project by (taken from Orrong Connect – Participate):
- Completing an online survey at MySayTransport
- Pinning your insights on the interactive map
- Providing your comments on the ideas board
- Visiting members of the project team at one of these local pop-up information sessions:
- Thursday 26 September, 3pm-6pm, Park Centre (789 Albany Highway, East Victoria Park)
- Sunday 29 September, 10am–2pm, Belmont Community Markets (The Glasshouse, 215 Wright Street, Cloverdale, Belmont)
- Saturday 12 October, 9am–12pm, Park Centre (789 Albany Highway, East Victoria Park)
- Thursday 17 October, 3pm-6pm, Belmont Forum (227 Belmont Avenue, Cloverdale)
- Expressing an interest in being part of a deliberative panel of 70 community members and stakeholders who will be asked to consider the challenges and opportunities and come up with a vision for a future Orrong Road. Expressions of interest for the panel close on 30 September 2024, Nominate here.
Your insight and experience is valuable
The success of this engagement process depends on the participation of people like you who are passionate about making positive changes in their community.
Spread the Word
Imagine an Orrong Road that serves as a vibrant connector rather than a divisive barrier—a place where walking, bike riding, and public transport are not just options but attractive choices. It is possible to create an environment that enhances the quality of life for all residents, supports local businesses, and contributes to a healthier, greener city.
Share this opportunity with friends, family, and colleagues who might want to help re-imagine Orrong Road and rethink the role of roads in our communities.
Let’s seize the opportunity to turn Orrong Road into Orrong Orright!
