So, our local coalition politicians think that the provision of 700 nest boxes will compensate for the destruction of biodiversity resulting from the route proposed for the Broadwater-Coolgardie section of the Pacific Highway upgrade.
It’s ironic that these politicians belong to governments promoting tree planting in cities to mitigate the effects of global warming yet sanction the removal of stands of old-growth forest that provide immeasurably greater benefits. It’s inconceivable when viable alternatives through, cleared and degraded land exist.
Nest boxes won’t help the nationally threatened long-nosed potoroo and koala populations along the Broadwater-Coolgardie section of the upgrade, the two threatened species most at risk from the proposal. Such nest boxes would mainly be used by common, opportunistic species whose consequent increase in density is most likely to further unbalance ecosystems and endanger more threatened species.
Losses of the local potoroo and koala populations in the Broadwater-Coolgardie area will contribute to incremental population decline in these species across the landscape, culminating in regional and eventually national extinction.
We need politicians prepared to halt this process.
David Milledge, Broken Head
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
