Senate orders Roe 8 inquiry

UPDATE: A snap inquiry into alleged breaches of environmental conditions at the Roe Highway extension project will be held next week, after a motion introduced to Parliament by Greens Senator Scott Ludlam was today backed by the Senate.

Senator Ludlam presented federal Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg alleging dozens of breaches of environmental conditions earlier this week, asking the federal environment and energy minister to order work be immediately halted to investigate.

Some of those alleged breaches involved issues with trapping of Southern Brown Bandicoots for which a series of conditions were put in place in the approval.

Further alleged breaches included parcels of land being fenced off for clearing outside prescribed zones, the removal of asbestos without proper precautions, and failure to adhere to guidelines concerning oblong turtles and surveys of local cockatoos.

"The destruction at the Beeliar wetlands should cease," Senator Ludlam said.

"The heavy handed response to peaceful community protest at Beeliar is in sharp contrast to the repeated obfuscation, indifference and dismissal of the conditions the government itself put in place.

"At the federal level the government has repeatedly ignored due process and transparency, leaving no recourse but an inquiry into these breaches.

"The committee will hold a hearing in Perth late next week."