Gelorup resident takes a stand over Outer Ring Road-Bussell Highway screening wall

A Gelorup resident’s anger at a noise mitigation wall being constructed on Bussell Highway in front of his property boiled over on Wednesday morning. Power station supervisor Tony Cooper, 59, took matters into his own hands when he stormed on to the construction site to express his unhappiness with the colour and design of the wall. The protest caused work to halt with Mr Cooper demanding representatives from Bunbury come to talk to him, to which they obliged. The police were also called to deescalate the situation. Shortly before 10.30am Mr Cooper invited two Main Roads representatives joined by a police officer on to his property and off the site to talk. The Times understands the tense discussion was left with Mr Cooper’s complaint being escalated within the Main Roads’ processes. Mr Cooper said the wall was a permanent eyesore and had little consultation involved. “When we sit out here on our al fresco or we’re working out on our block that becomes our focal point,” he said. “That’s the thing we will see whenever we’re here, it’s not going to just disappear, we can’t just put trees in front of it, that’s not going to make it disappear.” The wall is part of the Bunbury Outer Ring Road and Bussell Highway interchange to provide noise mitigation and screening. In an April correspondence from a South West Gateway Alliance representative sent to Mr Cooper, seen by the Times, it outlines the design featuring Ian Mutch’s artwork in either a blue or green colour. A Main Roads spokesperson did not comment on the Wednesday morning incident when asked by the Times but said the wall design was a result of planning policies. “Consultation with the community, including Gelorup residents, has been a key part of the Bunbury Outer Ring Road project’s development,” they said. “The noise wall design, including its colour, aligns with the BORR Urban Design Strategy, which was informed by community feedback from surveys conducted in July 2021 and September 2023, and endorsed by focus groups, including the BORR Aboriginal Heritage Advisory Group. “Additionally, the project reached out to residents near the noise wall in September 2022, and again in April 2024 to ensure there was advanced notice and more information provided ahead of construction.” Mr Cooper said he would consider taking legal action if the wall paint issue was not addressed. “I’m like a dog with a bone with something like this, I won’t be letting this go,” he said. “I will just keep charging on with this, if I have to take them to court and tie time up in court, I will find a way of doing that as well. “We’re not going to leave it at that colour for the next 20 to 30 years.”