Innaloo residents are fighting to protect a population of native southwestern snake-necked turtles that could be impacted by Main Roads WA land clearing.

The Stephenson Avenue Extension project will see part of a drainage basin in a road reserve between the Mitchell Freeway and Hertha Road cleared to make way for road widening, upgrading the basin and constructing noise walls.

The clearing works, which also involve the removal of 50 per cent of existing mature trees, have been paused until next week following pressure from concerned turtle advocates.

Main Roads says it has engaged ecologists to trap and translocate any freshwater turtles living in the area set to be cleared, dubbed the ‘Hertha Wetland’ by locals.

“The ecologists have spent a total of 22 hours on site over the past week assessing for any evidence of turtles in the area, and to date there have been no sightings in the vicinity of the area to be cleared,” an agency spokesperson told The Western Independent.

“Traps have also been set in the area to support the translocation of any turtles present, but no turtles have been captured. These traps will remain in place until clearing works commence.”

Local turtle advocates have provided footage to Main Roads of turtles swimming in the part of the basin adjacent to Cedric Street.

“I came here on Monday night at 10pm with a torch and I took photos of a beautiful male,” says Annika Mckirby, whose online petition Save Hertha Road Wetlands has reached more than 220 signatures.

“And my dad was here hours earlier at 7pm with my nephew, and they both saw another turtle,” she says.

Main Roads WA says the section of the basin where these turtles were spotted is not included in the proposed clearing plans, but Mrs Mckirby fears the sound of the machinery used will harm the freshwater creatures’ hearing.

The turtle advocate’s concern is backed by 2022 research released by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. It found turtles can suffer hearing loss after being exposed to intense underwater noise, impacting their ability to navigate their environment.

Advocates also suggest that turtles could be dormant or nesting underground within the direct clearing zone, making them vulnerable to being injured or killed during the process.

“A lot of turtles around the world aestivate,” says WA Wildlife chief executive Dean Huxley.

The native wildlife expert says ‘aestivation’ describes the process of snake-necked turtles burying themselves in the mud during Perth’s hot and dry summers when wetlands dry out.

“They will go into sort of a brumation phase. Their heart rate slows considerably, and their digestive system essentially stops. They take very few breaths each minute,” he says.

“They can stay there for several weeks or months until the rain comes again.”

Mr Huxley has welcomed Main Roads’ move to engage an ecologist, and acknowledges that turtles can be hard to trap and translocate.

“But that doesn’t mean that I think anyone should just go and say, ‘Oh, we’ve done our best, and we’re just going to now proceed as planned,’” he says.

“These are a vulnerable species. We know their numbers are declining. So, I think we all have an obligation, and that’s in government, primarily, to do everything we can.”

Main Roads WA has confirmed that qualified spotting teams will be present through the entire clearing works to support translocation of any turtles observed.

Mr Huxley says spotting teams allow processes to be put in place if turtles are found.

“First of all, if they’re not sick or injured, they can be moved appropriately,” he says.

“If they are sick or injured through that development, [we need to make sure] that we’re mitigating it as best we can, and you’ve got appropriate groups that can transport them for veterinary care and then long-term rehabilitation.”

While the safety of the turtles and the protection of their habitat is Mrs Mckirby’s main concern, she understands the need for the project, and wants Main Roads to work with the community to find common ground.

“We’re still talking with Main Roads about trying to find a solution that fits in with best ecological practice but also enables the expansion of the freeway,” she says.

“We’ve been hearing from Main Roads the argument that a future stormwater base in here will actually provide, eventually, a better habitat. But this is completely speculative. It involves destroying an existing functioning habitat and killing wildlife now for an uncertain future benefit,” Mrs Mckirby says.

“This doesn’t feel like a net positive outcome from the perspective of the existing trees and the turtles.”