Report:Intrastate covid borders

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Each check point I observed was manned by WA Police, Australian Army personnel, there was also an SES support crew, and traffic management team to maintain approach signage and traffic flow barriers.
Each check point I observed was manned by WA Police, Australian Army personnel, there was also an SES support crew, and traffic management team to maintain approach signage and traffic flow barriers.


'''Forrest Hwy Checkpoint'''
'''Forrest Hwy Checkpoint, Lake Clifton'''
<gallery>
<gallery>
WMAU Forrest Highway WA 070520 gnangarra-100.jpg
WMAU Forrest Highway WA 070520 gnangarra-100.jpg
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WMAU Forrest Highway WA 070520 gnangarra-106.jpg
WMAU Forrest Highway WA 070520 gnangarra-106.jpg
</gallery>
</gallery>
'''Albany Hwy Checkpoint'''
'''Albany Hwy Checkpoint, Bedfordale'''
<gallery>
<gallery>
WMAU Albany Highway WA 070520 gnangarra-100.jpg
WMAU Albany Highway WA 070520 gnangarra-100.jpg
WMAU Albany Highway WA 070520 gnangarra-101.jpg
WMAU Albany Highway WA 070520 gnangarra-101.jpg
</gallery>
'''South Western Hwy, Pinjarra'''
<gallery>
WMAU Southwestern Highway WA 070520 gnangarra-100.jpg
WMAU Southwestern Highway WA 070520 gnangarra-101.jpg
WMAU Southwestern Highway WA 070520 gnangarra-102.jpg
</gallery>
</gallery>

Revision as of 03:14, 8 May 2020

During the COVID-19 pandemic the Western Australian Government introduced regional travel restrictions from the 1st April, the purpose was to limit any spread of the virus into regional areas where medical facilities are extremely limited with the very limited ICU facilities many hundreds of kilometres apart.[1] The initial regions were[2];

  • Perth - Peel
  • Southwest
  • Great Southern
  • Wheatbelt
  • Mid-West
  • Gascoyne
  • Pilbara
  • Kimberley
  • Goldfields-Esperance

Remote Indigenous communities were further isolated due high risk factors and lack of medical support in these communities. Following an Outbreak in Broome the Kimberley was further divided. The people of Esperance also requested that they be a separate region to that of Goldfields, especially with the Easter weekend approaching as this normally cause an influx of people from the Kalgoorlie area to the town.

The purpose is this proposal was to document as many of the Perth-Peel boundaries as possible, it wasnt proposed until such time that restrictions on gathering had been lifted from 2 people to 10 people and people were permitted to visit family within their region. Given the size of the Perth - Peel region it was suggested to divide the proposal into three Journeys, one north, one east, and one south the Western boundary of the region is the Indian Ocean.

Journey 1

Northern route: The police manned boundaries near Yanchep on Indian Ocean drive, near Muchea covering great Norther Hwy and Brand Hwy. The third site of Toodyay road to the northwest will included in this if possible.

Journey 2

Eastern route: Perth Hills Great Eastern Highway near El Cabello, Great Southern Hwy at The Lakes are the two key points. Toodyay road, and Brookton Hwy will possibly be included in this journey

Journey 3

Southern route: Forrest Hwy and Old Mandurah road intersection in Lake Clifton, Southwest Hwy near Wagerup and Albany Hwy near Jarrahdale.

This was chosen to be the priority journey because the media frequently used the Forrest Hwy area as a back backdrop in their reporting. I knew that this location would be the recognisable point historically if the region restrictions are lifted before completing the proposal. May 5 & 6 all of the South-West including the Perth-Peel region was subject to a severe weather warning[3] that meant the conditions werent going to be conducive for photography. With the weather expected to reduce wednesday morning I chose to do this journey in the afternoon. Initially joining Kwinana freeway/Forrest Highway at Thomas road I headed south before exiting at Mandjoogoordap to join the Old Coast road. The choice of this approach was because the Old Coast Road terminates at Forrest Highway, there is picnic area created by the building of Forrest Hwy which would enable me to access the COVID border safely on foot.

Travelling along the Old Coast Road I saw a sign to a Tim's Thicket beach which is a 4WD accessible beach that runs south to Preston Beach, I had heard that access to beach by vehicles had closed to prevent people bypassing the regional border on Forrest Hwy. At Tim's Thicket I was able to drive onto the beach but due to the weather the sands were significantly softer and saturated, combined with requiring driving in the wave wash area to round a rocky headland as I was alone it was a risk I wasnt prepared to take. Leaving the beach and returning to the Old Coast road I continued south photographing the approach to the checkpoint. Parking in the Picnic area I proceeded on foot to photograph the the checkpoint from Old Coast Road, and from its southern approach on Forrest Hwy. The road across to Waroona where I could join the Southwest hwy before the Wagerup checkpoint wasnt accessible due to the Forrest Hwy check point, that meant heading north to Greenlands road near Pinjara to join the Southwest Hwy adding at least an hour to the overall journey. When I reach the Southwest Highway it was clear that the weather along the Darling scarp had deteriorated significantly I chose to to photograph that intersection with the warnings about the checkpoints and head for Jarrahdale. Jarrahdale is a former logging town in the scarp through it runs serpentine road that link Southwest Hwy to Albany Hwy it steep climb from the old Serpentine town site to Jarrahdale make the route generally unsuitable for trucks, but on this journey I saw what would normally be a significant of truck traffic.

According the MRD information on checkpoints I expected to find a check point where Serpentine Road met Albany Hwy this was not the case which possibly explains why extra truck traffic using the road. Turning back towards Perth the boundary is mapped as crossing to Brookton Hwy along Ashendon Road with heavy rain and deteriorating light I continue towards Perth photographing point on Albany hwy. As I neared Perth in Bedfordale at the roadtrain assembly access point was the check point that meant I had crossed over one boundary without knowing it. Like everyone I stopped and was questioned as to why I was entering the Perth-Peel region, I was then further questioned to explain how and why I had managed to exit the Perth - Peel region. I was told to keep going with little light, heavy rain and having already drawn unwanted attention upon myself, combined with the lack of safe place to park I chose not to photograph this checkpoint and risk further inflaming the situation.

Each check point I observed was manned by WA Police, Australian Army personnel, there was also an SES support crew, and traffic management team to maintain approach signage and traffic flow barriers.

Forrest Hwy Checkpoint, Lake Clifton

Albany Hwy Checkpoint, Bedfordale

South Western Hwy, Pinjarra

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