Lilac Hill a sad statement
Dear Echo News,
Welcome to historic Guildford and Lilac Hill where England was playing for three days last week.
What an embarrassing statement for all the international press to witness and long-suffering ratepayers.
Name withheld
Guildford
Climate and cost of power
Dear Echo News
The Coalition, having nailed its colours to the mast in concentrating on power costs rather than environmental damage, must now face some unenviable choices.
Day by day it becomes more obvious that renewable is the cheapest form of energy, yet non-renewable energy is high up on the menu for them.
To keep “costs” down the Labor party (as previous Coalition governments have done) has given scads of money away, in many cases, to those who don’t really need it.
Since 2004 I’ve been building a sustainable domestic power system and thanks to recycling some old EV batteries, I’m now able to switch out of the grid and rely entirely upon solar panels and batteries, while still having back up from the grid.
I’m paying just over a dollar a day for that privilege - the largest part of my power bill.
Despite this, I’m unable to convince politicians that I, along with others don’t need a “helping hand” in the form of unnecessary or unwanted power subsidies.
Please, do the sensible thing and give consumers the choice of “opting out” of receiving this largesse and redirect the money to where it’s needed such as health, homelessness, domestic violence etc.
KG Blake
Lesmurdie
--------------------------------------------------------------------Andrew St Reserve issues
Dear Echo News,
Further to the comments regarding the Andrew Street Reserve in the Echo Newspaper on October 24.
I contacted the City of Kalamunda in June as soon as I saw that the plots were being divided from the main Andrew Street Reserve.
I had some correspondence with the city but it seems that little can be done to save the WA Christmas tree which is just now coming in to bloom, or the mature gum trees.
Many of the letters in recent editions of the Echo News lament the loss of mature trees in our lovely environment, but it seems that the local council has little interest in preserving our trees, there are no tree preservation orders possible.
I find this so very sad.
J Pilgrim
Kalamunda
More help for our turtles
Dear Echo News,
I wish the City of Kalamunda would provide a better environment for the turtles of Forrestfield.
The lake at Hartfield Park is in an awful state, the water level is very low and of poor quality.
There used to be two functioning fountains but they have been broken for months.
Meanwhile all the sporting ovals are kept very green with excessive watering.
I’d like some of my rates to be spent on environmental issues rather than sport.
T Turner
Forrestfield
--------------------------------------------------------------------Does Swan represent residents?
Dear Echo News,
Does the City of Swan and councillors really represent the community?
The recent council endorsement of the officer’s recommendation of Hazelmere Special Use Area 16 by 4/11 votes raises concerns of poor advice by their planning department to councillors.
This proposal was prepared by the private sector and not the City of Swan.
The City of Swan interprets “no objection” as “support” in their summary, this should be a separate category as it clearly does not necessarily mean “support”.
With only five supports and 34 objections, most supports were from bodies or people with vested interests, so has the council been properly advised?
Approval was given for felling trees as the planning department had “investigated” and found the trees were “non-native” despite two of the proponent’s reports, and others identifying mainly natives.
How does the planning department consider this legal?
The traffic impact assessment is flawed as it offers no egress for heavy vehicles at the northern end of the N-S Spine Road.
We understand that the intention is for Stirling Crescent to be upgraded to RAV7, (triple roadtrains up to 36.5m long), and with egress via Lloyd Street, this should have been raised by City of Swan staff in their review and DVC should have been made aware of the longer term plans.
It was revealed a major property owner concerned was not party to the proposal.
Planning also recommended the development of Lot 25 in Hazelmere despite it being reserved for future freight rail realignment.
Endorsed by council, is this risky attitude in the ratepayer’s interest?
S Ashby
Woodbridge
