Declining street tree canopy

Dear Echo News,

In the City of Kalamunda’s draft future forest policy, the residential land exemption stands to significantly undermine efforts to increase tree canopy.

According to the WAPC’s 2024 urban tree canopy dashboard, City of Kalamunda shows canopy coverage of 34 per cent, above average compared to many local governments across Perth.

However, Kalamunda’s figure includes a significant boost from the 70 per cent of land in the city classed as parks, (which can include state forest), with this category contributing at 38 per cent canopy coverage.

While ready comparisons of the canopy data between periods are difficult to make, due to the change in basis between the 2020 and 2024, at first glance, Kalamunda appears to be doing well, increasing from 27 per cent in 2020 to 34 per cent in 2024.

However, to zero in on land use category street blocks defined as a combination of lots zoned for residential, commercial, industrial…, – the places that residents live and work –  a different picture is painted.

In this category, the city has actually experienced a 1 per cent canopy loss between 2020 and 2024.

Furthermore, given the 2024 data was measured in January 2024, this downward trend is likely further accelerated, as it was obtained prior to the full impacts of the polyphagous shot-hole borer, and the last 18 months with nil tree retention policy active the city.

The current 21 per cent canopy cover showing for street blocks, is well below the city’s own canopy target of 30 per cent by 2043 – and with the draft future forest policy containing significant exemptions for residential use land, it is hard to envisage how that target will ever be achieved.

H Lill

Kalamunda

Rules are lacking in Kalamunda

Dear Echo News,

I have 20 years’ experience practising public law, and so I know process matters.

When public bodies fail to follow their own rules, trust is eroded.

That is exactly what has happened with the City of Kalamunda’s decision to sell land at Urch and McRae roads.

In February, council resolved to commence the sale. Residents were only informed months later by letter –  not invited to participate, not asked for feedback, just told it was happening.

The city now calls this “engagement”.

Yet its own communication and engagement policy requires consultation to begin early, to enable those affected to participate meaningfully, and to demonstrate how community input has influenced decisions.

None of those commitments were met.

This is particularly concerning given the community’s strong views about trees and open space.

One block contains a 100-year-old tree that could have been preserved as a nature corridor, but staff advised that the loss of trees was outweighed by the income that would be generated.

Across Perth, councils are under pressure for exactly this failure and emerging legal precedent shows that councils must do more.

The city must pause the sale and consult properly.

Engagement is not a letter after the fact – it is a conversation before decisions are made.

S Strapps

Kalamunda

Alcoa claims do not add up

Dear Echo News,

I write regarding your recent stories on Alcoa wanting to destroy the jarrah forests that our beautiful birds live and breed in each year.

Dr Henryon is right.

Of course, their claims do not add up – they say they will replace the trees that they destroy – only to make money.

Do they think that our wonderful birds are going to sit on a stump and wait until the trees grow – which will take many years to grow.

While our birds are slowly dying, because their habitat has been destroyed.

Has anyone been out to check  the trees that they say they have replanted or the trees already destroyed for their mining greed?

Australians living in WA have noticed the decline in the number of these Aussie birds diminish each and every year.

We are lucky we have unique birds and animals that do not live anywhere else – only Australia. The magpies are very rarely seen anymore.

Earlier this year a council in Victoria DECCA was responsible for hiring helicopters with people in them to shoot colonies of koalas and joeys out of the trees.

How many of these unique Aussie animals were injured and died laying on the ground because of this despicable action.

It is time Australians who have admired our wildlife all their lives let the government and councils know that we do not want all this to happen.

B Hawkins

Middle Swan

Wildlife cats and windpower

Dear Echo News,

Worldwide, there’s been debates about wind turbine generators and how they kill wildlife such as birds and whales (thank you Donald Trump).

I’d like to commend the City of Kalamunda for its stance on cat ownership, especially its advertisement in the last edition of the Echo, urging cat owners to control their pets.

I’d much rather have a little visual pollution and hear birds singing (and cheaper, non-toxic electricity) than have cats roaming around exterminating wildlife - apparently a single domestic cat will eat 186 native animals (mammals, reptiles, birds) per year if allowed to roam and hunt freely.

KG Blake

Lesmurdie

Bassendean social housing

Dear Echo News,,

Regarding your article last week Social housing boost for eastern suburbs (Echo News, August 29).

The Bassendean site looks like the Wilson Street carpark.

Missing appears to be the replacement of the pedestrian separation overpass removed in 2003 above Guildford Road.

So much for the planners, councillors and related decision makers of the town.

In November 1933 the privately funded purchase of Hays Swamp by Women’s Auxiliary of the Bassendean Improvement Committee (BIC) was transferred to the Crown, with the area to remain recreation forever.

So much for following the legal reason for the land transfer to the WA Government.

I guess there will be some who will claim that an occupied apartment is a recreation forever site.

Well creation forever I guess.

D Yates

Bassendean