Bilgoman pool

Dear Echo News,

What is the matter with the Mundaring Shire that it yet again closes the Bilgoman Pool just before the school holidays amid perfect 30 degree-plus temperatures, and which has its libraries closed to the public on Saturdays and Sundays?

Surely it can’t be just the cost, because it could easily close libraries on Mondays or Fridays so that those who work could attend on Sunday and even Saturday afternoons?

And why not seek volunteers, especially from the seniors community, to add to those employed at the libraries?

Many of us would be up for that.

As for Bilgoman Pool – that is simply a dastardly attack on the junior members of the hills community, who can’t vote, can’t swim and who don’t seem to matter.

Common sense and the ability to think laterally have long been absent from the Shire of Mundaring.

P Carman

Hovea

Joyous jarrah news

Dear Echo News,

Joyous jarrah news.

As of April 9 the Shire of Mundaring (SOM) has become the first “Jarrah Joy Council” in the northern jarrah forest belt.

This means it is the fi rst shire in that huge unique ecosystem centred on the ancient giant jarrah - that runs from the Julimar forest in Toodyay, south through Collie - to board the shire collaboration for this land to become UNESCO listed as a World Heritage biosphere reserve.

At the mid-March annual electors meeting, the electorate had voted through four motions from the community that directly moved for SOM to join other shires in this quest.

These were addressed at the April shire council meeting, with positive joyous outcomes for all of them.

SOM indicates it has a heartfelt interest in saving our unique jarrah-based biodiversity, has in the past tried to get local shires cooperating in surveying this land, supports the community in rolling out jarrah forest ecology education across the shire, agrees that SOM is eligible for the UNESCO listing, which would boost eco-investment, and hence is writing to two government departments to find out the process for our northern jarrah forests becoming a World Heritage biosphere reserve.

The council also learned that an informal community art poster petition, to the Australian PM and WA State Premier, for their support in obtaining UNESCO accreditation for the northern jarrah forest belt to become UNESCO listed, has in less than a month, obtained almost 1000 signees.

May all the other shires in the jarrah forests rapidly hop on board the Jarrah Joy Council train.

It is the only way to save and regenerate our magnificent jarrah ecology.

S Braun

Mundaring

Share your view

Dear Echo News,

As the cost-of-living crisis deepens on the back of a global pandemic and natural disasters, many people are feeling overwhelmed with how to address the issues facing their community.

The Salvation Army is committed to identifying the most pressing challenges and providing targeted, local solutions.

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It uncovered mental health and housing affordability as the top two concerns nationally, with alcohol and drug misuse, family violence and homelessness rounding out the top five.

We were inspired to see genuine interest from community leaders to understand the findings and as a result, we have welcomed some great initiatives, such as progress towards a National Housing and Homelessness Plan and a modest increase to the JobSeeker allowance, but there is still so much to do.

This latest survey will allow us to gauge where progress has been made and where help is desperately needed.

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Please help us by having your say at https:// salvationarmy.org.au/ socialjustice-survey

To see what mattered most in your community last time we did the survey, visit https:// www.salvationarmy. org.au/socialjustice stocktake/

J Kirkaldy

The Salvation Army Australia