Data centre power concerns
Dear Echo News,
Regarding the development application lodged with City of Swan to build a data centre on lots 14 and 15 Sterling Crescent, Hazelmere.
The proposed project is for construction and operation of a 1.4ha, 24m tall plant which would consume 150MW of power on the lots adjacent to the east of the Steiner School.
For comparison, this facility would be slightly larger than the Midland public/private hospitals!
Power is of major importance for the 24/7 operations to the facility, yet its power demand exceeds that of the nearby switching station.
Given the problems a power disruption would bring, there will be 88 generators set to kick in to operate continuously day and night until the problem is fixed. This will also necessitate up to four deliveries of diesel per day.
Noise modelling for the diesel generators and the 64 exhaust cooling fans suggests continuous values are above normal peak noise regulations.
In addition to the adjacent school, there are residential dwellings and three hospitals within a couple of hundred metres of the site.
These neighbours and others will be severely impacted.
In all its magnitude, the proposal lacks a number of critical components.
One of the most important is a water disposal plan/treatment facility. Water used for cooling purposes will be continually concentrated until its salinity is greater than seawater.
This water cannot then be simply flushed or even worse dumped in the adjacent Helena River, yet there is not a mention of this in the proposal.
Please visit Swan Engage to learn more about how this project will negatively impact the Midland region and send these Swiss developers to a more suitable location.
Dr R Ilchik
South Guildford
--------------------------------------------------------------------Vitamin B6 supplement warning
Dear Echo News,
I want to warn others about the risks of high-dose vitamin B6 in over-the-counter supplements.
I am a 51-year-old woman who, when asking a retail assistant for a magnesium supplement, was unknowingly given one containing 50mg of vitamin B6 per tablet, far above the recommended 1.5mg daily for adults my age.
After five weeks, I developed tingling in my hands and feet, loss of balance, and stiffness in my legs.
Blood tests showed my B6 level was 440 nmol/L (normal range 30–110). After stopping the supplement, my symptoms are improving.
Due to the number of cases of B6-related peripheral neuropathy, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has announced that from 1 June 2027, oral products containing more than 50mg but not more than 200mg of vitamin B6 will be rescheduled as Pharmacy Only (Schedule 3) medicines, requiring pharmacist advice before purchase.
Products containing more than 200mg/day will continue to require a prescription. Lower-dose products (≤50 mg/day) will remain available for general retail sale but must carry a warning for products containing more than 10mg of vitamin B6:
“Warning – Stop taking this medication if you experience tingling, burning or numbness and see your healthcare practitioner as soon as possible. (Contains vitamin B6).”
I share my story so others can avoid similar health issues.
M Grgich
Forrestfield
--------------------------------------------------------------------Salvos Easter message
Dear Echo News,
As Easter approaches, we are reminded of an eternally important message that has echoed across centuries and continues to speak powerfully into our lives today. A message of hope, freedom and unconditional love.
For us at The Salvation Army, Easter is not simply a date on a calendar, it is an invitation.
It is an invitation to discover or rediscover the profound truth at the heart of the Easter story: that every person is of worth, cherished and deeply loved.
The life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ represents the ultimate gift of freedom. Freedom from fear, from shame, and from the burdens that weigh us down.
In a world that feels increasingly uncertain, where many Australians are facing financial pressures, social isolation and anxiety about the future, this message matters more than ever.
This Easter, we invite you to join us at one of our 400 locations across the nation. Whether you are in a city, a regional town, or a remote community, there is a place for you.
This Easter is not about having everything figured out, it’s about coming together, sharing in hope, and encountering a message that has the power to renew, restore and give you freedom.
Please know our doors are always open.
Miriam Gluyas
Commissioner
The Salvation Army
--------------------------------------------------------------------WA is not short of talent
Dear Echo News,
In your February 13 edition of Echo News, the cover rightly celebrated Parkerville artist Sue Starcken and her long-standing contribution to Western Australia’s artistic community.
Yet in that same edition (Page 7), a $2.2 million Swan Valley sculpture trail was announced, led by a visiting international artist with no lived connection to this region.
Artur Bordalo is a young Portuguese street artist whose work evolved from graffiti into large-scale installations made from discarded materials - plastics, tyres, and industrial waste - now exhibited worldwide. His work is highly visible and marketable.
But this project is presented as a celebration of the Swan Valley’s environment, culture, and community.
So where are the Western Australian - and Australian - artists?
We are not short of talent.
Generations of artists, including First Nations practitioners and multi-generational Australians, are deeply connected to this land and its materials - wood, stone, vine and landscape.
This should be more than a marketing exercise.
Public funding should strengthen local capability, not sideline it. If this project is truly about place, then place should lead it.
Otherwise, we are not building cultural legacy - we are purchasing it from Portugal.
Dr K Klein
Brigadoon
