Bassendean needs new RSL home
Dear Echo News,
Thank you. I enjoyed Cindy Cartojano’s recent article RSL’s lease expiring soon in Bassendean (Echo News, August 7).
If I am correct ‘reading between the lines’ I suggest that the Town of Bassendean (ToB) would like the RSL’s current location to create a R100 + re-development.
Maybe this could be achieved if the parties can agree to a re-location of the RSL to a portion of the Bassendean BIC Reserve adjacent to the town’s existing war memorial.
A new building, with modern facilities, designed to carrying forward the future of the RSL in Bassendean, could be seen as a community commitment in honour of those who have served our country.
There exists playground amenities and public parking which enhance the proposal and also maintains convenient proximity to most facilities including public transport.
You may wish to revisit this topic by exploring the option with both the RSL and Town of Bassendean.
N Matthews
Bassendean
--------------------------------------------------------------------All-weather walkway needed
Dear Echo News,
With having budgeted $330 million plus on the new rail station and car park complex in Midland, to now say landscaping, trees and benches will provide protection for the 500m long walk from the car park to the new station is beyond belief.
With about 700mm of rain in autumn and winter in Midland, nothing less than a solid all-weather walkway has to be constructed to meet Australian Standards for the comfort of all users.
With the whole poorly thought through project with little or no public consultation, other than our First Nation people, I am not holding my breath, what a waste.
R Zawada
Guildford
--------------------------------------------------------------------Perth hills similar to LA fires
Dear Echo News,
In response to your article Mundaring Residents question bushfire funds (Echo News, August 8) and comments attributed to DFES Commissioner Darren Klemm;
“In Western Australia property damage is usually from ember attack rather than fire moving from house to house as it appears to have done in Los Angeles.”
And; “LA wildfires were significantly different to what has been experienced in Australia.”
One of us is a survivor of the 2014 Parkerville Stoneville bushfire and her observation was that following her evacuation and the fire front passing her home, that now undefended houses were subjected to embers thrown up by the downdraft of helicopters.
Her home was saved by a younger neighbour who had stayed to defend, (those who had evacuated, were prevented from returning!).
Hence our call for heavy fixed wing water bombers stationed at airfields around the Swan Coastal Plain (Not Mundaring!), and that can carry between three and 10 times the volume of water to a Helitak, and Bell 214, and, at four times their speed, to support existing helicopters and bush fire brigade ground crews.
Remember the 2021 Wooroloo bushfire, at fire weather conditions; one to two levels below catastrophic, across hilly bushy terrain similar to LA, four days later had burnt some 11,000ha, some 83 homes totalled, many more damaged, then on a 154km front stopped just before reaching our dense foothills suburbia….
Conditions in Perth Hills and foothills suburbia are indeed very similar to those in LA (with a recent study attributing 440 deaths to the January 2025 LA fire rather than the 31 deaths recorded), 18,000 homes and businesses totally destroyed, insurable assets loss of $250 billion, add $160b environmental loss.
Could state and federal government fire mitigation investment of $100 million reduce that scale of potential loss across Perth Hills and foothills now?
R&J Greenwood
Mundaring
