Thanks for the help
Dear Echo News,
On Wednesday July 10 we had an accident at the roundabout of Hartung Street and Stoneville Road.
I would wish to thank all the people that came to our aid and offered assistance and supplied information.
Thank you very much to every one of you, especially Rocky.
M Warnock
Stoneville
--------------------------------------------------------------------Mundaring heritage a hot topic
Dear Echo News,
Heritage was a hot topic at this month’s July 9 Shire of Mundaring (SOM) monthly ordinary council meeting.
According to Deputee (questioner) Eric, SOM has lost a WWI gun. Shire CEO Whiteaker promises to do all he can to help find the gun.
Deputee Jenny reckoned it was high time the shire employed a heritage officer, given the extent of heritage in the shire. Other shires do, so why not ours?
Deputee Jeff described how six local volunteers with extensive local expertise, have spent many hours researching and recording 67 heritage sites in the shire. Still 130 more sites that need thorough investigation!
He claimed shire officers don’t have the expertise, and you can’t buy in effective heritage consultancy because no outside consultant has in-depth local knowledge. If a consultancy did acquire the knowledge, they would have to pass a massive bill on to the council.
Most cost effective is to have a paid local expert to coordinate local volunteer expertise and research. A heritage community advisory committee alone cannot do all the work.
Shire President McNeil said a new heritage strategy, item 10.2 on the agenda for the night (which can be viewed online), was long overdue.
Cr Cicchini lamented the loss of two much-loved sites with “rich history” in the life of the community; a liquor store transformed into tearooms with tennis courts, and the John Forrest National Park Tavern, torn down despite 20,000 locals petitioning to save it.
She also claimed that with heritage listing, owners of our older buildings would not be able to ruin them with “piecemeal renovations”.
Cr Mehta, who has been with the working group for the heritage strategy, queried why there was at least one reference to the Aboriginal Heritage Act in earlier documents, but this evening’s heritage strategy put forward for finalisation, made no mention of it? She also said “We urgently need a heritage plan for an area so rich in heritage”.
As deputee for Jarrah Friends, I had asked “Don’t finalise the heritage strategy until full intention for a Aboriginal heritage archeological survey is included, as part of a full LAWBSA survey, as part of the Northern Jarrah Forest Biosphere Quest.”
Cr Daw asked if it was possible to include Aboriginal heritage in with colonial heritage?
Apparently, it is not possible, so another strategy for that will need to be made. This is necessary for a World Heritage biosphere site.
To quote from the Jarrah Friends deputation; “While Heritage status for our Jarrah ecology is based on significant Natural Environmental Heritage, the UNESCO criteria requires inclusion of the other three heritage categories; historical anthropology, both pre and post colonial, and the built environment.
Cr Zlatnik asserted “Perfect is the enemy of good. This heritage policy is not perfect, but it is good. It is one step forward for making decisions about heritage. It can be tweaked later.
Cr Jeans said “We need to look at the resourcing of the document, toward getting the best outcomes”.
With the recognition that improvements still need to be made, the Mundaring Council voted unanimously for both the sustainability policy and the heritage strategy, to pass as is. I agree this is a good move.
So to finish off, I quote the ending of the Jarrah Friends’ deputation; “Again, congratulations to SOM for heading in the direction of our land becoming part of a Jarrah Belt Biosphere.”
S Braun
Mundaring
--------------------------------------------------------------------Kalamunda environment matters
Dear Echo News,
I read with interest Kalamunda councillors’ comments on environmental matters and a seemingly open slather against the city and its residents taking individual action against climate change in Kalamunda’s 5 per cent rate hike.
It is true that our individual and even collective actions targeting climate change will be drops in a very big bucket. It is also true that individual actions such as ‘buying a couple of expensive electric vehicles’ may or may not be relevant at this time.
Since no cost benefit data was shown it is hard to agree or disagree.
Yet even small actions against climate change would have a substantial effect if they were replicated throughout the country and should be supported by political actions at national, state and local government levels.
Sadly, political actions are influenced by individual and Party considerations which may take catastrophic geophysical changes before we all come together on substantially reducing climate change.
Greater concern and urgent action is needed, at all levels of society, towards reducing our global impact on the environment.
W Buchanan
Walliston
--------------------------------------------------------------------Bang on the money
Dear Echo News,
P Carman in Aged care concerns is bang on the money!
I have just finished a three-year stint of attending my wife in an aged care facility, for six to seven hours every day.
The time spent has given me a comprehensive inside knowledge of how the system operates.
Most regrettably the management/ownership group do not seem to value their employees.
So how can they/we expect them to value the residents?
There are a few very dedicated, skilled and caring staff that need to be recognised and applauded, but sadly their employers don’t seem to understand this.
A massive concern is that less than five per cent of the residents ever get a visitor!
A rub off from this, is a feeling with a lot of the staff, is “no one else cares why should I?”
A Farrall
Aveley
