Letters of the week July 28, 2023

Black Spot missed?

Dear Echo News,

There has been information published in recent weeks in Echo News, June 16 and in a letter Politics and road closures (Echo News, June 23) about the proposed closure of Elizabeth Street between Williams Street and Railway Road, Kalamunda.

As a local resident I have written to the council with a list of reasons why this would have a negative impact on the area and other ways to resolve the issue regarding car accidents on this corner.

I received a very detailed response from the city staff stating that the obvious resolution, being a roundabout, was too expensive.

I also note in the city’s budget that $99,000 has been allocated for the closure of this stretch of road.

However, there is no mention that this spot is a federal government black spot and that funding is available to install a roundabout – at no cost to the city or ratepayer.

This has been confirmed by MLA Matthew Hughes in a recent letter to residents.

One must question what the motives of the city are regarding this issue?

Let’s hope that common sense applies and that the safest and cheapest option for city ratepayers being a federal-funded roundabout is the final result.

G England
Kalamunda

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No to bird feeders

Dear Echo News,

I would like to bring to people’s attention that feeding wild birds is not good for the birds and causes issues for people living in the area.

I live in the Shire of Mundaring and I’m noticing more that people are feeding the wild birds. They probably think they are doing a good thing for the birds without knowing the damage it can cause them.

Usually, they are fed inappropriate food, which is bad for their health, and the feeding usually only encourages certain pest species to proliferate.

It brings many more birds into an area than would normally be there.

I have seen and heard corellas in the trees and on the power lines around my area when in the past I would only hear them as they flew over; these birds are not native to the southwest of WA and are a declared pest.

Apart from the corellas, we have many more ravens than used to be in the area and I have seen ibis’s hanging around as well.

Please don’t feed native birds or animals as they are very capable of fending for themselves as nature intended.

Grow a native garden, provide water source and keep cats out of the yard – this will benefit native bird life much more than feeding them.

M Forbes
Mundaring

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