Ellenbrook parking a waste
Dear Echo News,

I would like to thank the City of Swan for wasting ratepayers’ money on parking meters in Ellenbrook.

What is required is more parking spaces available at the railway station.

The wasted money spent on the meters and signage could have been used in partnership with the state government to source some land close buy the railway station and build extra parking.

Is Guildford next?

J Marino
The Vines

Mundaring industrial concern
Dear Echo News,
While the community rallies to the Save Perth Hills campaign and the attempt to prevent the Stoneville Satterly sub-division the intrinsic nature of existing residential locations is being overlooked, undermined and degraded.

Property values are being seriously affected by the Mundaring shire’s easing of restrictions and granting of permission for the erection of industrial sized units on half acre residential properties under the guise of ‘sheds.’

Having not been afforded the courtesy of consultation by neighbours nor been advised by either the shire or the neighbour, myself and others have suffered the misfortune of witnessing the erection, by crane, of a two-storey ‘shed’ on my neighbours property. Larger, it seems, than the existing dwelling.

Clarification of the approval for such an eyesore building on a half-acre residential block was sought from the shire’s planning office on two occasions, February 6 and 10 without response.

On February 13 an East ward council member was contacted for assistance and my complaint details provided.
To date planning has not responded.

While I understand the need for external storage facilities, there must be restrictions governing the size of these structures on residential properties and where they impact on neighbours and neighbourhoods.

If not addressed, what we know as residential areas are likely to become nothing more than additions to existing light industrial areas.

This is not farmland where structures of these dimensions are understood and accepted as necessity.

This building cannot, as far as I am aware, become a business venture, so the need for a two-storey structure of these dimensions escapes us all.

Industrial sized structures have no place in residential settings and the Shire of Mundaring needs to re-assess its planning decisions immediately and respond to residents with legitimate queries or complaints.

K McKenna
Mt Helena

Bassendean falls short
Dear Echo News, 

These days a lot of local councils are trying their best to preserve and protect public open space as most councils fall short of the recommended 10 per cent of assets.

However, there are also some hypercritical councils like my Bassendean Town Council who talk the talk but don’t walk the walk!

In recent times this council has without ratepayer consultation rezoned parts of Bindaring Park wetlands from parks and recreational to residential, which was knocked back a few years ago by the minister for planning, which has been stripped of dozens of mature trees.

As it is a wetland the ground contains acid sulphate soil which when disturbed or exposed to air can release acid which can poison waterways, kill vegetation and make humans and animals ill!

They are also currently in the process of rezoning Bassendean oval reserve from parks and recreational to residential.
As a small council this local government relies on handouts from the state and federal government and also selling and rezoning assets.

Perhaps it’s time the the Local Government Minister had a good hard look at this hypercritical council’s viability to exist?

G Coleman
Bassendean

A vote for MickeyMouse
Dear Echo News,

As a long-time reader of the Echo and its cartoon, you used to be able to vote for Mickey Mouse.

At an AEC election in the early 80s I was working on the counts after the election.

A senate paper was completed across the top boxes – Mickey Mouse.

I would have thought an invalid vote, but no it was deemed valid.

There was no dot on the ‘I’ so it was valid as a number one, so became a vote to the second party.

It wouldn’t happen now as the voters intent is now applied.

Go Mickey!
M Perry
Kalamunda

Abandoned trolleys not acceptable
Dear Echo News,

The recent article on shopping trolley collections Trolley bylaw amendment passed in council (Echo News, February 21) and associated fines does not go to the cause.

I cannot recall when it became socially acceptable to take a trolley from a shopping centre and then push it through the streets then abandoning outside a house or bus stop.

This is a form of littering but probably not covered by legislation, but if it is then these people should be fined to cover the cost of collection.

We know this will never happen, so the shops are slugged instead.

You often see several trolleys parked outside units by repeat offenders.

I have seen on many occasions people pushing them kilometres from the nearest shopping centre.

R Hewitt
Wattle Grove