Gidge rates surprise

Dear Echo News,

Gidgegannup residents received an unexpected surprise last week when the City of Swan sent out an interim rates notice.

Residents had already received and paid their rates so were not expecting another bill in between rates notice of about $100 each.

The City of Swan state this was due to incorrect valuation by Landgate and therefore they have sent out an interim notice to collect additional funds ie: using an effective date of July 1, 2025 to enable collection of further rates.

Social media for the area (Gidgegannup Chat Forum) has many residents expressing unhappiness and anger at the decision, with statements like “the council didn’t have to send interim notices, surely the administration could have acted on the new valuations in the next rate cycle.”

Cr Rod Henderson stated “I hear the state that sets valuations via Landgate made a mess of it! Seeing anger as there are unhappy residents.  The council does not set valuations”.

That’s true but they do send out the notices and as the rates had already been set for this year they could have held off until next year.

Let’s face it, the council would have set their budget on what was already invoiced, so couldn’t the new valuation wait until the next rates cycle.

Residents asked, “is this just another cash grab?”

Cr Charlie Zannino said “Understandable why residents are angry, so am I!  Ward Councillors were not notified.  I am seeking clarification asap and will give residents an update soon”.

So, the City of Swan made decisions without informing their own councillors.

Seems like poor form.

To make it more interesting, the City of Swan election is on, with votes due by October 18.

Doesn’t seem like a good way to get votes, especially when many people are already hurting by the cost of living.

J Purkiss

Gidgegannup

Focus on poverty

Dear Echo News,

Anti-Poverty Week (October 12-18) shines a light on the experiences of the more than 3.7 million people in Australia who live in poverty.

At Mission Australia, we see how people in poverty are forced to make difficult choices every day; skipping meals or going without heating as they try to survive on inadequate income support payments and keep a roof over their heads.

We know that experiences of poverty and homelessness are interlinked and that by tackling poverty we can help to end homelessness.

Governments have the power to help people on low incomes who are struggling to cope with rising rents, the scarcity of truly affordable housing and the increasing cost of everyday essentials.

Raising the rate of income support payments like JobSeeker to at least $589 a week would immediately improve the lives of millions, as would ensuring that social and affordable homes make up one in 10 of new homes built so we can meet the need in the community for safe and secure housing.

Keeping people in poverty is a choice.

Let’s choose to be a society that works collectively to ensure people in need have a safe, secure home and hope for the future.

S Budalich

State director WA/NT Mission

Australia

Illegal bike trail concerns

Dear Echo News,

I write regarding the illegal Beelu National Park mountain bike trail.

I understand the concerns about the unauthorised bike trail being built near Mundaring Weir, but maybe this shows there’s actually a real need for one.

If people are going to the effort of creating their own trails, that suggests strong local demand.

A quick look online shows there are plenty of great mountain bike trails around WA, but not nearly as many in the Perth Hills even though that’s where most of us live!

The Shire of Chittering worked proactively with mountain bike trail designer Paul Neve to build a fantastic trail in the Bindoon hills. It’s been a real success, attracting visitors and giving local businesses in Bindoon a lift.

Perhaps the Shire of Mundaring could look into doing something similar around the Mundaring Weir area.

A properly planned trail that’s safe, sustainable, and a great asset for both locals and tourists.

S Blizard

Mahogany Creek