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Mundaring
Shire Council votes to limit information
At the May Council meeting the Shire Council voted to
limit information given to it's own councillors. The matter
was brought forth by the CEO. The final decision on who
sees what information now rests with the CEO. If there
is a disagreement, the Shire president will decide. If
there is further disagreement, a majority vote in a closed
door session of the Council will decide.
Would this compromise the freedom for all members of the
council to see documents, minutes, plans, etc.? Does this
change the fundamental system of government away from
a democracy? Does this violate State Freedom of Information
laws? This motion was proposed and passed without legal
advice.
The document, "Access By Council And Committee Members
to Information", was copied from one the City of
Joondalup drafted and adopted. The full
document is available on the Shire website under "Council
minutes and agendas, ordinary council meeting May 26,
2009."
SPH at
Sunfair '09
Save Perth Hills had an information booth at the Sun
Fair at UWA April 5th.
We spoke with hundreds of people interested in preserving
the Hills as a water catchment for the city, a source
of fresh air, and as habitat for endangered flora and
fauna. For City people, the recreational activities and
lifestyle possibilities of the Hills are essential.
Awareness of Hills issues was raised such
as over-development, quarrying, logging and environmental
abuses by Western Power and Water Corp. To the People
of Perth, the Hills are as important as the River, the
Beaches and Rotto. We expanded our data base and sold
hundreds of car stickers, which help to finance this website.
"ECHO" editorial
cartoon, Dec 14, 2008.
It's nice to be in good company
Protest to Western Power's
Eastern Terminal
Western Power are pressuring to
build a major switching station on the Kalamunda-Mundaring
border. It would necessitate clearing 20 ha. of forest,
building 180 pylons along a 100 km swath from Boddington,
perpetuate coal-generated electricity, and make power
available power for Alcoa to start aluminium mining near
the Weir. Read
more
Western Power repackages
Eastern Terminal Project
After a dismal public reception
for it’s plan to build a large substation in state
forest on the Kalamunda/Mundaring
border, Western Power has renamed the project “Powering
Perth’s Communities” and is going for further
public consultation. Read
more
WAPC Replies to Save
Perth Hill's Submission
The WAPC responded to our submission
regarding the Shire of Mundaring council's vote to Request
the Lifting of Urban Deferment on the Parkerville and
Stoneville developments. They agreed with our citing previous
constraints the Council ignored, and offered to take a
look at changing the 2700 small blocks to fewer, 2 ha.
lots. This is not over by a long shot, but it shows they
are paying attention. Read
the letter
The Other Side: A Pro
Development Argument
The following letter appeared
in the October 18 Hills Gazette. It was written by
Peter Carter, who neglected to add that he was a Mundaring
Shire Councillor when the developments were first proposed.
Mr. Carter criticizes the alternative to the land in question
being "broken into 2 ha "farmlets". Instead
he apparently proposes they be broken into 800 sq. metre
suburban blocks, 2700 of them . A 2700 home suburb 10
kms out in the bush is not a "small development".
The cost of providing infrastructure will far outweigh
the benefits, and that's not taking into account the social
and environmental questions. We aren't against all development,
but it should be appropriate and sustainable. We don't
pretend to represent all the residents in the Hills, just
most of them. Read
the letter
Director General of DPI
says constraints against high density townsites stand
Director General of Dept of Planning
and Infrastructure, Eric Lumsden cites the very constraints
that were being ignored by the Mundaring Shire Council
will be given "close scrutiny" before
any high density townsites will be approved.
Read
letter
Hills
Protection Bill being Drafted
The bill is being re-drafted based on feedback from our
community workshops. The Bill would require the creation
of a State Planning Policy which will specify types of
areas such as: agricultural, rural, suburban, commercial,
industrial, natural preserve, water catchment (rural water
protection), private recreational, etc. It would set guidelines
as to what could be done within the areas. Read
more
The
Subprime Mortgage Meltdown hits the EMRC for an $4.1 million
loss. View the following PowerPoint cartoon.
View
Powerpoint (2Mb).
Parkerville
Development Block Layout
The 900+ block layout as approved
by Mundaring Shire and sent to WAPC 2008.
Erosion
at Parkerville Development
Erosion is becoming evident as the first houses are being
built in the outer ring (2 ha. blocks) at Parkerville
Highlands development. If the Shire and WAPC lift the
deferment, 900 more homes will be built on much smaller
blocks (down to 300 sq. metres). On smaller blocks all
trees can be cleared. The development is directly above
John Forrest National Park. The proposed Stoneville development
(1700 homes) is in a similar situation directly upstream
from Parkerville Highlands. All stormwater runoff, along
with pesticides, herbicides and fertilisers, will flow
through the National Park into Jane Brook and eventually
the Swan River.s
Perth
Hills Planning Bill Update
At the request of Perth hills residents, Giz Watson (MLC
North Metro), has developed a draft Perth Hills Planning
Bill to better protect and plan for the future of the
Perth Hills. Read
more
Hundreds
More Big Trucks on Toodyay Road
Hanson Quarries, currently
under investigation for mining outside their permitted
area in Red Hill, is applying to expand that Red Hill
operation to extract and ship 1.5 million tonnes of gravel
per year. This will involve doubling the visible scar
on the Darling Range Escarpment which will be visible
across the coastal plain. Other concerns are frequent
blasting, disruption of the delicate ecosystem and draining
of the Susannah Brook water catchment by mining below
the water table. Hanson has consistently deceived the
community and government over it’s operations.
... Read
more
Sewage
Plant Expansion Could Start Massive Development
Water Corp wants to expand the Mundaring sewage plant
by 2012. The plant has been irrigating the local oval
and 2 primary school grounds with excess treated water
in summer, and "temporarily" dumping into Jarrah
Creek each winter for 11 years. Now they want to double
the plant's capacity. They are floating 4 plans to deal
with the excess water. Read
more
Kalamunda
Community Group Supports Hills Planning Bill
Read more
Recent News....
Mundaring
Council Votes to Request WAPC Lift Urban Deferment. Read
more
Mundaring
Council Votes to sell Red Hill Tip land for possible Sewage
Plant.
Read
more
Save
Perth Hills Videos on YouTube View
more
To view many of the documents
on this site you will need a PDF reader, such as
Adobe Acrobat PDF
Reader [download
it here].
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Illegal trailbikes on You Tube!
...as seen on "Today Tonight, Channel 7"
Click on image to view video!
Do
you know these guys?
They were riding illegally and terrorising walkers on
the Railway Reserve in Hovea, Parkerville and John Forrest
Nat'l Park around 3 pm Sat., 20 Sept. If you recognise
them,
send an anonymous e-mail to info@saveperthhills.org
and we'll send it and their photos on to the Ranger.
Where
are the parents?
"Not all trailbike hoons are blokes. These young
ladies were caught riding on the Heritage Trail in Parkerville
on Wed, 28 January at 3 pm. Probably on their way to Sam
Druckers for lollies. Do you know them?"
Hills Issues
Hills Issues umbrellas issues regarding
developments in the regions across The Perth Hills and
Darling Scarp. More will be added as they come to light.
If you feel an issue or group should be included please
contact us: info@saveperthhills.org
Click on a region
Perth
Hills Zone Maps
Share
Your Local Issues
We're looking for local
corespondents from our readers in the Shires of Chittering,
Mundaring, Serpentine-Jarrahdale, Kalamunda, Armadale
and the Cities of Swan and Gosnells. If you have a Hills-related
issue you'd like to report on, please write it up and
send it to info@saveperthhills.org.
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