A new development of 55, ½ acre blocks in a suburban-style layout in Parkerville is now out for public comment.  Stoneville-Parkerville Progress Assoc. held a public information meeting on Jan 15. 50 residents attended. The development is owned by the Parkerville Children’s Home. It's titled: LOT 1854 BEACON ROAD & LOT 1915 ROLAND ROAD, PARKERVILLE LOCAL SUBDIVSION & INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN, or LSIP 368.


Concerns expressed were: 

Inadequate traffic access to the developments on existing narrow roads.

Excess stormwater runoff from hard surfaces (roads, roofs, driveways, verandas), temporarily stored in basins, then overflowing through open street culverts.

Sewage from septic systems on steep slopes running off with stormwater.

Elimination of native bush including several 150+ year old trees that are Black Cockatoo nesting sites (on ½ acre blocks owners are allowed to completely clear all vegetation).

Introduction of a relatively dense neighborhood into a bushfire-prone area.

Also troubling is that the development was put out for public comment Dec 19 thru Jan 28, during the holiday season when no one is watching, many people are on annual leave, and many involved offices—Shire, developer, proponent—are closed. The public notice signs were placed at the far ends of the property hidden from the main corner where they might be noticed. The LSIP was buried 4 pages back in the Shire website and difficult to search. It makes one wonder if this was all deliberate, to sneak this project thru with no one noticing.

Public must submit their comments by 4 pm Jan 28 to the Shire of Mundaring.

The Perth Hills Planning Bill will be debated in the upper house of State Parliment this Thursday.  It is a Personal Members Bill introduced by Alison Xamon, MLC East Metro.

The Bill would create a Perth Hills Region, and appoint a committee of experts who would apply a set of principles designed to protect the Hills from excessive quarrying, logging, mining, and urban sprawl.

Why any Member would vote against such a bill is illogical.  They might just as well vote against protecting Rotto, the beaches and the Swan River.

Save Perth Hills hopes the Bill will procede from the upper house and through the lower house and into law before the next election in March.

Contact your local member and ask them to vote for it.

Trek the Trails participants enjoyed beautiful weather this year.  Save Perth Hills attended the fair at the end of the trail and distributed free Save Perth's Hills car stickers.  If you received one, please make sure it finds it's way onto the rear window of your car.  Consider it a rolling petition. And if you feel strongy about preserving the Hills, contact your local Member of Parliament

So far we've met with the following MPs:

Frank Alban MLA Swan Hills (Lib).  He’s against the Bill, says it’s an ‘environmental bill’ , and will vote against it because Colin is against it.

John Day MP Kalamunda and Minister for Planning (Lib). (actually we just met with his staff, he was too busy). They
never gave us a yes or no, just smiled and listened and said it was being taken on advisement.

Tony Simpson MLA Darling Range (Lib). Tony supports the Bill but wouldn’t commit either way at this time because officially he’s a Lib.

Helen Morton MLC East Metro (Lib). She is sympathetic but is John Day’s voice in the upper house and has to vote with him.

Peter Tinley MLA Willagee Shadow Planning Minister (Lbr). He was interested, suggested if we had thousands of
members on our e-mail list they might be more interested. 
 
Alison Xamon MLC East Metro (Greens)  She’s definitely FOR the Bill, she is it’s chief sponsor.

Giz Watson MLC North Metro (Greens) She’s definitely FOR the Bill, she was it’s original author.

Remember, the next election is just 10 months away in March.