LOOK BACK IN ANGER

[Myra Thomas-Rhodes]

I want to show you all our beautiful road, a quiet "No Through" road, with only eight homes on it Our council, Mundaring Shire, Perth, Western Australia, want to widen and bitumise this road, at a cost of nearly half a million dollars to its ratepayers - a road length of only about 600 metres, effectively making it a "Rolls Royce" road to nowhere! All the residents are against this, and if we cannot stop the madness, bulldozing will start at the end of this month of November, 2010. Many, many trees will go, which are at least 200 years old, as well as the Grass Tree, known as Zanthoreas, a protected species. These too are ancient, and abundant in our road, and are so old, many are double and triple headed, standing at least two or three metres tall.

We are fighting this in grand style and have enlisted politicians, including our state leader, the Premier of Western Australia. We have Environmentalists on board, and expect this issue to be raised in State Parliament shortly. I want this to be aired, so that when someone "googles" William Road, it will help bring to shame Mundaring Shire - a shire who should represent the Hills of Western Australia, but appears to have lost sight of this fact.

[Myra Thomas-Rhodes]

The trees are in pristine condition! We have a problem here in Jarrah trees called Dieback, or Phytophthora Cinnamomi - none of these trees have this - perfectly healthy! And I certainly get your drift, Susan - we ARE dealing with mainly men! Perhaps they should remember that "Hell Hath No Fury Like A Woman Scorned!"

[Virginia Thielsen]

Myra, I dearly hope you win this battle, such a beautiful area to destroy. My son did a year of study abroad in WA and we spent several weeks visiting and loved it. If I am not mistaken, didn't Gnomeville near Wellington Mills come about from similar misbegotten thinking by the council resulting in a roundabout to nowhere being built? Perhaps some pictures to remind your council of that folly might help. Best of Luck!!!

[Norma Pape]

Good luck with the campaign, Myra. For those like me who visit you regularly and know how beautiful William Road is, this is a horror story. Really what is the point of spending this money? Is there a councillor living on your road who wants quicker access to wherever???

[Myra Thomas-Rhodes]

No councillor, but a small developer, one of the very top of the road residents, but even he is fighting against this. However, I strongly believe there is a hidden agenda here somewhere!

[Jennifer Martin]

Why?, when Australia has such a 'green' policy for roads and the environment that must take flora and fauna into consideration, - I think you are right Myra, someone has an agenda!, hope you have national TV involved and are kicking up a big 'stink', I know it is so frustrating when you are outraged and passionate about something like this and feel that people in authority take no notice of your rights or opinions and ride roughshod over everything you hold dear and I would think in the present economic climate there are more thing's that need fixing than destroying!. Once again bureaucracy and autocrats gone mad!.

[Maggie Smith]

Crazy!

[Suzanne]

I can not believe that they are even considering removing the trees, as well as being extremely beautiful, with our changing climate we need to keep all the trees we can. How are you going? Can I help?

[Melinda Auld]

So freaking typical of local councils - blinded by the short-terrm, and oblivious to any attempts at logic. I hope you win the fight.