2021 Wooroloo Fire Questions...

Photo credit: Aaron Fernandes / SBS News

Save Perth Hills has written to our Premier advocating for an Independent and Open Inquiry into the Wooroloo Bushfire.

This catastrophe was Perth Hills’ first Climate Change Mega-fire, destroying 87 homes and leaving more than 300 Hills’ people homeless.

We’re seeking urgent clarification from Premier McGowan after correspondence from DEFS implied no formal decision has been made to even hold an inquiry.

Each bushfire holds valuable new information to help us understand and manage our increasingly volatile environment, better inform our policy makers, specifically with regards to planning, and educate the Community on bushfire evacuation dangers.

The extreme risks to people and property, that the Anglican Church and Satterley’s stranded urban North Stoneville plan would bring to our community, along with its non-compliance with WA’s Bushfire Policy 3.7, were reasons why WA’s Planning Commission’s refused it.

Mundaring Council cited the same reasons for refusing, recently, new subdivisions in Swan View and Parkerville.

Surely we need to learn from each and every bushfire so we can plan responsibly for a safer future.

Mark McGowan– It’s been more than 3 months since this disaster. Why haven’t you announced a formal investigation?

We urge you to officially call an Inquiry into the February 2021 Wooroloo bushfires - to offer closure to the hundreds of victims, and reassurance for the future of us all.

Petition Update

Over the weekend we hit the milestone of 2000 signatures - have you signed? You’ll remember we are calling for a halt to development plans in the bushfire prone Perth Hills pending the outcome of the February 2021 Wooroloo Fires Inquiry...

Will you help us get to 3000 or more signatures before we submit the petition to the WA State Parliament??

Remember - the 9th of June is coming up and that’s when Satterley will be back at the State Administrative Tribunal making the case yet again for their refused structure plan. Secret discussions behind closed doors is no place for such an important decision that will;

• affect the bushfire safety of thousands of people

• impact hundreds of hectares of habitat and,

• alter the very fabric of what makes the hills, the hills.

• Stay tuned for important updates as we approach the next mediation hearing…

• In the meantime, please support the amazing businesses who are hosting our petition signing efforts and if you haven’t signed, be sure to add your name and ask everyone you know to do the same. You’ll find our petition at:

- The Artisan Mundaring Bakery Cafe

- Begonia Pets and Produce

- Stoneville Fresh supermarket

- Cafe Mojo Mundaring

- Hills Fresh

- Shell's Health and Beauty

- The Lazy Corner

- Maggie Thompson Naturopath

- Paul’s veg shop in Mt Helena

Oh and you'll also find us at the upcoming Gidgegannup Small Farm Field day on the 30th May!

It's all in the timing ....

While $atterley and the Anglican Church prepare $olutions to their North $toneville Disaster Plan - IN PRIVATE, other important bushfire-related business is taking a back seat... Big questions hang over the Wooroloo Bushfires...

After almost 3 months we still don’t know - What ignited the blaze that destroyed 87 homes? When will the inquiry occur? What are the Terms of Reference? Will PLANNING and DEVELOPMENT be included? (Surely?) Will the inquiry be DFES-led - or, Independent? Will those who fought the fires be allowed to speak up? Will new Emergency Services Minister Reece Whitby MLA meet us, as requested, to discuss?

Those answers could dramatically impact - even over-turn, ‘$olutions’ being made about North $toneville - right now. But there’s not even a whiff of the Inquiry in the wind...

Interestingly, WA’s peak body, for our 20,000 INCREDIBLE Bushfire Volunteers, says Wooroloo’s Inquiry MUST be INDEPENDENT to avoid fuelling - “the unhelpful perception it has something to hide.” So what do you think? https://www.bushfire.org.au/wooroloo-fire-must-have-open.../

FYI Bushfire Volunteers WA