WITH respect, Owen Catto’s judgement that the iconic Powder Bark Wandoo is a weed (December Herald) is one of the most surprising we have ever heard.
How can a tree that was propagated by nature centuries ago be in the wrong place?
Perhaps it is more that the road or indeed we recent arrivals to this landscape are in the wrong place?
As to the issue of the Sandplain/Salt Valley Road intersection being unsafe, we are in complete agreement.
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But as the Safe and Scenic Toodyay Roads (SASTR) campaign has always maintained, there is a balance to be had between improving safety and excessive damage to the environment – it is not one or the other.
In that regard, recent discussions between our group and Main Roads WA suggest that new designs for this junction are possible without so much clearing and we look forward to seeing these confirmed officially.
That aside, Owen pays the conservationists including our group a compliment by saying they are holding up the work on Toodyay Road.
We wish that was true but any delays in this work by Main Roads WA are due almost certainly due to the unavailability of contractors and resources.
Andrew St John
Safe and Scenic Toodyay Roads Campaign
Toodyay
