Letter to the Editor: City of Albany council should preserve Yakamia Forest as bicentennial 2026 project
Recently, the Mayor of Albany publicly admonished a local landholder for poisoning many large trees near his property.
Our group was pleased to hear the mayor’s strong support for protection of Albany’s wonderful natural heritage.
Our beautiful environment is one of the reasons it’s a joy to live here.
It’s therefore puzzling that the Albany Council plans to build a road from the Sanford/North Road roundabout through the middle of Yakamia Forest.
Housing development in the forest and neighbouring forested blocks is also planned.
If these things happen, the enormous destruction will far outweigh the damage the mayor so strongly condemned just days ago.
We are lucky to have a mature forest so close to our city centre.
Perhaps we take it for granted — it might be a case of “you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone”.
Except this time, we do know what we have.
The forest is home to critically endangered ringtail possums and three species of cockatoos.
It’s a brilliant resource for locals who love spending time in it.
There is no category beyond critically endangered. The next stop is extinction.
Do we really want our own version of Tasmania’s tiger?
Many local citizens, including prominent members of the Menang community, have urged the council to think bigger, to be wiser.
Alternative options exist for housing and road development which can meet our future needs.
The council’s own public documents prefer development on already cleared land, of which there is much.
We urge the council to preserve the Yakamia Forest areas as a bicentennial 2026 project.
Councillors will do themselves great credit by doing so.
Michael Bird, Mira Mar
Letters to the editor must contain the author’s full name, address and daytime contact number. Letters may be edited for space, clarity or legal reasons. Email [email protected] or post to PO Box 5168 Albany, WA, 6332.
#Letter #Editor #City #Albany #council #preserve #Yakamia #Forest #bicentennial #project