Medina's heritage under threat

Members of the Medina Residents’ Group have raised concerns over the potential loss of heritage within the historic suburb after changes were made to a new housing layout that edges onto Harry McGuigan Park in Medina.

Picture: Paul Sherry, Mandy Grubb, Aari Urban and children Leah and Ruby, Ashley Thomas and Sara Urban are worried heritage values will be lost in Medina.

Spokeswoman for the group Mandy Grubb voiced their concerns at a council meeting on August 24.

She said the council had proposed a change to the original housing design, layout and numbers ofhouses at ameeting with theMedina Steering Committee in June.

‘‘The number of houses has changed from 60 to 71 and the layout would see the roads running northsouth instead of east-west,’’ she said.

‘‘The change is quite significant to what the community approved in 2009.

‘‘We want the development, but not at the price of losing Medina’s heritage of trees and open space.’’

Mrs Grubb said Medina had about 95 per cent of its original housing stock, built between 1952 and 1954, and the group wanted to see it kept and restored.

‘‘Wide streets and setbacks give our suburb the sense of openness which can’t be lost,’’ she said.

Kwinana Mayor Carol Adams told Mrs Grubb there would be further community consultation, which would begin once Deputy Mayor Dennis Wood, the chairman of the Medina Steering Committee, returned from leave this month.

Mrs Grubb said the group had noticed there wasn’t replanting of native tree species such as banksias, jarrah, tuarts and grass trees.

‘‘We would like to see these species planted out in our parks to replace trees that have died,’’ she said.

‘‘If grass trees are removed from sites, we would like to see them planted out into Medina verges and parks.’’

Kwinana Town Council chief executive officer Neil Hartley said the council would investigate forming a policy relating to tree offset and retention, and would work with the community to develop such a policy.

The mayor advised Mrs Grubb that the council would continue to pursue the issues raised.