MORE than 20 years after a council decision to remove a wooden fence, it still stands in Clarkson.
The Wanneroo council will consider a recommendation on Tuesday night to retain the fence after a 1995 decision to remove it was never actioned.
The initial decision followed a petition from 11 households on Hurst Trail to increase the height of a portion of the fence.
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READ NOWSaying it would compromise a link to the pedestrian and cycle network, at the time the council instead decided it would remove part of the fence and build an access path connecting the cul-de-sac with dual-use paths on Hester Avenue.
The February 7 report to the council said Ocean Reef MLA Albert Jacob contacted the City in March 2016 about complaints he received from nearby residents that vandals and thieves regularly targeted the fence.
Mr Jacob asked the City to increase the fence height from 1.1m to 1.8m.
Clarkson Police advised the City that police received two incident reports relating to a theft and a burglary on Hurst Trail in 2014.
In 2015, police received another two incident reports – one for trespass and another for vehicle theft – while in 2016 there were two incident reports in the street, and neither related to theft or vandalism.
“During a site inspection by administration, the fence was found to be in a state of disrepair, with damage to several sections of the fence,” the report said.
“On October 10, 2016, the 1.1m-high wooden fence was replaced with a 1.8m-high wooden fence to match the fence height on the west and east ends of the damaged fence.”
It said staff wrote to 48 households on and near Hurst Trail last November, inviting comments on whether there needed to be an opening in the fence.
“The City received 18 submissions – 15 from residents of Hurst Trail – unanimously objecting to the proposal,” it said.
“It is recommended that the proposal to remove a portion of the fence and to construct a shared path connecting Hurst Trail with Hester Avenue should not be supported.”