Flare up of Dalyellup fires sparks more community concern over Acreage Estate bridge maintenance delays

Maintenance delays to repair the sole access bridge of a South West subdivision, and the flaring up of underground fires, have left residents enraged and fearful for their safety. The community at Acreage Estate — a newly created 41-lot subdivision in Dalyellup — is searching for answers as the main bridge leading into the property remains closed and underground fires have flared up in the nearby wetlands. Since the bridge was deemed unfit for use in November 2023, residents have been forced to use a temporary limestone trail which runs past swampland still smouldering from the fires in March last year. To add to their frustration, residents were informed they wouldn’t be able to receive mail at the estate, as Australia Post were concerned about the safety risks of their delivery drivers. An Australia Post spokesperson told the Herald they were “not yet able to deliver to residents at the Acreage Estate”. “Due to the current closure of the bridge there is no suitable access for our posties, who use three-wheeled electric delivery vehicles, to deliver,” they said. “The safety of our team members is our highest priority. We will continue to monitor progress of repairs to the bridge to allow safe access into the estate.” Resident Danyelle Blythe said she was frustrated by the double standards. “I’ve just bought a brand new car — I drive my car down the dirt road,” she said. “We run a business that has deliveries, now it means that I’m going to be constantly picking up deliveries in town because they’re not able to deliver them to a house.” Ms Blythe said felt ignored while trying to get action on the issue and was frustrated about “a lack of transparency”. “We’re building our dream home and this is something that we’ve worked so hard for. It’s supposed to be such an exciting time and this is just such unnecessary drama and stress.” Last week, the Department of Fire and Emergency Services warned the public to stay clear of the wetlands. DFES South West superintendent Matt Fellini said there were “minor pockets of peat still burning”. “It’s nothing that we didn’t expect or hadn’t planned for,” he said. “We’re very cognisant there’s a lot of public movement through that area, through the wetlands and there’s an access road now through there. “What we want to do is alert the public to stay clear of the area in terms of walking through the wetlands, as there are still hot parts or pockets of soil that could be a problem for their health and safety.” Jackie Smythe — who moved in to the estate two months ago — said it “feels like everyone is passing the buck”. “At the end of the day, we don’t have the two safe access and egress for the estate, we’ve only got the one,” she said, “I’ve got a little one and at the moment, my partner’s getting around on crutches. “It’s a massive cop out,” she said. Bunbury MLA Don Punch said he had visited the site and “absolutely” agreed with the community the current circumstances needed to be addressed. “I have had a very productive meeting with the Shire of Capel regarding the matter, and the shire have agreed to facilitate a meeting for the community with the relevant stakeholders and service providers,” he said. He said bringing together the various stakeholders — which include the developers Cedar Woods, the Shire of Capel, Water Corporation and residents — was “the first step to securing the solutions people are seeking”. “I intend to attend the meeting between the community and stakeholders to fully understand all sides of the issues and look forward to working towards the outcomes that meet the needs of the community.”