Hi! I’m Janelle Sewell and I’m delighted to be your Greens candidate for the State seat of Kalamunda at the 2025 State election.
A long time Perth Hills resident, I’ve represented the local community on the City of Kalamunda Council, where I gained valuable insight into environmental touch points in a region that’s facing massive climate change challenges and increasing development pressures, especially in extreme bushfire prone areas.
Kalamunda is not immune to the housing affordability crisis WA currently faces – but we must make sure development safeguards, not endangers people in our increasingly bushfire vulnerable region.
Anyone who has spent time in the hills knows it is a special place, and that it needs to be protected. Throughout my years raising my family here, I’ve rallied against inappropriate development proposals, and worked with WA Forest Alliance to protect our native forests. I’ve worked with Doctors for the Environment to raise local, State and National awareness around climate change impacts on our health, and on our environmentally vulnerable region.
As a City of Kalamunda Councillor, I worked with the local community to declare a Climate Emergency, and have strongly advocated for biodiversity policies and tree protection.
The impacts of the one of the driest summers on record remains for all to see throughout the seat of Kalamunda and its surrounds, from Maida Vale to Gooseberry Hill, across to Darlington and up to Wooroloo. Thousands of trees are dead, or are continuing to suffer the effects of a prolonged and unprecedented drought.
Our region is also facing the increasing threat of Polyphagous shot-hole borer which will require a well-coordinated community-wide effort to fully understand the risks, and control methods available. The trees and forests in our Kalamunda electorate are a tourism and economic drawcard, a unique, biodiverse environment that we proudly showcase - but which are in desperate need of our protection.
As the Greens WA candidate for Kalamunda, I want to take our Hills’ concern about the climate and biodiversity crisis into WA’s Parliament, and highlight the need to strengthen our community facilities and services across the electorate’s two Local Government regions of Kalamunda and Mundaring, to support community well-being.
I am so excited to hit the campaign trail and turn Kalamunda Green! Volunteer to support my campaign here, or donate to power our movement!
See you out there!
Janelle
