Motivated by her interest in property and a love of local bushland, Sjaan Ketting is relishing her role in the Oats Street Community Reference Group for the METRONET Victoria Park-Canning Level Crossing Removal Project.

An original member since the early planning stages of the project, Sjaan attends regular meetings, sharing her views and representing residents of the Harold Hawthorne Community Centre in Carlisle, where she has lived since 2012. 

“I enjoy the opportunity to get information, meet people and get out of the house and I’m glad I can help keep the Harold Hawthorne residents up to date.”

Sjaan, 76, has enjoyed a 35-year career as a real estate property manager and has a commerce degree which helped her pursue work in accounting. She also has a Graduate Diploma in Landcare and volunteered for seven years with the Urban Bushland Council of WA. 

Sjaan regularly catches the train from Carlisle Station to and from the city and supports the idea of elevated rail for Perth. 

“For people my age, I think having the rail elevated will be much safer because it will be visible and open,” she explains. “The best thing about being on the reference group is that like-minded people get together to discuss problems and find amicable outcomes."

The project recently recruited nine new community members across its two reference groups who are now turning their focus from design to works as the Armadale Line Shutdown gets closer.