Like most Western Australian residents I have been following the gas crisis with growing interest and alarm. I cannot begin to fathom how it can possibly take two or more months to fix the damage caused in the explosion. What exactly blew up, the whole of Varanus Island (is it just me or do you want to laugh each you hear that name?)? Why will the parts take so long to get here? The writers of 24 couldn’t have dreamt up something so simple but so potentially catastrophic. The timing could not have been worse with Perth and other parts of WA already experiencing record low winter temperatures.

Our children both have weekly swimming lessons at local public swimming pools. One pool has already lowered the temperature and we haven’t checked with the other yet. Some in southern suburbs are reportedly on the brink of closure. What will happen if children enrol for term three swimming classes in the next fortnight and we find out in July that the indoor pools will not be heated? Will we be entitled to refunds or credit? As a caller to 6PR pointed out the other day, there are many elderly and disabled people who rely on heated pools for exercise and therapy. The AHA also warned today that some hotels are perilously close to not having clean linen. It could be a cold, bleak winter. Oh, and to top it all off, Alinta is putting up gas prices!