Crunch to come
WHOOPIE! Yesterday I saw not one, not two but three cyclists in Fremantle. Admittedly they were weaving in and out of the cycle lane but at least it’s a start.
It’s clear the council is moving to make Fremantle even more unfriendly to vehicles. Oh, good.
It at last answers a question I’ve posed many times to no avail: why are there 10 pedestrian crossings between the Myer building and the Woolstores? It’s clear to me now the council is trying to deter nasty motor vehicles. And it also explains why an extra 2400 or so vehicles using Swanbourne Street is considered negligible according to the statisticians reporting on plans for the proposed new development there.
Well, at least we know where our vastly increased rates are proposed to be spent. My only regret is I shall miss all those nice people who work in shops in the Woolstores. I’ll miss the people at the P&N Bank, at Bousfields and at Kakulas Sister because, being 79 years old, I’m not really cut out for cycling around, or worse still walking around Fremantle.
Still, I can park at Garden City and there are plenty of shops there where I can spend my money. Members of my family who live in other suburbs can meet me there rather than on the cappuccino strip. Of course, the crunch will come when our council decides that only young and fit people should be welcome. Then I’ll have to move.
J Morriss
Blinco St, Fremantle

What gain?
AS an East Fremantle resident I must take issue with Josh Wilson’s comments (Herald Thinking Allowed, October 25, 2014).
He claimed it was a great victory to allow the City of Fremantle to expand its empire by taking over East Fremantle, parts of Melville and parts of Cockburn but I’m quite sure residents of each of the above jurisdictions don’t see it that way.
While I supported the Fremantle Forever campaign to save Fremantle from being taken over, it has come at a great cost to neighbouring councils, which will lose their representation.
I see no evidence of the City of Fremantle respecting the interests of its neighbours who have so much to lose from any takeover and the loss of representation this entails. Colin Barnett constantly bags Canberra for infringing on state rights and would doubtlessly scream if a decision was made to amalgamate WA with SA or create a new state of Northern Australia, excising northern WA to join the Northern Territory.
Somehow he doesn’t believe the same logic applies when his government wants to impose its will on smaller local jurisdictions such as East Fremantle, which is not only sustainable but has lower rates than Fremantle (virtually no debt and a high level of services and facilities).
I have yet to see that East Fremantle has anything to gain from this proposed takeover or that there will not be increased rates and a reduction in services.
Cliff Collinson
King St, East Fremantle 

Druggie magnet
MAYOR Brad Pettitt obviously can’t see the elephant in the city as he seeks new ideas to make Fremantle pedestrian friendly.
While it continues to be a magnet for druggies, drunks and assorted vagrants from surrounding suburbs who litter its parks and streets especially on pension days, previous unpleasant experiences have forced potential retail customers to desert the precinct in droves.
Unfortunately political correctness has fuelled the problem with the responsible authorities unwilling to take decisive action due to the fear of being criticised by civil libertarians and being branded racist. I feel sorry for Fremantle’s retailers.
Daryl Binning
Norton Ridge, Winthrop

Parke an indie in Labor clothing
I AGREE with Mark Sims (“Puzzling logic,” Herald letters, October 25, 2014) that, Melissa Parke is representing an alternative world view in the federal parliament.
For all intents and purposes, she has functioned as an independent in ALP clothing within the Caucus.
Unfortunately, after three terms as our federal representative, and two terms as our member in government, I believe Melissa Parke’s posturing has not been in the interests of greater Fremantle—although I do sympathise with her convictions.
Fremantle deserves a member who has the confidence of the Caucus to rise to senior ministerial ranks within any executive of a future Labor government. It has become apparent, through her own making, this would not be the case for Melissa Parke.
Joy Collins
Curedale St, Beaconsfield

No-brainer
CALL me naive but I would have thought containing the Ebola virus was a no-brainer. Nobody leaves West Africa. Nobody. If it means “saving the rest of the world” then inconvenience to a few is a small price to pay for quarantine.
Brad Capes
Prospero Cres, Coolbellup
The Ed says: Aren’t you usually complaining about over-population? Thought you’d be welcoming ebola with open arms, Brad.

Why should it be a part of life?
ROBERT SHEEHY’S letter (Herald, October 25, 2014) is an excellent example of the kind of ideology that is dragging Fremantle down.
He asks if its the job of the police to clean up our social issues. Of course it isn’t, but they deal with the fallout and along with the council should endeavour to provide a safe and peaceful place for the people.
He also states “are we proposing that police deposit all anti-socials in our already overcrowded prisons for shouting and looking disheveled?” I don’t recall reading any letters suggesting this, and the focus is on abusive behaviour not appearance.
He asks if we should take them back to where they came from? Well, yes we should if they are disrupting everyone else and if you must have a screaming match you don’t need a town centre to do it in. I’d gladly pay the fare and so would many others.
Robert Sheehy sees drunken fights and shouting matches as no big deal, that it’s all part of life and is happy for his kids to see it. I’m sure the lady on the bus mentioned in another letter didn’t mind her and her baby having obscenities screamed in their faces either, as it’s all part of the rich tapestry of life.
He lumps in “the poor, the sick, the drunk and angry” together as if we want rid of the lot. The poor and the sick aren’t a problem and should be helped but please don’t suggest we are talking of dealing with them in the same manner as an aggressive, abusive drunk.
Yes, unfortunately drunks will always be “part of life” as drug addicts will too. Perhaps I should invite a heroin addict into my daughter’s class to shoot up so the kids can see that side of things. I’m sure the guy I once played snooker with when the Fremantle club was open didn’t mind a bit when the usual verbal abuse he faced in Kings square escalated to him receiving a severe beating by the usual itinerants.
He probably laid on the floor whilst being kicked in the head thinking, “I don’t mind—it’s all part of life”.
Mr Sheehy then goes on to say Kings Square is a public space, not a private one. Exactly! Who is saying it isn’t? And as a public place it should be safe and enjoyable for the public, not dominated by a very small section of it.
Robert Sheehy has to realise he is in the minute minority that doesn’t mind this carry-on. The vast majority do mind: we mind a lot and we mind enough to stop going and if the trend continues it’ll kill the place.
He wants us to build facilities for the anti-socials and have free tai-chi. That’s such a brilliant vision for the town, I’m surprised the council hasn’t offered him a job. That’ll get the crowds in and enliven the place. We could call it Club Drunk.
Actually, it’s a good idea as part of tai-chi is self-defence and if we build facilities for the anti-social they’ll need it. If this mindset prevails all you’ll have left in Kings Square would be like a scene from a Monty Python movie with a party of crystal-fondlers trying to meditate whist having abuse hurled at them, but they won’t mind. It’s a part of life.
Robert Glenton
Carrington St, White Gum Valley

Achieving behind the scenes
I APPRECIATE the support expressed by Mark Sims (Herald letters, October 25, 2014) and I accept the encouragement from Joy Collins (October 18) to keep focusing on local needs.
I do want to respond to the idea the Fremantle electorate has not received appropriate government support as a result of being a “safe” Labor seat.
Since 2007 I have been pleased to work with community groups and local governments to help secure federal funding for a range of projects in inner Fremantle including, but not limited to, $3.5 million for the Hilton Community Centre; $1.8m for work on Fremantle Prison (in addition to achieving World Heritage listing of that site); $20m for the Match social housing development on Queen Victoria Street; $1.6m for restoration of the Princess May building; more than $400,000 for Fremantle’s CCTV network; and, more than $300,000 for the leisure centre’s new geothermal heating system.
In addition I was pleased to negotiate the return of Cantonment Hill and the provision of black spot funding for numerous local road improvements like the roundabout at the bottom of Wray Avenue.
In the wider Fremantle electorate I supported funds to enable the delivery of the Cockburn Integrated Health and Community facility which opened last Friday, as well as the new Coogee Surf Life Saving Club and the new Fire and Emergency Services HQ in Jandakot.
While I understand there is an assumption in the community that funding only goes to ultra-marginal seats, it’s important to acknowledge the Australian system of government and public service administration is essentially merit-based, so good projects with community support and the advocacy of their representatives are generally rewarded with the funding they deserve.
That’s how I have always operated as the federal representative of the Fremantle electorate, a community whose support I have never taken for granted.
Hon Melissa Parke MP
Federal Labor Member for Fremantle

Some Freo flamboyance
THANK you Rossana Manning for your well researched, open-minded and constructive review of my newly opened store on Adelaide Street (“Just disgusting,” Herald letters, October 18, 2014).
On behalf of the Fremantle community we wish to thank you kindly for informing us of this most “shocking” sight you where confronted with after you left your work last week.
I just cannot begin to imagine the disgust you must have felt as you walked past a sign that said synthetic urine (since opening we have had the word urine in the term synthetic urine covered by a sticker). I bet your eyes just bled out. Imagine if you had’ve actually seen the benign little vial of dry powder itself!
I really do feel for you as every morning you wake up and go for your morning tinkle Rossana, you must be sickened by the thought of what your body is expelling less than one foot beneath you.
It’s a pity you couldn’t have been even more of a Freo Super Hero and climbed those stairs to warn our sheltered little community about the other disgusting products you referred to.
Maybe you could have spoken of the GPS dog collars, henna tattoo kits, mobile phone watches, gold plated grillz, spy gadgets, glass art supplies, night vision binoculars or any number of our hundreds of ”disgusting” products.
In your next paragraph you are kind enough to inform us of what you fail to understand : “I fail to understand why we have to put up with a place like this being opened when so many shops have shut down.”
Could you please help us understand what exactly it is you are failing to understand about this statement you made?
My business is breathing life into a dying Fremantle, we are bringing back the Freo flamboyance, whilst your pessimism brings nothing but flatulence to an already rotten state of affairs in Freo. I intend to single-handedly lead our great town out of this slump that we are now witnessing through innovation, pro-activeness and individuality that has given Freo its unique charm over the past century.
You Rossana, may have worked in Freo for seven years, where I have lived and worked in Freo for all of my 37 years. I am a very proud “Freo boy” and love Fremantle with all of my heart!
In fact Rossana, 36 of my 37 years I  lived on Fraser Street (30) and my grandparents lived on Coolgardie Avenue, both less than a football kick from where you claim to live, however I know almost everyone in that area, yet have no idea who you are.
Take your pessimism to the Pilbara Rossana, we don’t need it here!
Travis Mcleod
Adelaide St, Fremantle
The Ed says: It seems she’s not alone, Travis, with mayor Brad Pettitt writing to the building’s landlord urging them to give your business the flick. Might have had something to do with those meth pipes you were advertising on the internet… We’ve removed your business name from this letter (advertising isn’t free).

Be on your guard
THE joy of Brad Pettitt and Josh Wilson (Herald, October 25, 2014) about the expansion of Fremantle’s boundaries has to be tempered with a few hesitations.
One is that the new city will not have wards, which will reduce grassroots democratic control of the council.
The other is this expansion is classed as an amalgamation rather than a variation of the city’s boundaries. That means an administrator will be appointed by the Barnett government.
Will that person, for example, maintain the current council’s opposition to the handing over of the A-Class reserve land for building the Perth freight link, the truck freeway through Fremantle? What about height restrictions on building developments?
Residents have to be on their guard. A bigger and better Fremantle sounds wonderful. A Fremantle council that is controlled by developers and their buddies doesn’t sound so good.
Barry Healy
Holland St, Fremantle

A best-kept secret
SO mayor Brad Pettitt wants to make Fremantle a “pedestrian city” with car parking spaces removed and a speed limit as low as 10kph.
He really is intent on killing off Fremantle, it seems. But his rationale was mind boggling in its naivety—get this: “One of Fremantle’s great upsides is it was designed before the car—we’re a city that was designed around walking, horses bicycles and trams…“.
Well Dr Pettitt, can I enlighten you, every hamlet, village, town and city just about anywhere in the world (in the old world and the new world), were “designed” before the car. So what is so special about Fremantle? Just go ahead with this hair-brained scheme and kill off commerce in the centre of town.
On the front page of last week’s Herald Dr Pettitt claims Fremantle was able to stand alone after proposed council mergers because of the council’s pro-development attitude. This must be one of the best-kept “development” secrets in WA, unless of course he means everyone resorting to foot leather to get about.
Rod Steed,
Eyre Close, Bull Creek