Thanks Susanne
CONGRATULATIONS to Susanne Taylor-Rees (Herald, February 13 and 20, 2016) for protesting the destruction of the trees in Bunnings’ Myaree car park.
I also went to the store last week and nearly cried when I saw all those beautiful shady trees had been removed. Coincidently, the trees’ presence was one of the main reasons I used to pick this store, so I could park my car in the shade.
When I contacted Bunnings I received the stock-standard answer regards lifting up kerbing and causing customers problems (I wonder if anyone did complain).
These trees hadn’t even reached maturity so I have my doubts how much trouble they were causing.
Kathy Dixey
McBeth Way, Kardinya

Rental rage
I AM angry! Public housing is designed for low-income, vulnerable battlers such as people living with disability.
However, King Colin and his razor gang have attacked these battlers.
War veterans, the aged, disabled and others who receive Commonwealth concessions are having vital payments included as normal income, resulting in a significant rent rise.
The Liberal-National government is taking 25 per cent of these concessions, even before people receive them, and housing minister Colin Holt says, “this is fair!”
Well, I believe what’s fair is this government not being re-elected at the next election.
William Booth
Queen St, Bentley

Early birds get the volts
ANDREW LUOBIKIS’ Thinking Allowed article (“It’s the vibe,” Herald, February 13, 2016) does not take into consideration the importance of an electric vehicle charging network and its potential for the City of Fremantle.
The RAC in partnership with local councils throughout WA have been rolling out their world-class electric highway from Perth, soon Fremantle, to Augusta and onwards.
Early Perth stations included RAC HQ on Wellington Street and Subiaco. Given Fremantle is touted as a tourist hot spot in Perth, it is welcoming to see the port city supporting and attracting visitors.
It will support not only local EV users but motorists all over the state, as they know they can visit Fremantle in their carbon-free cars and be assured they can top up and return home without any issues.
One small issue Mr Luobikis forgot to mention was the RAC charging network is not free for users – so there is a revenue stream from having a charging station in Fremantle. He also has not mentioned EV users coming to Fremantle to charge their cars are more likely to spend money which will help the local economy.
Like all new technology, the prices of EVs are coming down as technology improves. All of the major car manufacturers have or are working towards an EV or hybrid EV due to the increasing demand.
Those who adopt the technology first will benefit from identifying and seizing the opportunity. It is unfortunate Mr Luobikis cannot see the benefit of adopting EV technology for both his city and drivers.
Dianne Massoudi
Edward St, Nedlands

Drones are model citizens
MANY have been confused and concerned about flying drones that are readily available from retailers. They are model aircraft unless used for commercial purposes and covered under Civil Aviation Order 101 for UAVs, rockets and model aircraft (available on the net). All quite simple and clear, contrary to many reports and opinions. Local governments will also have by-laws relating to flying in local parks.
Hayden Shenton
Kipling St, Munster

A mangled development
ANYONE who has accepted the Mangles bay development as simply a “land grab”has blinkered vision. They fail to see — or refuse to see — that the attached “marina” is both anti-environment and anti-tourism.
The marina will not only cause starvation of sea creatures with removal of sea grass (irrespective of provisos) but 500 boats moving in and out of the area.
What hopes do the Little Penguin have against such lethal conditions? It will be extinct in 10 years.
Already, Little Penguins wash up on Penguin Island minus a flipper, having made it home to die. Gone will be the reason why 90,000 tourists travel to Rockingham. Gone will be a piece of bushland that people like to wander through as distinct from the beach. Gone will be an education facility that enables marine biologists to study the habitats of the penguin in the wild — the only other place in Australia is Port Phillip Bay in Victoria.
But welcome to the hundreds of cashed-up bogans in their mighty destroyers!
Molly Oam
Kemp Rd, Mt Pleasant

It’s not just you
REFERRING to Suzanne Hanley’s letter, “Something wrong,” (Herald, Saturday February 13, 2016) — no madam, it’s not just you, I think just about every clear thinking person is thinking the same thing.
Take Africa for instance, the “I can’t help myself can’t feed myself” continent. How many more billions of dollars are they going to pour into this bottomless pit before some dopy politician realises it’s not helping anybody.
The African dictators and their cronies are the richest men in the world. Julie Bishop would do well to remember that charity begins at home.
Hein Cloete
Clemros Way, Leeming

Electric bays are needed
VFACTS advise 1108 EVs and 12138 hybrids were sold in 2015. These exclude Teslas, which the owners reckon at about 850 so far, so a huge increase over 2014, the exact opposite of Andrew Luobikis guesstimate (“It’s the vibe,” Herald Thinking Allowed, February 13, 2016).
The WA Tesla fleet started higher than over east per capita, but has not grown so fast because of lack of Tesla infrastructure here. Also there are no state incentives for EVs here (unlike over east). Despite this there are now more than 40 Teslas in WA (plus the VFACTS EVs), further contradicting Andrew’s figures.
The RAC and now Fremantle have helped fill the gap with their world-class electric highway. WA is “way ahead” in this respect.
Tesla has deliberately sold luxury vehicles so it can fund its SuperCharging network and develop the firmware (which is updated monthly with new features like auto-steer). It may have outsold the total of Mercedes, Audi and BMWs top models in Australia last year (VFACTS only 772). But Tesla is releasing its mass model 3 in five weeks for USD$35,000, for a deposit of USD$1000 on the Tesla website.
Some owners will be demonstrating these state-of-the-art cars at the AEVA open day on March 12 at RAC DTEC.
It is therefore likely we will be short of charging bays very soon, and those towns without a charger will start losing trade.
David Lloyd
Blackwall Reach Parade, Bicton

Do yer jobs
THE Herald has reported in recent weeks on worsening problems at the Coldstores complex in Fremantle, put down to a small number of disruptive drug-selling tenants.
Given the council and mayor are spruiking Fremantle as a safe and decent place to do business, or buy one of the many expensive apartments being built, it is both surprising and worrying that neither has made any comment on this blight.
The police are doing their best but without the backing of both Fremantle council and WA housing minister Colin Holt there is only so much they can do.
I would urge our mayor and housing minister to come out from the safety of their plush offices and do the jobs they are very well paid to do.
Bob Loftus
Beach St, Fremantle
The Ed says: This letter was edited for clarity.

Trippy Melville
I REFER to a letter from a reader recently regarding tripping over an uneven pavement in Fremantle
I had the same experience on January 29 but in the City of Melville: I tripped over and fell into a limestone and iron fence, lacerating my left arm and at the time a suspected broken right wrist that turned out to be bruising
I went to Fiona Stanley emergency department as my injury was bleeding profusely. The treatment was superb.
On the Monday I went into the council office, armed with a map of this particular pavement and a copy of my treatment and lo and behold the offending piece of concrete was ground down the next day.
It’s a shame that what seems to be the only way to get uneven pavements fixed is for someone to injure themselves. I say this because my neighbour has complained about pavement outside his home and further down the road and another neighbour has also submitted a complaint.
Michael E Taylor
Winthrop Dve, Winthrop

Toxic tin surprise at tip shop
I VISITED the Kwinana rubbish tip shop for a browse on Sunday, February 21, 2016.
I was looking for paint and I saw a tin which implied on the label it might be suitable for cement on a patio. I spoke to the assistant who said he didn’t know how to open it.
The reason it was so well sealed and unable to be opened — as discovered later — was because it was a chemical compound. A ”reaction product” it said on the label which I was able to read at home.
The label stated, “it is a reaction product and has a bisphenol and epoxy resin, flammable, harmful if in contact with the skin, especially the eyes and also harmful to aquatic organisms if placed in water”.
My hope is that councils take a closer look at what they are re-selling.
I still have the tin: I will return it to the tip so it can be disposed of properly without creating a health or environmental hazard.
Arthur Sofiandis
Leeuwin Vista, Munster