FOMO is FUBAR
I AM a Fremantle resident and work with adolescents, focusing on managing anxiety.
Learning to deal with the fear of missing out is central to maintaining wellbeing. The description of the King’s Square development in the promotional wrapper of The Herald, 23 September, would be fabulous if satirical, but, it isn’t.
FOMO, and I quote, is ‘a retail environment where the journey will be as important as the destination.’
Presumably, ‘the organic and free flowing experience’ of FOMO, will provide those tormented by the fear of missing out with all they lack.
In this haven where ‘each area has been designed to create and deliver wonderment,’ shopping and eating, safe in the embrace of ‘the FOMO family,’ no one ever need miss out again.
What’s in a name? In this instance, everything.
The name FOMO is a cynical endorsement of the crass consumerism of the project.
Of course, it could have just been a mistake, whoever ticked ‘yes’ may have been living under a rock, still thought LOL meant lots of love, and was quite unaware of the meaning of the acronym FOMO.
Assumed it meant Fremantle Open Market or something…
What a blot in the heart of Fremantle, a place that ostensibly values social equity and diversity.
The city square will become nothing more than another zhuzhed-up Mall.
Jenny Hetherington
Sea View St, Beaconsfiled

Fremantle vertigo
THERE appears to be much hurrah about high rise development in the Fremantle CBD but with little debate about future outcomes.
So much heritage has already been lost in Freo and maybe this is the last chance to save what is left.
I support the heritage listing of the West End but it may well be insufficient.
I understand that approval has been granted (subject to final offsets, etc) for somewhere between 9-12 storeys (higher than Johnston Court) at the Woolstores (Coles, etc) shopping centre.
In the forthcoming council election it would be good to know what each candidate’s position is on high rise and heritage conservation? My view is that it is game over once we allow new high rise in Freo because the economic, cultural and social pressures will result in more and more, albeit in future years.
Voters may ask, do we want a repeat of what has occurred in the Perth CBD or a living, working, unique heritage city with a true point of difference?
I recently visited places such as Edinburgh in the UK, which has a strong conservation policy and Florence in Italy where any modern building is a good distance away from the fantastic heritage precinct. Neither of these are ‘museum’ cities and the strong conservation policies are admired around the globe (the diversity of visitors is self evident).
I also visited Leeds in the UK and it was disappointing to see ugly skyscrapers mixed with lovely Georgian and Victorian buildings.
Fremantle still has a fabulous point of difference and could be like a mini Venice of the Indian Ocean or become just another modernistic centre.
Stephen Cayless
Simper Crescent,
White Gum Valley

Financial sunset
JUST wondering how Sunset Events plan on paying for the renovation of the Artillery Drill Hall or are they relying on council/government funding.
With controversy surrounding Sunset Events inability to pay all contractors for their festival Southbound, and subsequently not running a festival this year, how can they afford huge costs associated with opening an entertainment venue?
Janie Davidson
Fothergill Street, Fremantle

“Blow jobs” too noisy in Melville
HERE’S my pledge for the upcoming local council elections: I will pick up the tab for any successful candidate who promises to push for a ban on leaf blowers in the Melville district.
Furthermore, for all those lazy sods who claim they can’t “sweep” our paths and verges without one—I will buy each of you a broom.
I’ll even show you how to use it!
Barry Thornton
Kintail Road, Applecross 

Election tsunami
THERE is little doubt when earlier this year some 800 ratepayers and electors voted unanimously to oppose the proposed Wave Park in Alfred Cove that this would be a core election issue in the coming council elections.
Many are disappointed the mayor is not up for re-election because Russell Aubrey told the electors meeting that whist he remained ‘neutral’ on the proposed Wave Park, he personally supported it.
Bicton councillor June Barton together with Cr Lisa O’Malley (now our Member of Parliament for Bicton) and two other councillors voted against processing the Wave Park application.
Other sitting members including the mayor and CEO totally rejected the incredible community opposition to the Wave Park application proceeding.
Community opposition is soundly based—the Wave Park being wrongly located on an A-class marine reserve at Alfred Cove, destruction of the marine environment and habitat, the needless relocation of the Bowling Club, loss of community sporting facilities and grounds, the potential reclamation of the heritage site of Atwell House, the foreseeable (horrendous) traffic congestion on Canning Highway, and the loss of amenity and increased security concerns in the community.
Councillor Barton, who has supported and voiced strong community opposition to the Wave Park project, has earned our community’s respect, support and our vote for re-election.
A constructive way to counter poor planning is to support candidates that listen and support ratepayers and electors on important community issues, such as when they oppose a major proposed development on leased land conjoining a pristine marine environment.
The marine environs, birds and fish, foreshore flora and fauna of Alfred Cove and Attadale serve the entire community and need to be preserved for future generations to enjoy.
Remember, from now, this potential development could have a life of more than 50 years!
Dr Graham Mahony
Warragoon Crescent, Attadale 

Lotta Lotto, please
WHY should Lottoland be shut down?
I buy tickets through Lotterywest, and the chances of winning are very small.
Because I don’t win, my money goes towards grants.
If I want to donate my money I do it myself as a tax deduction.
We should have some competition in WA, but we only have one casino and one Lotterywest.
Eastern States have several of both. Why can’t we?
Max Board
Orsino Boulevard, Port Coogee

Broad shoulders needed
THE ABN was connected to our house three years ago; I was amazed when the job was finally completed to see three big boxes.
One outside the house and two inside.
With no further thought to the boxes until recently when one of the boxes started buzzing and a light flashing.
I rang Telstra to report the fault only to be told by an overseas operator that it was a battery in the box needed replacing.
Next question when will Telstra replace the battery?
To be told it was my responsibility, just unplug it and get a new one. I rang a battery company who were very helpful, a serviceman came to our house and changed the battery the cost $91-00.
The battery is about the size of a house brick.
It is my advice should other households have the same problem ring a battery supplier.
Who is responsible for the boxes should they need repairs or replacing?
Is it any wonder that a lot of households do not have a landline only a mobile phone.
Frank Granger
Melville Beach Rd, Applecross 

Wave goodbye, councillors
THE decision which Melville Council has made to grant an up to 50 year lease for a potential wave park developer, has fallen far short of representing the best interests of its ratepayers and the environment.
Parks and green spaces are incredibly important for existing and future generations and Tompkins Park is an asset of inestimable value, which should be kept as is.
The small minority of Melville councillors who have tried to scrutinise the totally inadequate business plan and subsequently the lease agreement, and who have asked several valid and important questions, appear to have been given short shrift (to say the least) by the rest of the council and the city’s hierarchy.
The wave park will cover 4.4 hectares and there will be a high concrete wall surrounding most of it.
With local elections coming up, it is important to vote for councillors who can effectively represent ratepayers best interests, and in so doing, will not be afraid to go against the city’s hierachy.
C. Wallace,
Clydesdale Street, Alfred Cove