Cock-a-doodle don’t, Andrew
WITH reference to the full page advert by Chook owner Andrew Smith in last week’s Herald, criticising East Fremantle mayor Jim O’Neill, which followed an article on the previous page about the bullying that was occurring in the local election, in which a candidate is quoted as asking people to be kinder to each other.
What a pity Andrew Smith did not put more emphasis on the fact in factional, and less on fiction, when preparing his tirade on the East Fremantle forthcoming mayoral election.
What a pity he has allowed his personal frustrations to overrun his common sense and idea of fair play.
What a pity he has abused his privileged position in the press to vent his personal insecurities.
What a pity he has not realised that communication between the Town of East Fremantle and the ratepayers needed to be modernised and, as it always should have been, conducted with mutual respect.
What a pity I, as a resident of East Fremantle since 1963, and other residents have to put up with the lowering of community standards by him when we all want the best for our town.
What a pity this letter probably will not be printed.
Pat Newton
Alexandra Road, East Fremantle
Chief of staff note: The advert by Chook owner Andrew Smith was paid for out of his own pocket.

No Logan’s Run for mayor
WITH council elections on the horizon, the Cockburn community may want to reflect on the great things the city has achieved with mayor Logan Howlett at the helm.
We have an active youth centre, the very popular children’s playground on the shores of our beautiful Bibra Lake, the state of the art aquatic recreation centre and the new medical centre.
Then there are the free concerts featuring top class entertainers including the WA symphony orchestra, well recognised Australian artists and local performers catering for all tastes and ages.
The Cockburn community is fortunate to have a council that is free of scandal, in a healthy financial position and achieves high scores in community satisfaction ratings.
When faced with sections of Cockburn being amalgamated into surrounding councils and even the prospect of being wiped off the map altogether, the city, with a dedicated core group, put together a well planned campaign and won the day.
You, the community, played a major part in that win, ensuring the city of Cockburn remained intact.
Statistics reveal voting participation rates at around 25 per cent.
I think we can do much better than that, don’t you?
Just a tick on a form and into the post box.
How easy is that.
Rex Sallur
Corn Way, Bibra Lake

Cliffhanger in East Freo
THE advertisement on page two of last week’s Herald supporting my mayoral campaign was not something that I had any prior knowledge of, nor any input into its contents, nor do I endorse the contents.
At no stage have I intended to run a negative campaign.
Although current mayor Jim O’Neill and myself do have differences ,we have, I believe, over the last four years, forged a sound working relationship based on mutual respect.
Whilst door knocking in support of my campaign I have pointed out those differences but at no stage have I put Jim down nor do I wish to conduct that kind of campaign.
Cliff Collinson
King Street, East Fremantle

Shush, Schuster
THE claim by councillor Schuster in the “No Aubrey Cabal” article (Herald,  September 23, 2017) that he voted against the Wave Park Proposal at Tompkins Park is disingenuous, given his votes with the “Aubrey cabal” at the following four 2016 Melville council meetings. These votes enabled the lease to be granted for the Wave Park at Tompkins Park in 2017:
1. 21 Jun 2016 – YES to relocation of Melville Bowling Club (being the site of the Wave Park);
2. 18 Oct  2016 – YES to the adoption of the “Lawn Bowls strategy” (to relocate Melville Bowling Club, which would free up its site for the Wave Park);
3. 28 Nov 2016 – YES to closure of Mt Pleasant Bowling Club (to be squeezed into a shared smaller site with the proposed relocated Melville Bowling Club at Tompkins Park); and
4. 28 Nov 2016 – YES to advertising the Wave Park (Business Case and ground lease), which amounted to an approval of the Wave Park being located in Tompkins Park, as per the Business Case.
Significantly, councillor Schuster has never publicly opposed the location of the Wave Park at any council meetings.
Schuster and his “cabal” would have us believe that the relocation of the Melville Bowling Club is unrelated to the Wave Park proposal.
But to vote for this relocation made it possible for the Wave Park proposal to proceed in Tompkins Park.
This is why councillor Schuster and his like-minded comrades need to be voted out in the October 2017 Melville Council elections.
Geoff Sandford
Dunkley Ave, Applecross

The squeaky water wheel
CONTRARY to C Wallace’s suggestions in last week’s edition (“Wave goodbye, councillors”, Herald letters, September 30, 2017), the proposed wave park is in the interests of the broader Melville community, from the perspective of increased amenity, significant new income for the council, jobs and the creation of a training facility for a new Olympic sport (surfing).
This is a sports use proposed for a sports reserve.
Keep in mind there are 72 acres of passive open space (Wireless Hill and Attadale Reserve) within one kilometre of Tompkins Park for non-sports uses.
Councillors have not been given a “short shrift” about the business plan prepared by council or the lease.
They had considerable time to consider all documents submitted by the proponent, including with the advice and counsel of expert legal advisors in a meeting lasting over five hours.
Nor will a high concrete wall be constructed around the surf park—the proposal envisages densely-vegetated sloping sides on two borders, which are the same height as the cyclone mesh fence currently surrounding the Melville Bowls Club.
Mr Wallace is correct—it is important to vote in the upcoming election, but for progressive councillors who represent the interests of all residents and ratepayers, rather than the vested interests of a small minority.
Jordan Marshal
Pembroke St, Bicton

Voting patterns
FOLLOWING my letter in last week’s Fremantle Herald (“Election tsunami”, September 30, 2017), a number of people have asked me, about the other two councillors who voted against the Wave Park.
The four councillors who voted against the Wave Park proposal were councillors June Barton, former councillor Lisa O’Malley, Nicholas Pazolli and Tim Barling.
Councillor Cameron Schuster has voted inconsistently for and against the Wave Park.
This is not just about a proposal to build a Wave Park at Alfred Cove, but involves the relocation of the Bowling Club, together with Atwell House demolition, to make land available for the Wave Park to lease for some 50 years.
This is a broad community issue so please carefully evaluate candidates in this local government election before voting.
Dr Graham Mahony
Warragoon Crescent,
Attadale

Celibacy best for same-sex partners
I INVITE readers to check out the following online—the You’re Teaching Our Children What? website and the online News Weekly article—How our Unsafe Schools are putting children at risk.
And to those who think it would be loving to allow same-sex marriage, I invite you to Google Same Sex ‘Marriage’ A Health Risk Doctors Warn Parliamentarians and The Health Risks Of Gay Sex by Dr JR Diggs.
It is most definitely possible for same-sex attracted people to live chaste and fulfilled lives (many do!) and I’d say it is more loving to encourage that chaste life.
Robert McLernon
Ellis Street, Pemberton

Financial fracas
POSSIBLY because of the polarisation and predictable partisanship of the audience last Tuesday, at the Fremantle mayoral ‘Great Debate’, questions on substantive issues seemed few and far between.
As my hand was up and did not get a guernsey because of time, I thought it might be useful to ask it in another public forum.
Most people will be aware that the department of local government recently classified the city of Fremantle as being “high risk” in its financial health.
According to the local government minister’s answer to a parliamentary question on August 9:
“the analysis is based on issues including financial health, compliance and probity issues showing dysfunction within council”.
Following this ‘revelation’, the city’s CEO wrote to the minister expressing surprise at the report, and assures the minister of the “sound financial positon [sic] of the city of Fremantle and of our strong performance in governance and compliance”.
However, contained in Fremantle council CEO’s letter to the minister is the most disconcerting and unsettling statement:
“The city is independently audited each year and no audit has ever indicated any fundamental issues or problems with the city’s medium or long term financial viability…, the city of Fremantle has not ever been classified as being in any risk category, let alone high risk.”
This appears to be completely at odds with the minutes of the audit and risk committee tabled at the full council meeting on November 23, 2016 which concluded that:
“the city’s ability to service debt out of its uncommitted or general purpose funds available from operations is limited and declining” and “the city’s own auditor raised a concern in relation to the city’s financial sustainability and suggested that council and management need to consider ways to improve the operating position either via increasing revenue [rates???] or by decreasing expenditure (or a combination of both)”.
So, my question to Fremantle mayor Brad Pettitt, is obvious, why does the council CEO tell the minister “no audit has ever indicated any fundamental issues or problems with the city’s…financial viability”?
What is also extraordinary is that because of the CEO’s letter on August 21, on September 20 the minister, then “clarifies” the city’s ranking from 42 out of 100 to 85(?) where 70 is considered a healthy financial position.
This is until a final audit AFTER the elections.
It appears then, that the minister is at odds with his department’s assessment, as it is understood that they still stand by their original analysis, but local government minister David Templeman has given the city a leave pass until after the election.
Claudia Green
Fremantle
Ed’s note: Ms Green is a candidate for City ward in the upcoming council elections)

More numbers
MY thanks to Fremantle mayor Brad Pettitt and his “improving Freo Environ” team.
Dear Old Freo is shaping up to the best “face lift” since the America Cup era.
I have always enjoyed simply pottering around Freo`s many by-ways and interesting nooks and crannies.
Still do; at a slower progress.
Thinking that I know the the lay-out of the city like the ‘back of my hand’ I, in my dotage, become completely disoriented but know I will eventually cross an arterial shopping road, and that lower street numbers should be nearest the post office, so I can sort myself out.
The point of my rambling letter is, could The Team perhaps encourage more shops and offices to display street numbers so that the like of self and those wishing to visit a particular establishment to do business can the more easily locate them.
Geoff Robinson
Powell Road, Coogee

Trumped
THE Trump administration has this week cancelled my (1) US Social Security partial old age pension and (2) US Veterans Administration disability payment because a fortnight ago I informed the US State Department that I was forfeiting my American citizenship.
I did this in order to run for election in the Australian federal parliament.
Indeed, a stiff price to pay for being a gung-ho Aussie!
Charlie Dortch
Howard Street, Fremantle