Brad’s high tackle on Freo
WHAT a hypocrite mayor Brad Pettitt is.
If anyone is using Australia Day celebrations as a political football, it’s Dr Pettitt who would have us believe that he and Fremantle council had/have the over whelming support of the community to change the name, date and time of Australia Day.
The attendance numbers for the January 27 event he approved show that it is not “immensely successful”.
Many Fremantle residents, myself included, now celebrate Australia Day in Perth.
It could be argued, changing the date of Australia day is Dr Pettitt’s political football designed to take ratepayers’ attention off the financial mess he and this council have managed to put Fremantle in?
Bob Loftus
Beach Street, Fremantle

Quay the key
FREMANTLE’S future as a prosperous town centre in the 21st century is fundamentally dependent on developing its linkage to the Victoria Quay waterfront.
A boldly developed innovative and exciting harbour frontage is the desperately-needed stand-out attraction that Freo needs to differentiate itself from Garden City and Claremont.
It will enable the port city to compete for, and attract, high order business and enterprise.
What about the King’s Square redevelopment? It’s a step in the right direction to plug the gap left by Myer, but it’s not the competitive game-changer that’s really needed.
Fremantle council and the port authority have drawn up the plans for Victoria Quay and for its connection and integration with the town (maybe a bit timid in some respects, but the framework is there).
But hey, let’s get on with it! There’s a federal election coming and infrastructure and tourism projects are vote winners.
If the state government, council and the port authority dither, let affairs drift and don’t get behind such a winner, then Freo and all of us who love the place will lose.
John Adderley
Wardie Street, South Fremantle

Aim for tourism
THE essence of all good European town, village and city centres is extensive central park land and a welcoming adequately-sized park/piazza.
Best exemplified by Paris, Seville, Florence and Sienna as I recall.
Without these you leave tourists and all locals or visitors with a completely forgettable experience.
A cool green homey central focus and resting place, surrounded by cafes restaurants, shops and bars is essential.
Not an admin building.
Outsource the admin to other local vacant offices and shops; don’t build a boring admin silo in the centre.
You want tourism? Aim for it.
Nick Keely
Address supplied

Falls in love
I AM writing in response to the letters “Falls Fallout” in last week’s Herald.
I too heard the music from the Falls Festival and found it so enticing that I jumped on my scooter and headed into Fremantle to soak up some of the atmosphere. I am 47 years old.
Unfortunately I only made it for the last act at around 8.30pm, and as it is mostly a daytime event I’m not sure how this is going to affect sleeping?
I still remember the awesome atmosphere that surrounded East Fremantle Oval when Pink Floyd performed there, but it seems some people can’t deal with a little disruption for what is a relatively short period of time in the scheme of things. |
I understand that music tastes change as you get older and my mum made similar comments about the music that I listened to, but please don’t be the person that stops these infrequent events from returning to our city, which is desperately in need of some vitality.
Jennifer Oosterwaal
Fremantle