Lesson learned?
THE author Jared Diamond in his book Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed has the following quote: “The past offers us a rich database from which we can learn, in order that we may keep on succeeding”.
When it comes to the Fremantle council depot that never was at 2 Jones Street, is it possible that the council is neither learning or succeeding? And is a collapse due?
You see, at its last ordinary meeting (July 28) the council voted not to review the decisions that led to the $7.8 million purchase of the never used site in 2014.
This even though the publicly available council records that reference the site never, not once, mention the asbestos that the site is riddled with.
Even key documents used to support the ill-judged purchase and that have sections within titled “Risk and Other Implications” fail to mention this not so trivial health issue.
Learning from the past? Perhaps not.
Sean Hefferon
Wardie St, South Fremantle
Hug a tree
HELLO Editor! And Thank you for your article Saturday July 24 (“Grey-green revolution”, Herald).
Grand Nanna for Fremantle here. Not retired or have any grandchildren and only a little bit grey.
I’ve been travelling from Perth to the South West for at least 60 years and have watched the SW forest become progressively thinner.
My friends, who moved from Perth to Manjimup for the “green” life in the 70s, always shared with me their frustration with local forestry management and particularly the logging of the forest and log trucking.
They protested, lobbied and complained and little has changed over the years.
They could use some help now and it’s up to the rest of us, who can acknowledge, that in one way or another, that they have had the privilege to visit, walk, camp, swim, eat the produce and, overall, suck in the air and nurturing energy that the forest exudes, to advocate for it.
Us city folk also need to be aware that forests are our original resource to preventing more climate change, providing habitat for already endangered species and business that relies on the health of the trees. Not the removal of.
The Sit N Stitches provide a welcoming space for anyone who wants to know more or just tell a story.
Sew a leaf (all tools provided) wear it or choose another one and tell the world you care. All genders, non-gendered and ages welcome. In the words of Nanna’s Central “ anyone who is alive can be a Nanna”.
Try hugging a tree … any tree.
Even if the bull ants run up your leg. It’s life changing.
Stitchings – Aug 7 and 21 at Ootong and Lincoln, South Terrace, South Fremantle.
Thanks for Listening
Janet
Freo Madness
REGARDING the Herald’s story “Planning bypass” (Saturday July 24).
Why have a local authority – why does City of Fremantle exist?
Why have a local MP, even a minister, if they don’t stand up for local issues, they don’t stand up for the local authority.
This needs to be changed – a six-storey building in Suffolk Street. This is madness!
Paul Loring
Beaconsfield
Covid handball
WITH the arrival of ships off Fremantle with Covid-19 variant crews, I am wondering how it has become a state responsibility and not the responsibility of AMSA, the designated federal organisation appertaining to Maritime safety matters.
They have always been assiduous in making sure all paperwork regarding crews and vessels is correct, however it appears that they have abrogated any responsibility regarding infected vessels.
This is very similar to the PM’s attitude to aged care during the first Melbourne lockdown; initially he stated that aged care was the federal government’s purlieu, however as soon as people began dying at an unacceptable rate, it became a state responsibility.
Geoff Dunstone
Palmyra
Switched on
MOST nights of the weeks people train and play on Henry Jeffrey Oval under powerful floodlights.
Most nights of the week these lights stay on long after the footballers have gone home.
This means that council funds are wasted and large amounts of carbon dioxide are unnecessarily pumped into the atmosphere.
I’ve written to council about this and received sympathetic replies from three councillors but nothing has changed.
It seems the situation is that the footballers are supposed to turn the lights out, but if they don’t then a timer automatically turns them off much later in the night.
It may mean footballers are lazy selfish bogans who care nothing about the climate or they may not be aware of their obligations or they don’t know how to turn the lights off.
Either way, I think it’s time East Freo’s CEO got proactive.
Jamie Simpson
East Fremantle