Strumped

I HAVE some problems with the article by Esther Hill (“Challenging education’s Trump Cards”, Thinking Allowed, May 28, 2022).

In fact I am well and truly stumped. 

As I am not as well educated as Esther Hill the metaphor of Trump conflating to trump and trumped is not understood. 

It must be important to the writer as it was used around fourteen times. Maybe part two will clarify it. 

I am  also curious about the use of Individual capitalised. Is this to emphasise  the importance of the individual in opposition to the group or the system or what?

If this is the new communication system then I am well and truly left behind however I do hope that the future students of these new measures and systems advocated  will benefit  them and the community too  as education is of prime importance along with food and shelter to maintain a healthy society. 

Fay Kennedy
Fremantle

Permit hell

THANK you for your article “Residents furious over parking plan” (Herald, May 28, 2022) which highlighted the legitimate concerns of residents of Attfield Street.

Many of these concerns are shared by residents of the proposed two-hour parking limit area (between Attfield Street and Marine Terrace) with the addition of anger at the restrictions the proposal would impose on residents of that area.

Your article says: “Residents would qualify for a couple of parking permits, including one which can be given to visitors”.

This is not so – many residents, including (for some obscure reason) residents of ‘residential complexes’ with more than nine residential units, would not qualify for permits. 

Others would qualify for only one multi-purpose (visitor) permit, according to the City of Fremantle’s regulations. 

Even if you do qualify, for one or two permits, it sort of puts the mockers on having family or friends round for an extended lunch or family celebration. And what about having visitors for extended stays?

All of which prompts the question of how the City of Fremantle proposes to enforce the two-hour limits, anyway, and what the cost of doing so effectively would be. 

All of this aggravation stems from the city’s desire to raise more revenue from parking, partly to improve funding for the CAT bus service. 

However worthy the objective, I cannot recall any consideration of the consequences for the South Fremantle community at the time of council’s determination to introduce paid parking on Marine Terrace. Perhaps if there had been such consultation, a better solution could have been found before the battle lines were drawn.

CoF needs to go back to the drawing board, rescind its intention to introduce paid parking on the west side of Marine Terrace, undertake constructive community consultation and fully assess the available options, including leaving the status quo.

Ian Ker
South Fremantle

Pushy Pemberton

I WOULD like to sincerely thank the Good Samaritans from McAtee Court for helping when our little van died at the corner of Solomon Street and Wray Avenue.

The RAC were sending a tow truck but we were not in a safe position and these wonderful men and one woman (our councillor Rachel Pemberton!) managed to push the vehicle back to a much safer area.  

Our grateful thanks for helping a couple of golden oldies. Your kind acts really made our day. 

Shirley Burbidge
Fremantle

Swell Dame?

IMO a major aspect of the parking problem is Notre Dame Uni (“Parking plan angers locals,” Herald, May 28, 2022).

They have never been a good corporate citizen of Fremantle. 

The city suffers all the costs of them being located in our city’s prime location and real estate. 

Has any holistic cost benefit analysis been conducted of ND? 

My understanding is the 50+ buildings ND owns/rents in the city are for admin and lecturing. 

None of the staff or students’ residential needs are in the city ward. 

Hence, they all need to travel between the residence and the city campus; a role ND plays no part in, eg, no shuttle bus. Students increasingly with online learning and library access spend more time at their residence than in the city campus, hence, their use of CoF business and hospitality diminishes. 

What are the benefits to CoF? What are the costs? Parking problems is just one example, lost rateable value income another. ND being in Freo ought to be a privilege for the uni, not the other way around.

Paul Loring
Beaconsfield