Perth Voice Interactive

So sad
HOW very sad to open our much enjoyed and read local newspaper the Voice to find such a negative, poorly researched story on the front page (“Unyappy about the cost,” November 1, 2014).
This in a week when so much positive community energy was on display, (eg, the Angove festival; the North Perth primary school fundraising activities with kids having such simple fun; the garage sale trail, in many cases raising money for charities and worthy causes).
Wonderful opportunities for inspiring stories and great photos of a community, supported by its local council, giving and participating to improve our  quality of life.
But your front page story is a negative one, a complaint from one individual who is not even a ratepayer, complaining about the cost of the Vincent council readjusting the placement of a dog water bowl at the request of ratepayers! Seriously, credible journalism is the gold standard I would seek on behalf of your publication.
Let’s make sure the person complaining about how we spend our rates, is actually putting their hand in their pocket to pay some. A simple background check could have assessed if the complainant was a ratepayer and sourced some background to the council/community action.
FYI, the request to move the water source, in my reading, was based on assessment by ratepayers and the council for improved safety for cyclists, pedestrians, families picnicking and dogs. Basic standard sensible rationale, and at $1000 a sound investment.
I will in future check the front page of the Voice before I commit to making a coffee and selecting a chair in which to read it…because today your paper is making compost.
B Quinlivan
North Perth

I just want to shake it off
I SHOOK my head in disbelief when I read in last week’s Perth Voice that Stirling councillors supported a move by Cr Terry Tyzack to squander more money on fighting local government reform.
The hypocrisy coming from the City of Stirling is breathtaking. May I remind the councillors the process to reform local government boundaries was endorsed by the whole local government sector, including Stirling.
The aim of the reform is to turn currently small councils into larger councils to tackle the disparity that exists between small and large councils.
It looks like Stirling has decided the reform it acknowledged as being warranted is now secondary to the need to protect the personal empires of some councillors who, I assume, fear their gravy train may come to an end under new boundaries.
The time has come for the City of Stirling, and others of a similar ilk, to stop wasting money on fighting the needed reform for the sake of a very small, albeit noisy, minority with vested interests.
It could also be a time for Terry Tyzack, who  seems to have been on council for 150 years, to retire and make room for some new voices who can move with the times.
SM Livingston
David St, Yokine 

A poor friend of trees
FOLLOWING your article (October 18, 2014) I have been asked a number of questions but two dominate: why should Halliday Park be on the City of Bayswater’s heritage list and why is putting Bayswater in charge of tree protection like putting a paedophile in charge of the children’s picnic ?
First, Halliday Park is the oldest Park in Bayswater, named after the first president of the local roads board (the equivalent of the mayor today), it contains the war memorial, flag pole and rose garden and is enclosed on the east side by a colonnade of alternately placed 100-year-old wonil (WA peppermint agonis flexuosa) trees. The space comprising the park is used for lacrosse and has historically been used for many community events, like carols by candelight at Christmas.
For more information on the role of Halliday and Halliday Park in the history of Bayswater may I suggest reading the city’s own history book “Changes They’ve Seen“.
By not including Halliday Park in the heritage list, the city is failing it fiduciary duty to the citizens of Bayswater. The city has a responsibility to preserve heritage and amenity. The proposal to cut down seven mature trees in the park, without public consultation—which failure to have Halliday Park on the heritage list facilitates—and without a plan is a complete joke.
Now the second point: the city has managed to plant and kill about five wonil trees planted in the north-east corner , next to the children’s playground, to celebrate the Halliday family; the city has removed wonil trees from the south-west corner of the lacrosse field and they have not been replaced; the city has removed “pine” trees from the western banks of the park resulting in erosion; the city has started ring-barking the London Plane trees in nearby Rose Avenue Park; and the wonil trees planted in Mills Park have been planted far too close to the footpath and in one instance within the vehicle access way.
Bayswater city council has very poor form when it comes to planting and looking after trees.
Greg Smith
Rose Ave, Bayswater