Perth Voice Interactive

Bogans-come-lately
I REFER to Michael Sutherland’s letter “All Welcome at Wellington” (Voice Mail, June 6, 2015).
The locals who allegedly provide Mr Sutherland with constant reports on an ongoing basis (if it’s true) are a phalanx of “Johnny come lately” bogans who have moved into the area to take advantage of cheap housing without doing due diligence.
Aboriginals have occupied Wellington Square for a very long time and have put up with racist taunts and unjustified rough treatment by nearby residents.
Most are Royal Perth Hospital patients in town for specialist treatment and are provided with $60 a day to provide city accommodation and meals.
The hospital itself is at bursting point and the first lot who get the boot are the indigenous folk because they are easy targets and complain the least.
As a result they are forced to rough it in parks nearby.
You reckon the Sutherlands and the Scaffidis of this world would get off their rumps and out of their cars instead of merely driving past and communicate first-hand with some of these people about their needs.
Don’t think so.
The English gave this city the lovely parks we enjoy today but only for their exclusive use and only after committing acts of genocide against the indigenous land owners.
George Bouzidis
Third Ave, Mount Lawley

Designs on transparency
GIVEN the Vincent council has regularly used its discretion to approve developments that have exceeded the height and plot ratio conditions recommended by its officers, it is a step in the right direction for the mayor to propose that all contact between elected members and property developers are logged (Voice May 28, 2015).
However, the fact that meetings of Vincent’s design advisory committee will still be held behind closed doors, seems to be inconsistent with this new measure.
This committee comprises unelected “experts” and development plans are often amended at the request of this committee and then rubber-stamped by the council.
Input from affected members of the community is not permitted, nor are the agendas and minutes available for perusal, as they are in other local governments.
The management of any conflicts-of-interests that committee members might have is also hidden.
In addition to this committee, there are several other committees and working groups run by the city where the membership and matters discussed are unknown because minutes and agendas are not publicly available.
The WA local government act has strong provisions relating to transparency, accountability and community participation in local government decision-making. If the mayor wants to raise the standard of governance at the city in a comprehensive manner, the above areas should also be addressed.
Andrew Main
Alfonso St, North Perth

Border farce
HAS the “Berlin wall been extended?”
I refer to your article “Bridge gala a Liberal love fest,” (Voice, May 30, 2015) and to the letter, “Surprise” (Voice Mail, June 6, 2015).
As the Member for Mt Lawley I have been consulted on all the stages of the Seventh Avenue Bridge upgrade. I have publicised it in my newsletters, displayed a pull-up sign in my office for months and written to local constituents who are and will be affected by both this upgrade as well as the upgrade of the Second Avenue Bridge which will soon begin.
I have also met with  residents. The boundary between the Mt Lawley and Maylands constituencies runs down 8th Avenue, then along Carrington Street and then down Central  Avenue to the Railway line, two blocks away from the bridge.
Many of my constituents use the bridge, why anybody should think that I should not have taken a big interest in the  new bridge and why I should not have been invited to the opening amazes me.
I cannot be blamed for who was and who was not invited to the opening nor for who decided to attend and if they did not attend then what their reasons for not attending were, nor for the type of function that was held to mark the opening.
Suffice to say the new bridge, which is state of the art and cost some $8 million, is a great improvement over the old one. Apart from motor vehicles, it is easy for cyclists and people pushing prams to cross from one side of the railway line to the others.
Some wowsers, or perhaps grumpy Laborites would, it seems, like a Berlin Wall to go up between the Maylands and Mt Lawley constituencies.
Perhaps they believe a toll should be levied on residents of my constituency if they wish to use the bridge, or that they should present travel documents. Hopefully my good burghers will escape the artwork which has been nicknamed “the gallows”!
Michael Sutherland
Member for Mt Lawley
PS: There is already a “Berlin Wall” which runs up the middle of Walcott Street and which separates the cities of Vincent and Stirling!

Broader truth
CONTROLLED exaggeration can be a useful device in reporting.
Here’s an example: “… for one day of the year Aborigines are made to feel welcome…” (Voice, May 30, 2015). Some distortion? Okay. Yet it serves a valid purpose in reminding us that, in general, the ruling white intruders have treated indigenous Australians abominably since day one of the colonising process — treatment that is ongoing.
Otto Mustard
Queens Cres, Mt Lawley