Perth Voice Interactive

Albert nose
HAVING read the front page article “Albert nose it’s dirty this year” (Voice, September 26, 2015) if I was Cr Sylvan Albert I would feel proud, as the red nose is the symbol to combat SIDS, of people who work hard to save lives.
Cr Albert is seeking your vote at the next election so he can serve the entire community, as he has in the past. Councillors are not there with a main interest to support individuals’ own interests in street festivals, food vans and rubbish bins, nor give finances for self-indulged people at ratepayers’ expense via council.
Councillors are there for the interests of a total community, not just the dancers, singers, food vendors, Eighth Avenue and Whately Crescent traders.
I thank the past councillors and the advisory safety watch committee (of which both myself and Cr Albert were members) for securing the funding for CCTV cameras to help families feel safer in the City of Bayswater. He is simply fighting for his democratic right as an individual, not a business person, and seeks your vote.
Pat Lim
Johnson Rd, Maylands
The Ed says: This letter has been edited for clarity.

Energetic Ehrhardt
CATHERINE EHRHARDT’S decision to stand for the Bayswater council elections in October as a south ward representative is welcomed.
Catherine is a young, energetic woman with a business background and a strong belief in the importance of community and family.
She established the wonderful family- focused and successful Hawkers Markets at The Rise Maylands and continues her efforts to re-establish the 8th Avenue Street Festivals.
Currently, only two of the 11 Bayswater councillors are women: Catherine’s election would importantly address the gender imbalance that exists.
Good luck, Catherine.
Jan Wheare
Wall St, Maylands

Get serious, Match
AS reported in the Voice (September 26, 2015), the two heritage-listed properties at 70 Cowle Street, built in 1894, were all but destroyed by fire on Sunday September 13, 2015. Owned by Match Development for only six months, it seems likely that two houses which have existed for 122 years are to be lost to the community.
Match also owns 54 Cowle Street which was built in 1884 and is the second oldest building in the City of Vincent. Given the fire, I assumed the developer might have taken extra precautions to protect this house from a similar fate. However, last week I noticed roofing iron had been removed and squatters were breaking into the property in broad daylight. Match Development needs to back up its words with action to ensure it prevents another expensive fire and the loss of one of the most significant heritage buildings in the city.
Interestingly, the managing director of Match Development, Lloyd Clark, is a member of the state government heritage council.
Mr Clark may wish to consider this leadership role when assessing Match’s property portfolio, and how it’s preserved, in the future.
Andrew Main
North Perth
Ed’s note: This letter has been edited for legal reasons.

What about the $1m?
BRENT FLEETON (“Fleeton in north race” Voice, September 12, 2015) should have taken a moment aside from his Liberal researcher job to do a little research about Maylands history before shooting his mouth off at the “example of waste” that he thinks is Jani Rees’ wooden art project at the foot of the new 7th Avenue bridge.
The sculpture uses the old bridge planks to commemorate the hard-working, old rickety bridge we loved for so long.
The recycled wooden sculpture’s a great addition to the heritage walks of Maylands, especially fun for children who can “cross” the little bridge on its old planks.
Brent Fleeton insults the many community members and heritage representatives who worked on finding the right sculpture design to suit the space.
He’s concerned about rate rises, yet fails to mention the blowout in the City of Bayswater’s budget due to the $1 million of ratepayers’ money spent pursuing the Liberal government’s dream of carving  up local government.
I would describe that as waste and also conflict of interest. I wonder if Brent Fleeton, yet another City of Bayswater Liberal politician wannabe, would see it like that.
Anne Christie
Maylands

Maggie murder
I CAN still remember the huge crowds on Cottesloe beach protesting the catching and culling of sharks.
Sitting down Friday night watching the news after another long week it came to my attention that a magpie in Sydney had been hunted down and terminated because it swooped on a child. OK, the most important thing is the child is OK and doctors report his eye will be fine. Just wondering why we didn’t have the same way of thinking from the cull-free protesters.
Maybe out of sight, out of mind.
SM Livingston
David St, Yokine