Perth Voice Interactive

Separate for safety
A COMBINED response to Gene Lorenzon and Leonie Edwards regarding cycle lanes on Scarborough Beach Road (Voice Mail, October 17, 2015).
Gene, every major city in the world right now is looking at cycling as one of the most realistic and cost-effective ways to combat congestion. The best way to get more people cycling is to provide safe separated infrastructure, hence the investment from Vincent.
I would love to know what experience you are drawing upon to outweigh the combined knowledge of the modern city planners of the world.
Leonie would have us believe that not one person in Vincent supports the cycle lanes: well, I am one, and I know many many others.
Just because the people you engage with don’t, doesn’t make it so.
And just to finish this off, please, please do yourself a favour and don’t quote how car registration fees are used without at least doing a little research.
Road infrastructure is paid for by federal and state funding, which comes from general taxation. We all pay for the roads, and therefore are all entitled to use them. Add this to the fact that the vast majority of people who ride bikes also own cars, and therefore still pay the registration you refer to, and your arguments don’t really stack up.
Marti Hughes
Barnet St, North Perth

Too early
TRADESPEOPLE and builders are not permitted to work before 7am yet City of Vincent rubbish trucks thump and grind their way up my street shortly after 6am every week. Surely a 7am start should apply to all workers in residential areas.
Helen Pemberton
Brisbane St, Perth

Fleeton defends a cut lunch
A RATES cap is more important than a lunch. In response to Anne Christie’s overly-sarcastic letter (Voice Mail, October 24, 2015) belittling some very serious issues, I wanted to let readers know about the important work our local council does through internal committees.
In my first week as a Bayswater city councillor, I put my hand up to serve on the technical services, finance, and personnel standing committee. This body makes recommendations to council on the delivery of services within the areas of engineering, parks and gardens, and the environment. Additionally, it makes recommendations to council in respect to statutory and management financial reporting, accounts payable/receivable, investments, donations, capital proposals, budget reviews, loan submissions, insurance, recreational facilities managed under contract by the YMCA, personnel issues and all other finance and personnel operations.
Further, I’ll be able to contribute through my membership of the audit and risk management committee, the community safety advisory committee, and the working group for the sustainability centre at Lightning Park.
I am fully prepared to dedicate as much time as needed to ensure the community is well-served by these valuable committees. Through teamwork and debate, I’ll do my best to see council capping rates rises to CPI and to always prioritise those doing it tough.
It is my strong belief the community sent a message at the election — it wants increased efficiency, transparency, accountability, and consultation throughout all operations of its local government.
Finally, I recognise and pay tribute to those residents who have lived in the city for such a long period of time. However, until we can cap rates increases and get local government spending under control, I won’t be supporting ratepayers’ funds being spent on a lunch.
Cr Brent Fleeton
Rowlands St, Maylands

Unused and inconvenient
I AM very sorry that Stephanie Lim (Voice Mail, October 24, 2015) is disappointed that I expressed the inconvenience I am experiencing with the introduction of the overdone bike path along Scarborough Beach Road; however, her disappointment is nothing to what I feel every time I travel along that section of road.
The section between Oxford and Loftus Streets has been available for bike riders to use for at least five months. I use that section of road between 16 and 20 times per week, and in all that time, I have seen one cyclist actually using it.
Frankly, I think that’s more than a fair “go”.
Marina Foster
Howlett St, North Perth

Quell the quirk
I THINK there should be some sort of by-law implemented against these so-called “dotterels” going around being “quirky”  all over the place (Voice, October 24, 2015).
I was walking in the Eric Singleton sanctuary recently when a dotterel hunched down and scurried away from me. Intrigued, I followed it and several minutes later found it had been completely wasting my time. And that of my good lady wife.
Birds like that should be confined to small islands off the main coast of this fine country where they can get up to no good without bothering the rest of us.
Milo Bell
Walcott St, North Perth