Perth Voice Interactive

Just slow down
WITH thousands of children returning to school for the start of the 2016 educational year, we’ll also see the enforcement of specially zoned speed limits around schools in the mornings and afternoons.
Road safety authorities set the school zone limits to 40km per hour at those specific times of day, for a very simple reason — it can save lives. Excited young children can be unpredictable and hard to see, and even a small reduction in speed can make a dramatic difference to the horrific injuries a child might sustain if hit by a car.
As a lawyer, I’ve had the heart-breaking task of representing families of young road accident victims. The impact on the lives of family members is something they never get over. Speeding anywhere on our roads is a criminal offence, but speeding in a school zone is simply reckless. Even 40kph is often too fast in busy times. Please slow down and protect our children from life-changing injuries.
Tony O’Hurley
Slater and Gordon

City of No Fun
I HAVE recently been informed the City of Stirling has developed a policy for “slacklining” (the recreational pastime in which people walk on a tightrope between two anchor points for enjoyment and fitness).
The policy seeks to protect the council’s trees (a measure most slackliners fully endorse — after all, it is a tree huggers’ sport!). However, the policy goes too far in regulating what is essentially a recreational activity.
Amongst other things, the policy stipulates, “activities such as stunts or tricks involving flips are prohibited”.
This got me thinking….. I wonder what is next? Will the city stop the next world champion surfer from honing their skills at Trigg Point, or limit the height at which kite surfers can jump, or stop kids from climbing trees.
As the self-proclaimed “City of Choice,” Stirling is ironically limiting the recreational activities of its residents.
Larissa Ashton
Farnley St, Mount Lawley