Perth Voice Interactive

Friendly fire?
I REFER to “Hammond calls in big guns” (Voice, April 30, 2016).
As a result of my inability to obtain any traction in having improvements made to the intersection since my election in 2008, a meeting was, at my request, arranged at parliament house on September 28, 2011 by the then WA transport minister.
Representatives from the minister’s office, PTA, Main Roads and the cities of Vincent and Stirling attended. A working group was established with representatives of both Stirling and Vincent on it to consider what could be done to improve the intersection.
After professional monitoring of  vehicle and pedestrian movement in early 2012 and after extensive research, investigation and discussion by the working group, a number of recommendations were made:
• that right turns be banned permanently and at all times on both Walcott and Beaufort Streets;
• that the all walk pedestrian phase be removed and that parallel pedestrian walk phases be introduced. (This could only occur if right hand turns were banned)
• that the 40km variable speed zone be extended up Beaufort street to the post office
• that the cities monitor the traffic volume and travel speeds along adjacent roads  before and after six months to determine the effect of the changes.
In May 2012, Stirling council accepted the recommendations of the working group.
Vincent council — under the leadership of the-then mayor Alannah MacTiernan, in July 2012, refused to support the trial.
The only thing achieved from the recommendations has been the lowering by Stirling of the speed limit to 40kph on the Stirling side of Beaufort Street.
At the request of constituents I again, in December 2015, reopened discussions with officials from Stirling these have been ongoing.
Stirling remains agreeable to the trial of the recommendations which it believes are the only workable solutions. As regards Vincent, I have been  informed this month the recommendations must be referred to Vincent’s Road Safety Advisory Group, which I believe has not met since the October 2015 council election, for reconsideration.
Until Vincent agrees to trial the solutions suggested by the working group the problems will remain.
The invisible “Berlin Wall” is alive and well and sitting in the middle of Beaufort Street.
Who is Mr Hammond going to train his big guns on?
Michael Sutherland MLA
Member for Mt Lawley

That’s a negative
“THE Unknown 100” (Voice, April 23, 2016) tells the fascinating story of the 600 or so portraits of First World War soldiers taken at the Dease Studio at 117 Barrack Street.
Your article incorrectly states the portraits form part of the Museum of Perth’s Collection. These treasured glass-plate negatives are part of the State Library of Western Australia’s collection. Visitors to our exhibition can view high-resolution copies of the photographs in the building in which they were originally taken, alongside the original camera which is on loan from the Western Australian Museum.
Reece Harley
Founding Chair
Museum of Perth

Wrong priorities for Perth
YOUR article (“We’ve come a long way…” Voice, April 16, 2016) reveals that treatment of poverty and want appears less humane in 2016 than in 1977.
Rangers may be better employed in putting on a sausage sizzle for those living rough than taking away their shelter, especially now the nights are chilly.
What an eye opener that the council in 1977 provided bins and port slops and was prepared to turn a blind eye until alternative accommodation could be found for those souls. Especially in light of all the money that’s been thrown at Elizabeth Quay just around the corner. Think how much affordable housing could have been built!
Catherine Jennings
Inglewood

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