Main objection
IN his letter “Signs help slow cars” (Voice, July 14, 2018), Andrew Main did not identify himself as one of the two lobbyists for the Streets for 40 group.
Why not? His view is therefore biased.
Mr Main provides no evidence that speed display signs are “an effective option”.
His second option of having local government issue infringements is unwieldy.
The third option of getting residents to “dob in” speeding drivers is also questionable.
Do we really want vigilantes roaming our streets?
Mr Main has not given any evidence that a 40kmh speed limit affords “quite obvious safety benefits”.
I have demonstrated that no pedestrian was killed on Vincent streets in the year 2016-17, using the last statistics available.
As for “reclaiming our streets for our community”, I think Mr Main has neglected to mention why many parents/carers do not allow children to play on the streets.
Think back to little William Tyrell allegedly taken from his grandmother’s front yard.
How many other children “disappear” from streets? How many children are attacked by dogs on the street?
Think back also to the event quite recently, where a man took two children from a child care centre, down a Vincent street to Hyde Park. Apparently he was not challenged.
The money spent on this unnecessary venture – a 40kmh speed limit that will not achieve any positive outcome – would be better spent elsewhere.
For instance, a “public consultation” would cost $13,000 and the “trial” would cost $150,000, based on figures supplied by the Vincent mayor.
A figure of $140,000 is suggested for the new road signage.
And ratepayers are wondering why their rates are increasing!
Would this money not be better spent on assisting homeless people or other people in need?
Why not keep the community bus that is “costing too much” according to the City of Vincent?
Yes, I have enjoyed outings on the bus, and people with limited mobility did also.
Hope Alexander
Cleaver Street, West Perth

City of Labor?
ANYONE driving the streets of Perth could be forgiven for thinking that the City of Vincent is endorsing the Labor candidate in the the Perth federal by-election.
ALP candidate Patrick Gorman’s team have put signs on City of Vincent property, including street signs, in the middle of roundabouts and on public park fences. Despite calls, emails and tweets to the council, nothing has been done to remove the illegal signs.
I thought local councils did not play party politics?
Emma Pringle
Morrison Street, Maylands
Ed says: The Voice asked Vincent council CEO Len Kosova about the signs.
“Election signage (whether for local, state or federal elections) is not allowed on any city of Vincent thoroughfare or property, unless a permit has been obtained to do so,” he says. “No such permits have been granted by the city.”
“The city received a number of comments and complaints in the lead-up to this weekend’s Perth by-election, regarding election signs in road reserves and other public places.
“In response, the city’s rangers inspected the signs to ascertain if they were on city property and if they were, either removed the signs or required them to be removed by the person or party they promoted.
“The same action was taken in relation to election signs that were observed by the city (and which were not the subject of any community comment or complaint).
“The city’s rangers had already been directed to be on the lookout for election signs in road reserves and on the city’s property and have taken (and will continue to take) timely and appropriate action to have those signs removed where they’ve come to our attention.”
The Voice had a look around Vincent on Tuesday (July 24) and it seemed the rangers had been pretty thorough in removing the signs that had been scattered over council property.

Zoos save
It is sad that PETA has used the death of the beloved aged orangutan, Puan, at Perth Zoo to denigrate a modern zoo which is committed to conservation.
Saving Wildlife is not just Perth Zoo’s brand, it’s what we do, every day of the year.
Increasingly the role of zoos extends beyond the gates and into the wild.
The Living Planet Index reveals we could lose two-thirds of the planet’s wild animals by 2020, and a 2010 study by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature found that conservation breeding in zoos and aquariums played a role in the recovery of 28 per cent of the species listed as threatened in the wild.
Perth Zoo breeding programs have been responsible for bringing animals back from the brink of extinction including local amphibians, numbats, the western swamp tortoise (Australia’s rarest reptile), and the chuditch, which has improved its conservation status thanks to the zoo’s breed for release efforts.
Perth Zoo is very proud to have recently released its 4000th zoo-bred animal back into native habitat, helping to rebuild struggling wild populations.
Perth Zoo has contributed more than $2.8 million over the past seven years to projects outside of the zoo.
We fund anti-snaring teams to protect African painted dogs, empower Zambian children to become wildlife ambassadors, and provide Papua New Guinean villagers with alternate livelihoods to reduce hunting of tree kangaroos.
Perth Zoo may be one of the most isolated in the world, but we have a big agenda, saving wildlife.
Come and visit us to help save wildlife together.
Wendy Attenborough
Executive director
Perth Zoo, South Perth