Ex-Premier Warns Candidate Of Bumper Backlash

FORMER Premier Peter Dowding has written to South Ward candidate Marija Vujcic and vowed to boycott her push to remove speed bumps on South Terrace if she is elected to council Saturday.
“If the council were to accept your policy I can assure you that we would be able to muster a very large number of people to publicly oppose any action for the removal of the speed bumps,” he wrote on Tuesday. “I know that a great number of my friends in South Fremantle share this view.

“I hope you might take this into consideration in the event of you being elected.”

The South Fremantle resident who succeeded Brian Burke as premier in 1988, during the time known as WA Inc, contacted speed bump buster Ms Vujcic after he received her street flyer.

After deliberating over who to vote for, Mr Dowding said: “I certainly was interested in having some new blood on the council although in general terms I think the counsellors have done a pretty good job to date. I am less enthusiastic about some of the administrative outcomes.

“But the one matter that concerns me greatly was your proposal as a key election policy, ‘the removal of the speed bumps on South Terrace’. I am greatly opposed to your policy and am amazed that anyone who seriously is interested in the ambience of South Fremantle could possibly propose such a policy.

“Before those speed bumps were introduced South Terrace was a raceway and focused on the interests of cars rather than people. Since the introduction there has been a massive change in the whole area which is much more people centric and supports the walkability of the area.

Having sat on the WA Women’s Advisory Council when he was premier, Ms Vujcic thanked Mr Dowding for his feedback: “It is appreciated “I am for the calming of South Terrace and will work to that end. I am opposed to the present dangerous speed bumps as the preferred method of calming the street. It has proved a problem for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers.”

Ms Vujcic wants the speed bumps replaced with 40kmh signs and speed cameras, the South Terrace camel drive forcing motorists to use other residential streets including Marine Terrace.

Mr Dowding said the current speed bumps were not dangerous, “and I don’t understand why they are if cars drive at the speed limit they are perfectly easy to ride over”.

Mr Dowding served as premier for two years.