The irony of the state government demolishing the unique building of cultural heritage, Willow Grove, for a modern project championing cultural heritage is gobsmacking, as Helen Pitt highlighted in her opinion piece (“The fight to save the memory-making buildings of Sydney’s second city”’, February 21). I too grew up in Parramatta and was raised to cherish and respect its amazing history as the birthplace of the European settlement and agriculture. This unique history has been respected for decades by governments, the National Trust, local residents, historical associations, trade unions and religious institutions, with historic homes and public places saved from destruction and so-called development. Now living in Victoria, I champion Parramatta to friends as a place to visit for its history which is a national cultural asset, and economically, a tourism asset. It’s not a plaything for a planning minister with grandiose visions of a future city that tramples its history. Bronwynne Roberts, Warncoort (Vic)
Derisive descriptors
The over-familiarity Jacqueline Maley refers to is often used in regards to female politicians: Julia, Gladys, Jacinta, Maggie, Hillary, Kamala and so on (“Call her Ms Higgins: the PM’s over-familiarity is revealing”, February 21). It is an attempt to infantilise and to render without authority or status. This has the same effect as referring to an adult woman, anybody over 18, as a “girl”. Brittany Higgins is a woman, not a girl. No wonder women are still not being taken seriously in the workplace if they are reduced to a descriptor that lacks any respect. Judy Hungerford, North Curl Curl
Limited information
I am one of the fortunate motorists that received a warning letter after being caught by the speed camera (“One camera stings 300 drivers a day”, February 21). Thanks to your article I finally know what my infringement was; you correctly identify the key issue is insufficient awareness by the motoring public of the lowered speed limit. If the warning letter is designed to alter driver behaviour then it would seem obvious that it should indicate the precise nature of the offence. Nowhere in the warning letter does it indicate that the speed limit at that intersection is 40kph. Fiona Manning, Randwick
