Deputy Premier and police minister Liza Harvey was upstaged by a canine photo-bomber in Mandurah on Thursday while speaking with locals in Falcon about hoons.
Mrs Harvey met Liberal Dawesville candidate Zak Kirkup, residents from Coco Drive and the Coco C'Bay Association who had been concerned about dangerous drivers in the area since at least 2015.
Freddie, a toy poodle, took matters into his own paws and dropped into a photo shoot.
But the politicians kept to the business at hand.
Mr Kirkup said the residents were not only worried about the speed of cars tearing down the street, which runs from Old Coast Road past Miami Plaza and into suburban Falcon, but also how many there were.
“These are retirees and they're worried about frequency as well as speed,” he said.
“One of the people I met with is partially blind, so if she wants to cross the road she has to be very careful; if someone tears down there at 100km/h then they might not be in a position to take evasive action.”
Mr Kirkup said he would also be inviting transport minister Dean Nalder to meet with residents and discuss the hooning problems in Falcon.
He said Mrs Harvey would ask police to increase local patrols of street over the next few weeks and work with the government and the City of Mandurah to explore the installation of temporary speed bumps or for a commitment to fund a wombat crossing.
Mr Kirkup also said WA Police had decided to create an additional Traffic Enforcement Group (TEG) to be physically located in the Mandurah sub-district.
“That’s significantly boosted the traffic enforcement presence in Mandurah and it means we can respond to more hoon hotspots; it’s going to go a long way to address some concerns.”
The state election will be held on March 11, 2017.
Nathan Hondros
Senior Journalist for the Mandurah Mail, Australian Community Media, and Fairfax Media.
Senior Journalist for the Mandurah Mail, Australian Community Media, and Fairfax Media.
