ELEVEN closed shops on a single block in West Perth’s Hay Street shows the area is in dire need of some love, says lord mayoral candidate Reece Harley. Currently the sole candidate for the job — incumbent Lisa Scaffidi hasn’t said whether she’ll seek re-election — the Perth city councillor says much of the council’s…

SIX O’CLOCK council meetings and twin babies don’t mix, says Cr Julia Wilcox, who is standing down from Vincent council in October. Cr Wilcox recently had another child and she says juggling three children under three years old and a tea-time meeting became impossible: “The council meetings are at six o’clock which is a terrible…

MIKE O’HANLON has withdrawn from the race for lord mayor of Perth, throwing his support behind Reece Harley. “The election is a ‘first past the post’ affair and as such, two similar candidates would realistically split the progressive vote in half,” Mr O’Hanlon told his 1100 Facebook supporters on Tuesday. “In doing so, we create…

BAYSWATER police have created a Safer Maylands Facebook page to enlist more locals in the fight against crime. Senior Sergeant Dave Whitnell says they are looking for community leaders to become co-editors of the site and add content. The page includes warnings about recent crimes and tips on crime prevention: “Three reported offences in the…

THE late soccer wunderkind Dylan Tombides has been honoured with a statue outside Perth Oval in East Perth. Tombides died in April last year, aged 20, after losing his battle with testicular cancer. The striker was viewed as a rising star in the game and had joined London EPL club West Ham and been given…

A SHORTFALL of six parking bays is putting in jeopardy plans for a ground-breaking American-style BBQ restaurant in Bayswater. John Earnshaw had planned to open Porkies Barbeque at the corner of Railway Parade and Grand Promenade next month, but council officers say a lack of parking means the application must go out for public consultation.…

A FREE meals service at Weld Square for homeless people will shift to 1.30pm to try to placate nearby residents and businesses. Manna Inc hopes the change in time will result in the increasing numbers of people who depend on its charity disperse from the area by the time the sun goes down. Locals have…

WEST PERTH resident Anthony Fisk will run for Vincent’s south ward at this October’s election, making that four candidates for the ward’s two spots. Mr Fisk works in communications, currently with Western Power and before that iiNet, and says he wants to use his skills to open up better dialogue with locals. He’s also passionate…

VINCENT city council has voted to ban the sale of coffee and hot drinks at the Leederville farmers’ market. Two weeks ago the Voice reported market organiser Paul Ashbolt saying he would pull the plug on the Sunday morning markets if the ban went through. Rent and the long list of council rules were bad…

REJECTION by the powerful state administrative tribunal of a seven-unit development will help safeguard local heritage says the Mount Lawley Society. Developer Sabby Pizzolante had appealed to the SAT after Stirling council rejected his application for a two-storey complex on Central Avenue, inside the city’s heritage protection zone. “…if such a precedence was established it…