“POORLY led, badly governed, dysfunctional”; inquirer Tony Power says the City of Perth deserved to be dismissed and there are dozens of potential crimes to be investigated by other authorities. Presenting his closing address on June 30, Mr Power said “the inquiry has referred over 135 matters, many concerning suspected criminal behaviour, in respect of…

“NOT fair” and “a sneak attack” is how some Bayswater councillors have described the city’s proposed budget. Councillors Catherine Ehrhardt, Elli Petersen-Pik, Steven Ostaszewskyj and  Michelle Sutherland, voted against the budget at the council’s June 30 meeting, over concerns a Covid assistance measure will see owners of less valuable properties subsidising their fancier neighbours. Like…

WESTERN AUSTRALIA will lose a seat in federal parliament under an Australian Electoral Commission rejig on July 3. Federal Labor MP Patrick Gorman, whose division Perth is safe from the chop, says it’s a huge shakeup.  “For the first time since Federation, WA is going to lose a federal seat,” Mr Gorman says. The numbers…

A TRAFFIC apocalypse is predicted after the July school holidays if Perth people don’t return to public transport pronto. During the height of restrictions at the end of March, freeway use dropped from 1.5 million cars per week to about 1 million. They’ve now sprung back up to 95 per cent of pre-Covid levels and…

CITY of Perth commissioners have confirmed planning will go ahead for the 2021 Australia Day Skyworks. Planning on the $2.8 million event has to start soon if it’s to get sorted in time, and chair commissioner Andrew Hammond said staff should get the ball rolling so as to not tie the hands of the new council…

THE big Northbridge (à la Hollywood and Venice) sign has got its $35,000 grant. The sign by organisation Happy Heart (Adrian Fini and Marcus Canning’s venture to re-launch the Rechabite) will go up on William Street near the horseshoe bridge as part of an overall $1 million improvement program, also redeveloping Hook Lane and Lock…

A TWENTY-METRE mural has sprung up in one day on the wall of YMCA’s Leederville HQ. The idea came about when some of the HQ folk went to the June 13 Black Lives Matter rally and loved a snake design worn by rapper Josh ‘Flewnt’ Eggington and organisers from Dumbartung Aboriginal Corporation. They asked mural…