VANDALS have damaged artsy human-sized birdcages just days after their installation in Perth’s Murray Street. They had been installed as part of Perth city council’s “Minor Urban Interventions” project to put weird little installations around the city. It appears a baseball bat or something similar was used to badly damage the cages’ seats shortly after…

“FUCK OFF!” an Australian Reclaimer screams, grinning. He is sporting a leather jacket and pants, Harley-Davidson tee and a long, thick grey beard: his long hair in a ponytail. He is one of many bikers demanding an Aussier Australia at the Reclaim Australia rally at Solidarity Park, Perth last weekend. He isn’t holding a banner.…

THE WA Aids Council has been reported to the national Advertising Standards Bureau for an advert in the Perth Voice featuring explicit information about gay sex. The advert for “two fun, informative forums for guys into guys” also upset upper house MLC Phil Edman. “Why can’t the WA Aids Council be more discreet?” Mr Edman…

RESIDENTS at Leederville Gardens have been spared a huge hike in fees, with the retirement village’s board deciding to absorb the tripling of Vincent city council’s management fee rather than pass it on. Last week the council decided to nearly triple its fee, from $58,000 to $150,000, after a review found it had been failing…

VOICE snapper Matthew Dwyer this week spotted first-class constables Kristy Stephen (left) on Destiny and Claire Price on BJ taking mounted crime prevention to Murray Street, Perth. The lofty height is a great vantage point to spot wrong-doers, and law-abiding punters are always happy to stop and chat, they say. Mounted police cover the entire…

MODULAR homes could be the key to solving Perth’s chronic shortage of affordable inner-city housing, says Curtin University researcher Jemma Green. Pre-fabricated housing isn’t new but modular construction takes it a step further: entire apartments are created in a factory, then trucked to a site and fit together, including over multiple storeys. Even though it…

JUST shy of $10,000 will be spent on a performance review of Vincent city council’s new CEO Len Kosova as he comes up to one year at the helm. Consulting company Portland Broome was chosen as preferred tenderer, despite its $9750 fee being well above competing quotes of $3860, $5000 and $4500. Portland Broome’s previously…

FORMER Vincent CEO John Giorgi has picked up the gig as acting CEO at Claremont town council for an estimated two weeks. Claremont CEO Stephen Goode is on unexpected leave and, in discussion with mayor Jock Barker, he appointed Mr Giorgi to take his place while he’s gone. It’s a highly unusual appointment, with the…

MOST customers to a new North Perth skate shop will arrive by bus, bike or skateboard but Vincent council staff still want to charge its owners $33,000 to make up for not having enough parking spaces. Shane Greenshields wants to open a third Beyond Skate store at 341-345 Charles Street but says “the cash-in-lieu amount…

Bayswater council candidate Sally Palmer sent the Voice this photo of last Saturday’s protest on state parliament steps. About 300 people were ironically silent while protesting a new law—the Australian Border Force Act 2015, which came into force in May. The legislation compels medics and other professionals working in immigration detention centres to remain tight-lipped…