PERTH lord mayor Lisa Scaffidi has again confirmed her long-held stance that if people want to save heritage buildings, they ought to reach into their own pocket to buy them. Last year the Voice reported Ms Scaffidi’s similar sentiments about the Michelides Tobacco Factory, aimed at members of the public who’d wanted the council to…

PERTH ratepayers will shell out $15,000 for a painting of lord mayor Lisa Scaffidi according to a draft council budget. Her predecessor Peter Nattrass commissioned his portrait out of his own pocket and then donated it to the city. We asked Ms Scaffidi if she’d consider following Dr Nattrass’ lead and save the ratepayers some…

ALDI is looking at opening a store in Morley. The Voice understands the Galleria is one of the sites being considered by the budget supermarket chain. “As a part of our Western Australia expansion plans, ALDI has identified Morley as a catchment area with sites of interest,” said an ALDI Australia spokesperson. “We are in…

LOCAL wetland fans Sally Lake and Dudley Maier are leading a tour on the history of Perth’s wetlands from the pre-colonisation days to when development north of town saw most disappear. The WA Naturalists’ Club asked the retired Vincent councillors to dig into their memory banks to lead the tour and spin a few history…

A $25 million redevelopment of Frank Drago Reserve is being opposed by local residents, who’ve launched a petition. Last month, Bayswater city council unveiled its draft masterplan for the site but petitioners claim it was developed with insufficient community consultation and unequal input from the soccer, tennis, bowling and croquet clubs that share the reserve.…

BEING encased tightly in old fishing net on a beach, in crocodile-infested territory, seemed like a good idea at the time but Cecile Williams got cold feet as the tropical waters lapped. “I thought it would make a good photo, but after that experience I wouldn’t do that again,” she tells the Voice. The Denmark-based…

DISCORDANT presumes there’s a concordant, but it’s really a matter of what the ear is used to, Tura New Music artistic director Toss Mahoney says. And that’s down to cultural conditioning: “Because it’s what we have been hammered with for so long…we think it’s wrong, but it’s impossible to be wrong with art.” This year…

A 39-year-old man was admitted to hospital last Thursday evening after being stabbed in a William Street car park. The man was allegedly stabbed after an altercation with a 20-year-old man, who has been charged with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. An 18-year-old woman who was with the 20 year old man at the…

PROGRESS STREET in Morley is getting a funky make-over. The highlight of the upgrade is a cool wall mural by local artist Steve Buckle at pocket park. Cr Michelle Sutherland, who wants Bayswater council to set aside $80,000 for urban art in the city, says she’s “thrilled”. “It makes the area so much more liveable…

A DRAB wall facing a kids’ playground in Bayswater has been beautified with a kids’-designed mural. Local artist Namo Osaki spent a week painting designs, created by local youngsters, onto the wall at Bayswater library on King William Street. She finished off the Bert Wright Park mural with her own manga-style artwork in the middle.…