PERTH city council has been labelled “unromantic” after its painters cut padlocks symbolising unbreakable love from the Claisebrook Cove bridge . Lord mayor Lisa Scafffidi promises the city will replace the locks. Heartbroken Phil Harrison told the Voice, “I placed a professionally engraved padlock there for my wife some three years ago,” alongside locks from…

Four Bayswater councillors voted not to fast-track a $10,000 donation to the Philippines disaster fund, with two arguing the timing was unimportant. In order to deal with the motion immediately the issue had to be deemed “urgent business”: Councillors Chris Cornish, Michelle Sutherland, Mike Sabatino and Mike Anderton believed it wasn’t. “I’m not against the…

TERRY KENYON is trying to force bankruptcy on council colleagues Mike Sabatino and Mike Anderton. The former mayor—represented by Harold Paiker—says the pair owe him $84,000 from the settlement of a defamation case, so he’s taken them to the federal court to have them declared bankrupt. Crs Sabatino and Anderton—represented by John Hammond—claim Cr Kenyon…

THE run-down Robertson Park AIDS memorial has been fixed following extensive lobbying by the Sisters of the Order of Perpetual Indulgence. The order of queer nuns contacted the Voice in 2012 complaining the memorial had fallen into disrepair, the lights weren’t working, and it was unclear what the memorial was actually for. It was also…

Stirling residents are set to be hit with more paid parking spots at higher prices. The council has voted to expand the amount of paid parking at “high demand locations” across the city, including Herdsman Business Park within Walters Drive, Hasler and Parkland Roads, and around Glendalough rail station. Council staff stated “it is likely…

A HIGH-RISE apartment tower planned for Beaufort Street has attracted the ire of the nearby Court Hotel. Court owner Bree Maddox wrote to the Perth development assessment panel, concerned complaints from new residents about noise and behaviour could spell doom for her iconic gay bar. The Court has a closing time at 2am, which has…

An attempt by the Abbott and Barnett governments to shift costs onto local councils has failed and could result in an exploding population of corellas and rainbow lorikeets throughout Perth. Farmer consider the birds serious pests because of their impact on grain and fodder. They also damage phone and light towers, and aggressively compete (very…

THE community bus plan is dead, with Vincent council balking at the cost of servicing the under-served east-west route. The route had been served by the 401 bus until the WA public transport authority removed it in February due to lack of use. PTA media man David Hynes had told the Voice “we have an…

The arrival of internet behemoth Amazon’s Australian online store has local bookshop owners screaming for a level playing field on GST. Unlike books bought in local shops, items bought on Amazon’s Aussie portal are not subject to GST nor other importation restrictions that affect prices and delivery times. In the US, Amazon sells one of…