A PARKLAND near Maylands Brickworks will be protected from high density development after being rezoned this week. The council-owned park between Maylands Brickworks and Peninsula Road had long been zoned “medium and high density residential”, meaning a council short on cash could find it easy to sell off or develop and rent out. In 2019…

A MASSIVE overhaul for local government rules promises less toxicity, more consistency, and stronger democracy. The state government’s proposed changes include preferential voting for councils, stricter financial management, and a “local government inspector” who can be sent in to patch problems before councils become so dysfunctional they need to be suspended for an inquiry.  Local…

MEMBERS of Bayswater’s LGBTI+ community are sharing their personal stories of pride in a Q&A session this weekend. It’s part of Bayswater council’s first foray into Pride month, part of an effort to make the town more inclusive and safe for LGBTI+ folks. There’ll be stories from: • Nat Latter, who runs Rabble Books &…

STREAMING companies like Netflix and Disney+ should have to pay 20 per cent of their local revenue into making new Australian content, federal Perth Labor MP Patrick Gorman says.  Mr Gorman is on the parliamentary arts committee which has just released 22 recommendations for digging the arts economy out of the Covid doldrums, including fairer…

A WARMING vision of two Italian friends has taken out the major prize at this year’s Bayswater Art Awards. Judges selected Louise Clarke’s oil-on-canvas “Ciao-Amici’ for acquisition and the $5,000 major prize. Judges were Sharon Tassicker, an experienced curator and exhibitions manager, and former arts minister Sheila McHale.  They selected Ciao-Amici for its strong representation…

A PLAN to ban scattering ashes on Vincent council land has been revived, despite some hesitancy from elected members.  In May Vincent staff recommended the ash-scattering fatwa as part of an update to the council’s memorial policy, arguing there were plenty of “specialised facilities” offered in Perth’s cemeteries. Currently ashes can be scattered in places like…

RELIGIOUS or political affiliations on plaques would be formally banned under the new memorial policy.  The council gets several requests a year from people wanting to put up plaques, but only allows them on donated commemorative furniture like park benches or drinking fountains, and even then it’s only allowed when the person memorialised made a…

WOMEN in surfing are celebrated in the She Surfs film tour hitting Perth on November 20.  Hawaiian surfing started as a pretty even sport gender-wise, but a surge in popularity in the mid-20th century saw it become male dominated. It’s still a bit that way, so She Surfs celebrates female surf culture and talent and…

SIX years after a charity barber service started in a Northbridge carpark with a couple of milk cartons for seats, Short Back & Sidewalks has gone national and now has more than 250 volunteers. Inglewood local Craig Hollywood founded the charity in 2015 when he teamed up with Westons Barbershop to offer haircuts for people…