AN Aboriginal cultural centre for Perth’s a step closer with $2 million of WA government money pledged for the planning.  It was announced as part of the McGowan government’s $76m culture and arts recovery package, which includes a $30m upgrade of Perth Concert Hall, $15m for more work on His Majesty’s Theatre to reinstate the original…

AN explosion of tweens has prompted plans for a skate park for younger kids in Mount Hawthorn. State Perth Labor MP John Carey says he’ll soon start a survey on the best spot and what people want in a skate park.  Leederville has a big skate park at HQ but he reckons there’s a need…

A NEW Holocaust education centre is on the way for Yokine, with $6 million of WA government funding announced as part of the arts and culture recovery package. It matches $6m of federal money announced last year and the local Jewish community is aiming to raise $3m of its own for the redevelopment of the…

THE Conservation Council of WA has called on the McGowan government to adopt its ‘Clean State’ recovery plan and build 15,000 new energy-efficient social housing homes. The plan would “solve three problems in one” suggests CCWA director Piers Verstegen, by meeting WA’s social housing shortage, reduce WA’s carbon footprint by 360,000 tonnes of CO2 a year,…

A MENTAL health campaign launched by the WA Association for Mental Health claims the McGowan government has muddled its funding priorities, dooming any attempts to reform the sector to failure. The association is hoping its Prevent Support Heal campaign will gain traction in the lead-up to next year’s state election, particularly as Covid-19 continues to…

TWO hundred hours of work went into a Bayswater council application for a federal grant that was rejected during the “sports rorts” scandal. On Monday (August 3) a federal senate select committee inquiring into the grants heard Bayswater requested $500,000 to resurface the cracked and failing Noranda Netball Association courts. The council saw the upgrades…

THREE classmates who once shared the same pioneering primary school teacher back in Scotland 50 years ago were brought together in Perth this week. Their teacher Saroj Lal, born in Gujranwala (in British India at the time), died in March at age 83. She was one of Scotland’s pioneers on race relations and feminism, working…

A TIGHT-belt budget’s been passed at Vincent council, with provisions allowing up to $500 off rates bills for hardship.  Mayor Emma Cole said it was her “most difficult” budget, even surpassing 2014 when the finances were thrown into disarray by an old error on the books that recorded a $3 million deficit as a surplus. …

A PUBLIC pool plan at the East Perth WACA site is being realised with the WA government announcing a $30 million contribution to the WACA redevelopment on Sunday August 2. The WACA’s undergoing a big overhaul and state Perth Labor MP John Carey has been gauging interest for a pool there.  Mr Carey says the $30m…