STIRLING councillor Bianca Sandri says criticism of her appearance as a witness against her own council in a SAT appeal last year is making a mountain out of a molehill. An urban planner in her day job, Cr Sandri’s firm had been hired by a church group trying to get approval from Stirling for a…

THE first two of Perth council’s new “general manager” positions have been filled. CEO Murray Jorgensen is making a clean sweep of the five old director positions to be replaced with four GMs. He has captain’s pick because the commissioners (filling in for suspended councillors) relinquished their right to have a vote on the senior…

CORPORATE advertisements are beaming from an artistic tower at Yagan Square which was supposed to be reserved for artworks and live-streamed community events. The tower’s design was inspired by the bullrushes which once grew in the area’s now-filled wetlands, and its 14 columns represent the local Noongar language groups. The square itself is billed as…

THE name Yagan Square was chosen by former premier Colin Barnett, who said in 2014 the Noongar warrior “played an important role in attempting to bring together Aboriginal leaders and European settlers”. Mr Eggington says given that introduction it was strange not to see more of the story of Yagan portrayed in the square. In…

THIS Naidoc Week we profile Whadjuk resistance figure Balbuk (1840 to 1907), whose traditional land covered much of what is now Perth’s CBD. Known by a newspaper of the era as “The Last of Perth’s First Citizens,” Fanny Balbuk Yooreel was born in the sacred birthing grounds of the Matagarup shallows, near what’s now called…

STIRLING council has stubbed out plans for a cigar lounge in Inglewood, with fears stogie smoke would drift over to the neighbours. The applicant planned to open a cafe, shop and a cigar lounge at the disused car yard at the corner of Beaufort Street and Nelson Street, saying it would have “a high standard…

STIRLING ratepayers will receive a mild 0.9 per cent average rates increase this year. Mayor Mark Irwin said the council had “worked hard to develop a budget that has a minimal financial impact on our residents and ratepayers” while still delivering 200-odd services, and a few major projects this year. One of the biggies is…

A LOATHED advertising trend has come to Perth with garishly painted derelict bicycles being chained to bike racks. The bikes are in poor shape; their crossbars have been cut out to make room for the signs, and many of the tyres are flat. Calling the number reveals they’re advertisements for Wicked Campers, who are looking…

A STIRLING councillor has had a crack at the city’s transparency after it emerged accessing information about political affiliations isn’t a walk in the park. In June, councillor Stephanie Proud moved to set up a voluntary online register for councillors to disclose political party memberships (“Party’s over for Proud idea,” Voice, June 13, 2019), but…

A LOW-COST, creative solution to a lack of play areas for older kids is taking off across Vincent as a “Pop up Play” revolution. There’s plenty of slides and swings around town for younger kids, but there’s a gap for older children and Vincent council’s PUP aims to provide low-cost creative stuff for them to…