A FREE event in Maylands teaching locals how to turn their verges into food-producing micro-farms has attracted massive interest, booking out in 24 hours. The Urban Food Street Story will be hosted by Caroline Kemp and Duncan McNaught, a Queensland couple that popularised the food-on-public-land concept eight years ago. Bayswater councillor Chris Cornish got in…

THE community garden in Morley shut down by the local council has found a new home at the Bayswater Bowling and Recreation Club. Last year volunteers from the Bayswater City Community Safety Watch and Garden Education Inc created the community garden at Brand Place and were granted a peppercorn lease by the city. But in…

SMALL businesses in the Hay Street mall’s Plaza Arcade are threatening to stop paying rent because a prolonged redevelopment of the CBD site has decimated their takings. The arcade was bought by Singaporean firm Starhill Global Reit in 2013, and they’ve blocked it off halfway down for a $6 million reno to provide space for…

AN Aboriginal woman walks into Ruah Community Service’s art group and sits down. It’s been a tough week; already homeless, she’s sporting a black eye after being assaulted on the street, her partner’s in gaol and she’s got barely any money to feed herself. But for the next hour she sits quietly and fills a…

THE state government could virtually wipe out homelessness by rethinking how it spends money on the issue, says a Royal Perth Hospital doctor. Amanda Stafford is the lead clinician of Royal Perth Hospital’s homeless team and this week addressed a mental health, housing and homelessness forum organised by Shelter WA. “From my point of view…

HOMELESSNESS WEEK runs from August 7 – 13, and apart from giving a donation to any of the noble charities providing succour to people on the streets, there’s a few activities you can take part in. Head to http://www.shelterwa.org.au/homelessness_week to have a look at the program of events. Meanwhile, the Voice presents part 2 of…

IT’S like speed dating, but an innovative event being held in Perth on August 19 and 20 is not looking to land teenage girls a boyfriend, but a mentor to guide them into a scientific, technological, engineering or mathematical (STEM) career. The event is part of National Science Week and is being organised by the…

SANDLE-WEARING environmentalists can be a bit self-righteous and didactic when it comes to saving the world. Thankfully the show Global Gamble uses comedy to surreptitiously teach school kids about serious issues like greenhouse gases, climate change and the importance of being energy wise. “Comedy and theatre combined is a powerful methodology to educate students as…

GAY Perth Labor MP John Carey says he was bombarded with homophobic  emails in the lead up to Liberal MPs rejecting a free vote on same-sex marriage on Tuesday. As a state MP it’s not in Mr Carey’s remit and he’s not a Liberal, but he still got several dozen messages from anti-gay campaigners, ranging…

VINCENT council staff fear for their jobs and morale is low, says former councillor Dudley Maier In July the Voice reported that 14 staff members had been offered redundancies or redeployment, some at a lower wage (‘Redundancy stoush’, Voice, July 22, 2017). Mr Maier, who still keeps a close eye on council business and is…