PERTH councillors may finally be able to give their opinions on council matters, with CEO Martin Mileham supporting a push to let them speak their minds. For at least two years Cr Reece Harley has fought to loosen city guidelines that restrict councillors from speaking to the media, only allowing the lord mayor and CEO…

VINCENT ratepayers are looking at a 2.7 per cent increase in rates. The draft figure is still to be approved by council. The proposed increase is higher than CPI (1.5 per cent), but mayor Emma Cole said, “I think the rate increase is a very modest increase and it is about striking a balance. “It…

The 50th anniversary of the 1967 referendum to recognise Aboriginal people in the census was marked with the launch of Vincent council’s new Reconciliation Action Plan last Saturday.

SINGLE-USE plastic bags could be regulated in Perth, with Cr Jemma Green tabling a motion at Tuesday’s committee meeting to look into their use. Her motion asked staff to prepare a report on how to regulate use of plastic bags, while also examining the “impact on traders’ economic turnover”. Cr Reece Harley supported the motion,…

WHEN Mt Hawthorn dad Dan Loden took over as primary carer for his son Aidan, there was little in the way of support for dads. “I ended up joining my wife’s mothers group as a set of peers I could share experiences with,” he says. “This was great, but also did not recognise the distinction…

STIRLING councillor Elizabeth Re has been accused of “bullying behaviours” towards city staff, “including yelling, aggressive language and gestures, swearing, inappropriate and excessive emails, [and] derogatory comments about staff,” according to a motion by mayor Giovanni Italiano. His motion to severely curtail her councillor privileges and prevent her from attending the council premises (apart from…

The Vincent Men’s Shed held an open day to thank all the people who supported them and mark the milestone of getting their dust extractor system installed, a vital bit of gear for running the big sawdust-spewing machinery.

VINCENT council is set to spend $285,000 on festivals and events in the next financial year. Potential big winners in the draft budget are: • North Perth Local – $35,000 to run the Angove Street Halloween event and 6006 in the Park festival at Woodville Reserve. • Leederville Connect – $50,000 for the Light Up…

A NEW online exhibition by the Museum of Perth highlights the historic city buildings lost to the bulldozers in the 60s, 70s and 80s. The majority of Demolished Icons is based on the work of photographer Michael Parr, who runs the Facebook page Lost Perth Found, and painstakingly created before-and-after composite images of the city.…

TWO local photographers have snagged gongs in the state Australian Institute of Professional Photography Awards. Alex Cearns from Houndstooth Studio in North Perth won WA pet/animal photographer of the year, and Mount Hawthorn’s Kirsten Graham took home the award for WA travel photographer of the year. Cearns divides her time between her Perth studio —…