“IT’S so quiet out there right now, you can’t make a living out of it.” Taxi driver Phil McGree is fed up. He says his industry’s going down the toilet, and it’s not helped by drivers who refuse to use one. “I’ve been driving taxis since 2008,” he says. “The industry is stuffed—it’s full of…

MORE cultural training is needed to stop incidents such as taxi drivers pooing on verges, says WA Taxi Industry Forum chair Howard Lance. Following our article last week about a taxi driver having a poo on a Leederville verge, despite a toilet being just 30m away, Mr Lance got in touch to say he’s heard many…

VINCENT mayor John Carey confirmed this week he will run as Labor’s candidate for the seat of Perth at the next state election. If elected — the seat is held by popular Liberal MP Eleni Evangel on a 2.8 per cent margin — a by-election will be held to replace him as mayor. Despite weeks…

COUNCILLOR Brent Fleeton is replacing Cr Dan Bull as Bayswater council’s deputy member of the local development assessment panel. The switch comes after the Voice broke news last month that Cr Bull, a lawyer, had resigned as he didn’t want to be part of an “undemocratic” state-appointed DAP. Cr Fleeton, an active member of the…

NEW Bayswater councillor Brent Fleeton has tried — and narrowly failed — to severely restrict public question time at council meetings. Describing the sessions as a “demoralising experience” he’d sought to restrict question time to 15 minutes in total, with all questions required to be submitted in writing hours beforehand, instead of being asked in…

BAYSWATER council will spend an extra $100,000 this year planting 200 trees. Greening the city is emerging as a main priority for the council under new mayor Barry McKenna, as it prepares to increase its canopy from 13.2 per cent to 20 per cent by 2025. The council last month decided to up its stock…

THE folk from Kyilla community farmers’ markets want everyone to ride down to the March 12 markets for bike week, going as far as to offer vouchers for anyone who shows up on a treadly. Run by the Kyilla primary P&C (the school’s Milla, Chelsea and James are pictured above) the students are running a…

MOST night markets leave you waddling away, regretting that third pork bun but this Human Rights Night Market will hopefully leave you with the warm and fuzzies. Amnesty International WA, our local Voice activist regulars from the Perth Action Centre and the Perth Indigenous Rights Group are hosting their first human rights market to collect…

CORRECTION: The Voice last week ran a story on the WA Department of Racing, Gaming and Liquor investigating a roller hockey party at Bayswater Bowling Club (“A bit of stick”, March 5, 2016). The investigation is underway but we wrongfully said Gary McHugh was from the WA liquor commission, when he’s from the department. ———…

PLANS for another small bar on Beaufort Street have been quashed by Vincent councillors but it’s looking like this one will be appealed to the powerful state administrative tribunal. Vincent staff had recommended approval for the two-storey building and bar at the corner of Chatsworth Street, but mayor John Carey says it’s way too close…