SELLING WA government land in Bayswater has been suggested as a means to fund the undergrounding of the local train station. Mayor Barry McKenna says WA transport minister Dean Nalder was open to his suggestion to sell land just upstream of Riverside Garden during a “very productive” private meeting on Tuesday. Cr McKenna says the…

RATEPAYERS will no longer pay to clothe Bayswater councillors. Following last week’s story (“Self-paid suits Fleeton,” Voice, December 12, 2015) the council voted to dump its clothing allowance, worth up to $1000 each per year (that’s $11,000 for all elected members). Only mayor Barry McKenna and Crs Alan Radford and John Rifici wanted to keep…

AUSSIE kids from Inglewood are managing to do something that appears beyond many adults — make refugees feel welcome in Australia. After meeting two refugees this year, and inspired by the book My Two Blankets, about a little girl arriving in a new country and finding a safe place under an old blanket made of…

FOR more than 60 years the aroma of fresh bread from Vastese Bakery has wafted across its North Perth neighbourhood, but it all ends this Christmas. Owners Tony and Lou Saraceni were out of town when we called but staff confirmed they’re closing. Freelance foodie writer Max Veenhuyzen broke the news and he reports, “it’s…

A CHURCH established by African-Australian Christians in a warehouse in one of Dianella’s “neglected” industrial zones has received a belated but conditional blessing from Stirling council. Messianic Ministries, consisting largely of parishioners hailing from Congo and Burundi, moved into the Harold Street warehouse early this year to set up its first WA altar. But it…

FORMER Bayswater councillor Mike Sabatino has dropped his case against the WA electoral commission on the eve of its hearing because he, “shouldn’t have to pay for democracy”. Mr Sabatino had wanted “transparency and justice” after scrutineers had claimed there was chaos during the counting of votes at the October local government election. He says…

STIRLING council expects to rake in an extra $92,500 per year in fees once it installs paid parking along two streets in Voiceland. From January, the council will start charging for parking on Railway Parade in Mount Lawley and Bradford Street near Edith Cowan University. A council estimate state $67,000 will likely be collected on…

SHAKESPEARE STREET residents up Mount Hawthorn way have decorated their verge trees with Christmas baubles and signs saying, “all I want for Christmas is a bike boulevard!” The WA transport department’s considering whether to install pilot bike boulevards in streets like Shakespeare, and Lake in Bayswater, which set aside a large strip for bikes and…

HAMPERS costing Bayswater ratepayers $200 a pop will no longer bring Christmas morning joy to the partners and spouses of council leaders. The city’s councillors this week voted to stop $3200 being spent each year on festive gifts for their partners, and the partners of the city’s five most senior staff. It ends a tradition…

IT’S no illusion: the next time Perth magician Sylvia Marinai takes the stage at Fringe World it’ll be the first festival she performs as a woman. Assigned as male at birth and living most of her life that way, Ms Marinai started transitioning a little over a year ago. Before then she performed as “Jean-Luc,…