HELENA TAY has given the wheatbelt a funky makeover, transforming the long journey from Perth to Wave Rock into a feel-good YouTube hit. Her tourism video Rock out on the Pathways to Wave Rock attracted 9000 hits in one week and featured on GWN7 and several other media outlets. The video showcases tiny towns such…

HUMAN rights abuses in Venezuela have prompted the country’s ex-patriate community to hold a series of demonstrations to raise awareness in WA. Venezolanos en Perth organised three protests last week: in South Perth, the CBD’s Forrest Place and Northbridge. Their banners called for the right to protest peacefully without violence and justice for Venezuelan protestors…

A TOWN hall meeting will be held to help Vincent locals prepare merger submissions to the WA local government advisory board—but the late date leaves just four days to get the documents in. Former councillor Ian Ker fronted the council this week to take aim at the tight timeframe. “This gives an unrealistically short time…

VINCENT councillors have voted to ban themselves from attending interstate conferences for this term. Mayor John Carey proposed the ban, which won unanimous support, because of the amount of work to be done before amalgamations next year. “To demonstrate that there’s a serious commitment to the community, we’re saying there’ll be no external council trips.”…

THE reserve at Wade Street could soon be known as Boat People Park or Tu Do Pak (a shortened version of Liberty Park). After long debate the park was last year chosen for the Vietnamese Community WA’s monument to thank Australians for welcoming refugees at the end of the Vietnam War.

PLANS to make Beales Park a permanent home for Noranda Women’s Football Club have been scrapped, following concerns from local residents. The Morley club wanted to build a changing room and pavilion at the park, after club president Chris Blake complained “women had to change into their playing strip behind towels in the middle of…

THE WA senate re-election is a cruel blow for the Liberal party which has every right to be “particularly aggrieved” says Notre Dame University political lecturer Martin Drum. Western Australians are expected to return to the polls in April or May to elect six senators after the Australian Electoral Commission admitted it had lost 1370…

PERTH dog lovers have established a WA Italian greyhound club, the first of its kind in Australia. Founding member Francesca Perino—who owns 33cm tall Nica—says they formed the club after people flocked to their page on Facebook. The tiny hound—just taller than a ruler and as light as 3.6kg—is often mistaken for a baby whippet.…

JOHN GIORGI’S 20-year reign as CEO at Vincent ends this year, with the council voting overwhelmingly not to renew his contract when it falls due December 31. A confidential vote at last week’s council meeting—the Voice was told it was a crushing seven-to-one result—brought down the shutters on Mr Giorgi’s hopes to stay in the…

JOHN GIORGI started his career in local government as a mailboy at Perth city council, moving through the ranks to become controller of health services, senior health surveyor and records officer. When Richard Court’s Liberal government split Perth in 1994 to create Vincent, Cambridge and Shepparton (later renamed Victoria Park) Mr Giorgi won the job…