IN a significant stride towards streamlining its planning processes, the City of Stirling’s Fast-Track (Development Applications) service has proven a winner in its first 12 months. Since its inception in October 2022, the innovative planning system has not only reduced bureaucratic bottlenecks but has also saved both time and money for homeowners and developers. The…

SLIGHTLY smaller designs have been released for the apartment block planned to run along Fitzgerald Street from Alma to Raglan Roads, following widespread opposition to the previous 13-storey design.  Celsius Property Group’s proposal for 97 apartments across 13-storeys was rejected by the Joint Development Assessment Panel in December 2022. It was voted down due to…

“PERTH’S a ‘yes’,” Labor’s federal MP for Perth Patrick Gorman says after having doorknocked local suburbs to drum up support for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament. While most national polls have shown the Yes vote dipping below 50 per cent over the past year, Mr Gorman says he’s confident local sentiment is firmly in favour…

“DEEPLY disappointing” – the group pushing for cats to be kept at home are dismayed after Bayswater council deleted its new cat containment law under threat of being held in contempt of WA Parliament. Bayswater council, like many others, is trying to bring in laws to contain cats on owners’ properties to protect wildlife. But…

A NEW festival in Bayswater is on the horizon, with 65 events planned for the two-month Flourish Community Arts Festival. Bayswater council’s organised the festival around its annual community art exhibition, bringing in  local artist Leo Flavel as curator; he has two decades in the local creative scene. Mayor Filomena Piffaretti says the festival will…

VINCENT council’s push to be a billboard-free zone has been upheld by the State Administrative Tribunal, which has refused to grant permanent approval to one of the few remaining billboards in the town’s boundaries. The decision comes as the state government has grown increasingly reluctant to even allow councils to have blanket ad bans in…

AFTER a quiet kick-off to Bayswater’s first ever popular mayoral campaign, a contender has stepped up to take on incumbent mayor Filomina Piffaretti. Until now Bayswater’s mayor has been appointed by councillors who vote in a colleague via a secret ballot after the election. State government reforms are pushing all major metro councils to allow…

WITH more than 80,000 beehives stranded in NSW because of an outbreak of the deadly varroa mite, local beekeeper Mark Woodcock says it’s a timely reminder not to buy hives off online marketplaces without checking that the seller knows what they’re doing. Although the mite hasn’t been found in Western Australia, the bacteria that causes…

MAKING a new home in Australia can be a great challenge for immigrants, with new laws and cultural norms to take on board; and if you’re a member of the LGBTQI+ community there’ll be a few more levels of complexity to get your head around. Many have come from countries where they faced marginalisation, discrimination,…

WITH Maylands foreshore facing a dire erosion crisis, federal environment and water minister Tanya Plibersek visited the river this week to announce a government commitment of $1.42 million.  In the past few years Bayswater council has struggled to come up with enough cash to fight the ongoing erosion exacerbated by climate change, water levels and…