WOMEN’S FIFA is about to kick off in Perth, and humble Dorrien Gardens has been transformed into a training venue to host world class players practicing for their matches. Tucked away in a West Perth pocket, Dorrien Garden soccer grounds got $410,000 in upgrades to bring it up to international training standards. To roll out…

RATES bills in Stirling will go up around $45 for most property owners this year, kept at a “modest” rate by the “difficult decision” to put big infrastructure projects on hold, mayor Mark Irwin says. One councillor, Elizabeth Re, voted against the budget, concerned that too much work was being put on hold like much-needed…

OPPONENTS of a phone tower being installed at Britannia Reserve suspect consultation was a sham after noticing trees next to the site were stripped of their branches even before Vincent council approved the project.  In June councillors voted to lease out part of the park to Optus, charging $48,000 a year for 140sqm of space…

THE FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 takes place in cities across Australia and New Zealand in July and August 2023, and the Perth matches will be played at HBF Park in Vincent. Inspired by the upcoming competition, the Vincent Local History Centre has delved into the history of ‘the beautiful game’ in the area.  The…

LEISHA JACK is the convenor of the Stirling Urban Tree Network. You can find more about them at http://www.stirlingtrees.com but here she responds to our story about tree removals at the Mt Lawley Golf Club (Voice, June 8) IT really was a stunning act of hypocrisy at the May 30 council meeting when Stirling mayor…

THIS week’s Speakers’ Corner was co-authored by Hossein, a refugee who arrived to Australia in 2012 and who now works in IT; Niloofar, a refugee who also arrived in 2012 and who would love to live free and without fear; ophthalmologist Hessom Razavi who is from a refugee background; and Caroline Fleay, academic and Co-Director…

Time change deflates protest DRAG storytime at Maylands library was secretly held earlier than announced on Saturday to confound protesters who were planning to blockade Saturday’s reading.  The events have run for years in Perth but they’ve been increasingly in the sights of opponents who claim it is inappropriate to have performers in drag outfits…

BAYSWATER council is at risk of being held in contempt of WA Parliament after missing a deadline to strike out a controversial clause from its proposed cat control laws. The council tried to ban cats from all public places unless they were under the “effective control” of their owner (essentially on a lead), but the…

Brickworks sell-off plan revived AN unpopular plan to sell part of the Maylands brickworks for real estate development has been revived after other options proved too expensive. The defunct brickworks have been closed for about 35 years and are now owned by cash-strapped Bayswater council, which hasn’t been able to afford the various plans to…

Spotlight on safety centre IT has 700 cameras, is staffed by security experts and police, takes calls 24-7, and costs the council millions a year to run, but less than 15 per cent of Perth’s residents know the City’s surveillance centre exists. This week lord mayor Basil Zempilas launched a publicity campaign trying to raise…