Perth Voice Interactive

BEFORE IT ENDS is based on Denmark’s occupation by Nazi Germany in 1940, despite the country having declared its neutrality.

The occupation lasted five years until Germany admitted defeat as the Allies and Soviets surrounded Berlin.

In the final months of the war several hundred thousand German refugees fleeing the advancing Soviets ended up in Denmark. 

The story portrays the influx of German civilian refugees, mostly malnourished women and children who arrived exhausted and seriously ill. 

The Danes had been told by the occupying Germans they would have to accept around 250 refugees, but the numbers arriving by train were more like 250,000, creating a dilemma as to where to house them. 

The newcomers create a dilemma for headmaster Jakob and his wife Lisa, as they are forced to close their school and church to house them. 

Jakob recognises the influx as another violent German occupation, while Lisa sees the people as victims of circumstances and tries to assist them.

It explores the tension between moral duty (helping refugees) and the deep-seated resentment towards someone from an increasingly malevolent invader.

Although it appears to go against the efforts of the Danish resistance, when disease starts ravaging the German refugees Jakob feels forced to help them.

The aftermath leaves his family experiencing the wrath of their community.

This moral dilemma is viscerally felt as you watch the unfolding situation; should they help the refugees, who are victims of war themselves, or turn a blind eye and leave them to their fate?

Director Anders Wolter’s subtle storytelling leaves you feeling empathy for both sides, as the story tells the tale of a family under pressure and this expose of forgiveness, justice and humanity.

I had not heard of many stories about Denmark during the war, so it was quite interesting to discover this fascinating insight into the death throes of WWII, where Germans became refugees of their own doing. 

3/5 chickens

by PAULA HOLLAND

A LOVE story spanning 51 years, Touch is a poignant tale of longing, memory, and the enduring power of first love.

At its heart is Kristofer, a 70-year-old widower from Iceland, who embarks on an emotional journey to rediscover the love that defined his youth.

As his own time on earth begins to dwindle, he is haunted by the memories of a romance that never fully faded, despite the passing of years.

Fifty years earlier, Miko, bought to London by her Japanese father (Takahashi-Sun) after Hiroshima’s nuclear holocaust, meets Kristofer as a student in London, when he comes looking for work in her father’s restaurant. 

There, amidst the washing of dishes and the cooking of monkfish, Kristofer falls in love with the beautiful, mysterious, and graceful girl. 

As he learns Japanese and the art of cooking from her father, a deep and passionate love blossoms between them.

One day Miko disappears and the restaurant closes without warning, leaving many unanswered questions.

Although Kristofer moves on in his life, Touch shows the how is life is forever altered as his love slipped away. 

Through his memories, the story of their romance unfolds. 

On a quest to find what happened to Miko, Kristofer returns to London in the midst of the Pandemic to track down Hitomi, a former restaurant colleague now living in an aged care facility. 

Hitomi finds an old letter from Miko, sending Kristofer on a mission to Hiroshima, even though the world’s borders were snapping shut thanks to Covid.

I do not want to tell you the end of the story as that would ruin it, but it shows just how true love can be enduring.

A beautiful scenic story spanning decades across cultures and continents.

4/5 chickens

by PAULA HOLLAND

A SMALL group of around 25 protestors made a last-gasp effort on Monday to try and convince the Cook government not to remove the Perth Cultural Centre’s much-loved native wetland.

A blown-out $50 million revamp (originally $35m) of the cultural centre is due to start as early as January, but the 1970s-built concrete pond which was transformed into a wetlands in 2010 has sprung a leak and the state government says it’s not feasible to repair it.

But environmental campaigner Paddy Cullen, who organised a 2000-strong Parliamentary petition when the revamp was first announced late last year, says the wetland is too important to simply disappear.

“This tiny wetland ecosystem gives an insight into what Perth once looked like before the concrete and bitumen went in,” Mr Cullen said.

“Perth has lost more than 80 per cent of its wetlands and we need to turn this around.

“This Christmas we are asking the premier to waive the wetlands execution and give us something to celebrate.”

Traditional custodian Daniel Garlett says he has used the wetlands to give kids an insight into the importance of wetlands to Noongar culture.

“The children love interacting with the wildlife,” Mr Garlett said.

“How can we teach this if the area is destroyed.”

Greens MLC Brad Pettitt, who tabled Mr Cullen’s petition, noted an earlier iteration of the area’s masterplan included a new wetlands closer to Beaufort Street.

“That plan has been superseded by a plan that is far less bold, but potentially more affordable,” Dr Pettitt said.

“The PCC wetlands are a unique space in our city, providing access to wetlands plants and animals in the heart of the city.

“There is nothing within easy walking distance that replicates the experience.”

But arts minister David Templeman says the upgrade will transform the cultural centre into a “beacon and the beating heart of the city.

“Artworks will be commissioned for the northern and main gallery that will transform the visitor passage entry to the gallery,” Mr Templeman said.

“A new, shady central space will be developed, which will look quite spectacular,” Mr Templeman said.

“It will include a new focal point and the creation of a new children’s play space.

“That means that children will again be front and centre of attraction to the cultural precinct. 

“The interesting amphitheatre will be demolished and a more accessible, greater streetscape will be developed.

“At the eastern end of the cultural centre the Art Gallery of WA

car park will be demolished and a better connection from Beaufort Street will be introduced.”

by STEVE GRANT

MAYLANDS peninsula locals are fuming over delays in fixing the stinking lakes that pour out masses of midges into surrounding homes.

There are few issues that draw more complaint in the Bayswater council area than the state of Lake Brearley and Lake Bungana, two constructed lakes built out of the old brickworks claypits in the 1990s.

Bayswater council recently called for tenders to find a company to fix the numerous problems at the lakes, which are constantly affected by poor water quality, immense algal blooms, and a number of midges so prodigious it puts the old testament plagues to shame.

But at the December meeting, noticeably reluctant councillors opted not select any of the six submissions, as all scored poorly against the selection criteria.  

“The majority of submissions received did not fully address a number of key requirements,” according to a staff report to councillors.

Residents are disappointed.

At the opening of the meeting, chair of the Friends of Maylands Lakes community group Kevin Hamersley told councillors: “I apologise in advance for sounding like an angry old man, but I don’t need to remind you, councillors, how utterly frustrated and distressed the Maylands residents are with the City’s glacial progress despite our pleas for urgent action.

“Once again the City has overlooked the miserable conditions we endure, simply ruling that we can wait till March for a decision on the filtration project.”

Mr Hamersley says there’s been a lack of transparency about the whole process, with unexplained delays and a key consultant’s reports to council kept confidential. 

The group believes two of the tenderers present viable options in the form of mechanical filtration systems that could pump through thousands of square metres’ worth of water a day and rid it of algae and its antecedents. 

And while the options are costly, Mr Hamersley says “importantly, the City can afford that kind of expenditure. 

“The City spends millions of dollars on recreation infrastructure every year so the community can enjoy the outdoors. Our community cannot even enjoy their courtyards.

“There is no argument that $2.5 million to $3 million is a lot of money, but you get a very big bang for your buck: Rapid improvement in water quality, reduced toxins and midge numbers, plus water movement within the lakes. “

Evidence

But the council staff say even the best-scoring submissions lack detail and they need more evidence that their methods will actually work. Across the 70 points available in the selection criteria, only two tenders got above the halfway mark, and just barely, scoring 37.5 and 36 points out of 70.

Many past attempts to fix the lakes have failed, from surface-disrupting sprinklers, to natural sedge plantings, to lake-bed dredging, to tossing in blocks of clay to soak up excess algae-causing phosphorous. 

The millions spent on those attempts has made the council reluctant to dive in to another untested option. 

The two best scoring tenders would cost about $3m up-front and are estimated to cost another million a year to operate. 

Across two nights in December – the ordinary meeting on December 10, and then a second meeting to consider the options in detail on December 11 – councillors unanimously decided they couldn’t go ahead with any of the tenders in their current form.

Mayor Filomena Piffaretti said: “The Maylands Lakes issue is complex, and I’m very aware of the impact this issue is having on residents, and it truly does keep me up at night. 

“But years of trial and error have shown us that there’s no quick fix. 

“We need to learn from lessons of the past and ensure that we are making decisions based on evidence.

“Sometimes the right decision is not the most popular decision, and whilst I understand the community’s desire to have a solution yesterday, we need to be realistic and it’s our job as councillors to ensure we are doing our due diligence before agreeing to spend a very significant amount of ratepayer money on an approach where we haven’t been provided all the necessary information as part of the tender process. 

“The motion we have before us, as unpopular as it may be, is the right decision and I thank the administration for their fearless advice.”

There was no politicking in the chamber over the decision, and both south ward councillors who agreed with the mayor.

by DAVID BELL

A PROPOSAL to allow third parties to nominate trees on private land for a protection register has inched forward in Vincent, with the idea soon to go out for community consultation.

In recent decades many venerable trees have been felled on private property as owners either redevelop their land, subdivide the block, or pave their gardens. 

The exotic polyphagous shot-hole borer bug has also claimed many more trees in recent years, and Vincent mayor Alison Xamon says it’s been “devastating” to see so many felled in the borer’s wake.

The council’s current “Trees of Significance” register allows a property owner to volunteer one of their trees for extra protection (and some subsidies for maintenance). 

But it has not saved many trees: Only nine trees on private land have been added to the register in its 23-year existence. 

To stem the tide of tree loss, new changes proposed by mayor Alison Xamon will allow third-party nominations of trees, along with increased financial incentives to help owners’ fund the maintenance and get free arborist advice about their listed trees.

In November, former councillor Dudley Maier warned that a policy allowing third-party nominations could prompt landowners to clear trees now, before any rule is instituted, instead of face potential restrictions later (“Tree policy withdrawn after carnage warning”, Voice, November 23, 2024). He said incentives to keep trees was the way to go.

One councillor was wary of that outcome, Ashley Wallace, who voted against the new third-party nomination proposal.

“I’m very concerned that this change will have the opposite effect to what’s intended and may result in a net reduction of canopy coverage on private land as residents pre-emptively clear trees prior to a potential listing,” Cr Wallace said at the December 10 meeting.

Canopy area

He also said nominating individual trees would lead to inequity compared to an area-wide system where all trees meeting certain specifications (such as height, circumference, or canopy area) were automatically protected. Such an area-wide model has been proposed by the WA Local Government Association.

But council staff say Vincent’s Local Planning Scheme would need to be amended to allow such an area-wide policy, and that’d take up to 18 months and require approval from the minister for planning. It’d also mean removing the current significant tree protection clause to not conflict with the area-wide protection. 

For now councillors voted 8:1 to go ahead and publicly advertise for comments on the new third-party nominations and increased incentives for tree owners.

Ms Xamon said with the rate that trees being lost, they had to act fast.

“it’s been quite devastating for me to have only been in the mayoral position for a few months to suddenly be confronted with the extent of shothole borer, particularly within the City of Vincent and in some of our iconic parks,” Ms Xamon said.

“And that was in addition to the fact that with all the increased developments that are occurring in Vincent that there has been a huge loss of tree canopy on private land.”

Ms Xamon said she hoped that the community consultation might bring in more ideas from locals about how to best protect trees.

Many councils have been calling for state government action to protect trees, or for the state to at least allow them to implement their own tough policies at the council level.

Ms Xamon said at the December council meeting: “I am going to express once again my eternal frustration that the state government continues to deny local governments the opportunity to be able to implement planning measures which would enable us to look at tree canopy retention. 

“Similar strategies to that do exist in other states in Australia now, more ironic because of all the capital cities in Australia we have got the lowest level of tree canopy, and I think that’s absolutely shameful. 

“So the big piece of work that we have to do as a council is around advocacy at a state government level, to get them to enable us to be able to protect our own tree canopy.”

Vincent’s proposed changes are due to be advertised in the early new year.

by DAVID BELL

Lisa Thornton is standing as an independent for the seat of Churchlands.

STIRLING councillor Lisa Thornton will stand as an independent to take on Liberal candidate for Churchlands Basil Zempilas. 

Cr Thornton’s campaign materials went live last week bearing the colouring of the teal independents. 

The teals are a loose grouping of political candidates who’ve been making inroads in state and federal politics in the past couple of years, and are a blend of moderate centrists with a common interest in taking action on climate change. 

They’ve proven a threat to Liberal incumbents and have took a few seats from Liberals in blue-leaning electorates in the 2022 federal election.

Mr Zempilas, currently Perth city council’s lord mayor, is hoping to take the Churchlands seat from Labor incumbent Christine Tonkin.

According to The Post newspaper, some teal types met early in this year to form a community group called Churchlands Independent with an aim to find a sympathetic candidate to take the seat. 

A teal presence could split the vote and cause trouble for the Liberals, depending on how voters allocate their preferences. 

Churchlands sits within the federal seat of Curtin, which was a safe Liberal seat until teal-friendly independent Kate Chaney won the 2022 election. 

Cr Thornton’s time in local government has had an influence on her plans at the state level: One of her policy priorities is to advocate for a third-party right of appeal in planning issues, as currently only the decision-maker or applicants can appeal development decisions. 

Donations

She also wants a ban on political donations from property developers, more tree protection, and more social housing.

Churchlands has proved to be a pretty amenable seat to independents in the past.

The seat was created in 1996, and was held by conservative-leaning MP Liz Constable for 17 years before going to the Liberals in 2013, then to Labor’s Ms Tonkin in 2021.