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  • Mayor’s plus-one

    Mayor’s plus-one

    A NEW position for a deputy deputy lord mayor might be created to smooth the transition at Perth council in case lord mayor Basil Zempilas wins his bid for state politics.

    Mr Zempilas is running for the Liberal party in the seat of Churchlands in the March 2025 election.

    Normally the deputy lord mayor – currently Cr Bruce Reynolds – would act in lieu of a lord mayor who’s otherwise engaged.

    But with the election coming up a policy drafted by council staff proposes appointing “a councillor to perform the functions of the lord mayor” in the event that both the lord and deputy are unavailable.

    “This, I believe, is prudent and good administration,” Perth city CEO Michelle Reynolds told councillors at the November 12 briefing.

    “There are times where circumstances present… needing a timely response,” she said, and having a spare backup “would enable continuity of our business operations should the circumstances arise”. 

    Staff have proposed that deputy deputy role be filled by councillor Catherine Lezer, who got the second-most votes when councillors picked Cr Reynolds as their new deputy lord mayor last month. Ms Reynolds said that was following the template of allowances for preference-based backfilling in local government laws. 

    The policy would cover the three months starting from January. That’s when Mr Zempilas intends to take a break from the lord mayoral role and focus on campaigning for the Churchlands seat.

    Mr Zempilas spoke largely in third person when telling colleagues at Tuesday’s council briefing: “The lord mayor – that’s me, I can speak on his behalf – has said publicly lots of times that he intends to take a leave of absence over roughly this period.” 

    Mr Zempilas noted “he may or may not be successful. If he is successful, off he goes,” and council would then have to figure out what to do about replacing him until a new council election. 

    Any local government member who wins a seat in parliament is automatically disqualified from being on council.

    That could trigger a by-election, but councillors can also request the electoral commissioner to postpone a vote until the next ordinary election scheduled in October 2025. 

    Labor premier Roger Cook has previously called for Mr Zempilas to resign from the lord mayoral role if he wants to run for state parliament. If Mr Zempilas had resigned in October 2024 – within one year of his most recent victory at the October 2023 election – new state government rules would’ve allowed the runner-up to replace him. That would’ve been second-place candidate Sandy Anghie, a former councillor who’s had more than a few critiques of Mr Zempilas’ mayoralty. 

    The state election is scheduled for March 8. Churchlands was narrowly won by Labor’s Christine Tonkin in 2021 but it’s in a traditionally Liberal-leaning area. It was previously held by Liberal Sean L’Estrange, and conservative independent Liz Constable before him.

    by DAVID BELL

  • Flicking switch to degas Baysy

    Flicking switch to degas Baysy

    A PLAN to wean households off using gas as an energy source is in the pipeline at Bayswater council.

    Cr Giorgia Johnson has put up the notice of motion as part of an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 

    The Victorian government banned new residential gas connections in 2024, arguing that home gas appliances are less efficient than those run on electricity.

    Rather than a ban, Cr Johnson’s notice requests the council CEO put together a report “on possible options that will enable the community to transition from gas, including education, planning policies for new developments, and incentives”.

    The preliminary report says “the reduction of gas connections across the city will help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions within the city and help to achieve the net zero emissions”.

    This new motion calling for education, policies, and incentives to go gas-free is slightly softer than a previous anti-gas motion that was voted down by Bayswater councillors in March 2023.

    That more stern approach called for “effective actions… to prevent future gas connections to residential properties” but was lost with a 5/5 split vote.

    While the previous motion attracted some critique at public question time, so far there’s only been one written deputation on the new proposal and it was heavily in favour. 

    Kevin Mack is a member of the community not-for-profit group Electrify Bayswater, a project which stemmed from the main Sustainable Bayswater group to spruik the plusses of going off gas.

    Mr Mack’s missive to council says “the electrification of our homes is the fastest way to reduce Australia’s carbon emissions”. 

    The group’s ultimate goal is to get people to switch over to renewable energies, but Mr Mack said that getting away from gas is still a win: “If households replace gas appliances with efficient electric appliances, without solar panels or a battery, they will save an average of over $700 per year.” 

    If councillors endorse Cr Johnson’s motion they’ll request a report with options for tackling the issue in time for their March 2025 meeting.

    There’s ongoing debate in the energy field about the gas vs electrical efficiency question. There’s some cases where gas can come out as less polluting than electric – if the power is being sourced from a particularly old and inefficient coal-fired station, and provided the gas infrastructure doesn’t leak any potent climate-wrecking methane. The argument for electric gets far stronger as more of the electrical grid moves to renewable sources, and pro-electric campaigners fear gas appliances sticking around could slow the renewable march. 

    by DAVID BELL

  • Rainbow Picnic ran

    Rainbow Picnic ran

    THE inaugural Rainbow Picnic ran in Hyde Park on November 3 with 1500 people heading along for the family-friendly event to kick off PrideFest.

    • Photos by Danika Zuks, via City of Vincent.

    Amid the rainbow maze, silent disco and other assorted multicoloured fun, the Rainbow Picnic aimed to connect the public with LGBT+-friendly service providers and clubs.

    Vincent council hosted the event, with Mayor Alison Xamon saying “we want all families to feel welcome, included and supported in Vincent”.

    Feedback on the first year’s festivities is invited via culturecounts.cc/s/2hqykN

  • Seeing a big picture in the backlot

    Seeing a big picture in the backlot

    URBAN mini-cinema The Backlot has marked 10 years, growing from a thought bubble to a hub for local filmmakers and film lovers.

    Before opening The Backlot, Ian Hale had worked for the big end of film town, handling Australian releases for international studios.

    • Ian Hales at The Backlot

    “It was a startup business, and comin g from a background where I’d worked with Paramount and Universal for 20 years… the first few years were really tough, they were hard work,” he says. 

    With his business partners Jason Dover and Sian Collins, “we were the first arts-based business in this area,” a little West Perth locale between Newcastle Street and the Freeway known as The Pickle District. 

    • Bonding with farmer Terry Brennan over Martin Scorcese

    “I think there’s something like 10 or 15 arts-based businesses in the area now… we’re really proud about establishing that.”

    The Backlot opened as a 50-seat hire space for private screenings, presentations, and functions. It’s hosted a slew of indy films that have gone on to make it big, they’ve nourished nascent film festivals, screened archival WAFL footage to sold-out crowds, and even live-streamed competitive video gaming events, where local fans gather to watch international pros play computer games for surprisingly large purses. 

    • The building before it was The Backlot

    Some of Mr Hales’ other highlights from the past 10 years have been featured in these pages, like the time farmer Terry Brennan made a four-hour round-trip to see The Irishman at The Backlot in 2019 (“De Niro and de far-o,” Voice, November 30, 2019). 

    “He’d only ever seen four movies in his life!” he chuckles. 

    • Artist Vincent Fantauzzo paints his mural of Heath Ledger.

    Technically it was three-and-a-half movies, as Mr Brennan had fallen asleep during a 1972 screening of The French Connection. 

    “That was amazing that he took the time to drive out here from Goomalling to see [The Irishman] at 11 in the morning.”

    But the farmer and the film fanatic made fast friends as they got chatting about the Martin Scorcese flick, which was highly regarded by film critics but earned only a “five out of 10” from Mr Brennan, who thought the last hour could’ve been condensed into five minutes. 

    Mr Hale says it’s the social aspect that’s been the most enjoyable element for him: “At the end of the day, if the business is ticking over successfully, that’s fantastic… but it’s the people you meet, and the friends you end up making.”

    by DAVID BELL

  • LETTERS 16.11.24

    LETTERS 16.11.24

    Mayor way off track

    THE long-awaited report which sneaked into a City of Stirling council meeting recently, failed to provide detailed answers that were raised often at public question time months ago.

    How many Chinese made trams at $3.7 million each, are required to provide a service to the “international tourist destination of Scarborough“?

    These trams will only be driven, maintained, serviced and cleaned by Chinese operatives. Ideal for creating local employment?

    What are the costs of constructing 11 raised 32-metre platforms, in the middle of the road with electric supply, future maintenance, security?

    Electric buses, emission free, are now in our public transport fleet. 

    How many can you buy for $3.7m? Where will these trams be stored? Cannot see an answer Mr Irwin?

    What are the costs of widening seven kilometres of road?

    What are costs for removal of hundreds of telegraph poles/drainage etc?

    What are the implications for the loss of pavements and compulsory purchase of houses, properties? 

    Cost of compensation for vibration damage?

    Compensation for the loss of trade/closure (remember Scarborough Beach Development)?

    How long would this upheaval last, two to three years ?  

    Costs for controlling traffic, when construction occurs? Traffic down to one lane at 11 platforms.

    Where would motorists park if they wished to use a tram?  

    Current activity only occurs at Osborne Park Commercial Area and Innaloo Shopping Centre. 

    The “mayor for Scarborough“ forecasts “500 passengers arriving at Scarborough every 15 minutes“. Even on a cold wet Tuesday morning?

    This has been one big con by Mark Irwin and hopefully both the state and federal governments put this matter aside for 20 years.

    Ratepayers/taxpayers of the City of Stirling trust this mayor can get back to the regular functions of local government.

    It is rumoured that he is now exploring the “Meals on Wheels“ to be delivered by drone.

    Gawd ‘elp us.

    R Hadley
    Ewen St Community Group

    Commie past-its

    WHEN Marxism and its sub-philosophies have failed and are still failing to this very day, I hardly see the reason to invite this so-called “Marxist guru” to tell more fairy tales about this illogical and dangerous political movement. 

    A movement aligned with its woke foot soldiers are today’s main cause of societal breakdown, disruption and self-flagellation of the very best of human endeavour, traditions and successes which have been developed and time tested throughout history.

    Marxism is no more than an unworkable childish naivety albeit one that has the habit of being a destructive and dictatorial one for those not agreeing to its doctrines and operation.

    Chris Shearwood
    via perthvoiceinteractive.com

  • Regal flavours

    Regal flavours

    I had never tried Cambodian cuisine before, so I was keen to check out Royal Cambodia in East Perth.

    Situated on Eastbrook Terrace in Claisebrook Cove, the restaurant has a lovely waterfront alfresco overlooking the picturesque inlet and swanky condos.

    On a sunny summer’s day, it looked gorgeous with the light reflecting off the gently lapping water.

    The Voice reported last week that Perth council are considering a $31million repair package for the area (“Cove clean-up”), so hopefully that will go ahead and it will look even better.

    The interior of Royal Cambodia was classy, atmospheric and quite dark, but in a cosy way, providing respite from the heat outside.

    Hats off to the restaurant for being open for lunch earlier in the week, when many at the Cove, out with the brunch places, are closed.

    Royal’s menu had a large range of classic Cambodian dishes and other asian cuisine like green curry, laksa, nasi goreng, sweet and sour, and mei fun.

    There was also a discounted lunch menu and an extensive range of vegetarian mains, soups and starters, so they had a lot of bases covered.

    I wanted to try some of the Cambodian dishes, so I ordered the Lok Lak ($24.90).

    Perched on the summit of the dish was a fried egg, an interesting and unexpected garnish.

    Underneath was a mound of beef strips with lettuce, sliced tomato and onions.

    It was a bit like the filling for a gourmet kebab.

    The tender beef had a slightly peppery kick and a generous punch of garlic. 

    When combined with the egg, it was a tasty and very enjoyable main, if not super memorable.

    Across the table my wife “Special K” was busy tucking into her Ginger Chicken ($22.90).

    “It’s a very fresh and light dish with lots of shredded ginger,” she noted.

    “It’s almost like a soup with a very thin sauce and lots of broccoli, cauliflower and bok choy.

    “There’s heaps of chicken and it’s nice and tender.”

    We both shared a steamed jasmine rice ($5) which was fragrant and fluffy.

    My wife had previously been to the restaurant as a civilian and reported the fish amok – a traditional Cambodian curry with kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, palm sugar and fresh basil with coconut cream sauce – was delicious.

    A few of the Cambodian dishes like Khmer Spicy included lemongrass, and they seemed to favour “clean” and refreshing flavours.

    My young kids Bamm-Bamm and Pebbles shared a pad Thai ($19.90). It easily fed both of them and had a nice mix of chicken, spring onions, beansprouts and crushed nuts.

    My daughter really enjoyed the noodles but said the chicken was slightly on the tough side.

    At under $20 it was good value and there was lots of chook.

    I enjoyed my visit to the Royal Cambodia – the dishes were clean and light with plenty of flavour, and were well-priced with good portions.

    Next time, I’ll try their signature fish amok curry which sounds more on the decadent side of things.

    Royal Cambodia Restaurant
    8 Eastbrook Terrace, East Perth

    by STEPHEN POLLOCK

  • Sweet shorts

    Sweet shorts

    THE Australian Short Story Festival takes over Notre Dame’s Tannock Hall from November 22-24, bringing together 40 local, national and international authors.

    The festival, which is being shared with Adelaide, will have three days of workshops, panel discussions, readings and live music.

    It kicks off with a day of writing workshops followed by a gala opening in the courtyard at 10 Cliff Street in Fremantle where the evening celebrates Aussie icons Kylie Minogue, Nick Cave and Paul Kelly and the stories their songs inspire.

    Two giants of the literary world will be joining the festival by Zoom; multiple award-winning Scottish writer Carys Davies and Australian-born San Franciscan Fiona McFarlane.

    The festival ties off with a fun-filled literary debate between sharp-minded and sharp-tongued writers from around Australia.

    Midalia is festival director and says the short form of writing mirror life.

    “The short story, like a love affair, reminds us of how we live our life in moments; moments of emotional intensity, despair, joy and love,” she said.

    “Turning points, hauntings, startling revelations.”

    Tickets to the festival are at trybooking.com/CWFBN

  • Conversations

    Conversations

    SUSAN MIDALIA is the author of three short story collections, all shortlisted for major Australian literary awards, two novels and a collection of micro-fiction. She also works as a freelance editor, a writing mentor and the judge of literary competitions, as well as regularly contributing to the Australian Book Review. Susan is the Director, Perth chapter, of the Australian Short Story Festival.

    HER daughter asked her what time she’d been born, but Fran simply couldn’t remember. 

    Why am I not surprised? Zoe said. I made a bet with my friends that you wouldn’t know.

    How much will you win?

    That’s not the point, Ma.

    So why did you want to know the hour of your birth?

    It tells you how to choose your friends, Zoe said. It’s kind of written in the stars. 

    Her mother laughed. You know that’s a load of rubbish, she said.

    Zoe shrugged.

    • Author Susan Midalia

    You already have lovely friends, Zoe. And they’re lucky to have you as a friend. You’re kind and loyal and

    Enough with the positive reinforcement, Ma.

    A month later, her daughter asked her questions that she’d never asked before. 

    How long did it take to give birth to me? she said. Was it painful? Did you have any drugs?

    I didn’t feel a thing, Zoe. I had a caesarean, under a general anaesthetic.

    You mean you were too lazy to push, Zoe said. 

    Her mother didn’t flinch. It was an emergency, she said. I had dangerously high blood pressure. Pregnant women can die from it.

    Oh, shit.

    More importantly, you would have died as well, if the surgeon hadn’t cut you out.

    More importantly? Zoe said. 

    Fran’s husband asked if something was wrong with their daughter.

    Every time I offer an opinion, he said, she snaps a different one back at me.

    I think she’s stressed, Simon. This conference she’s organising for high school students. It means a lot to her.

    Which explains the slammed doors, he said. 

    And she’s sixteen, Fran said.

    Her daughter asked her parents to come to the closing event of the conference. They were surprised, and silently pleased. Two students gave speeches about the issues they’d debated over the past three days: one spoke nervously on climate change activism, the other spoke passionately about the plight of refugees. Fran looked around and saw proud adult faces. She wondered what her own face looked like.

    Then her daughter took her place at the podium. She was tall, with excellent posture (years of being told to pull back her shoulders), and she spoke with admirable thoughtfulness and ease, summing up the conference, thanking a whole raft of people with evident sincerity.

    She paused.

    Most importantly, she said, in a strong, steady voice, I want to thank my parents for all our conversations over many years. They taught me to care about people. They taught me to care about the planet. They taught me to think for myself.

    Fran reached for her husband’s hand. She saw tears running down his face.

    Aren’t we lucky? he said. That she’s alive.

  • Jonesy’s locker

    Jonesy’s locker

    HE’S probably best known for shoving a boom mic in people’s faces.

    During the 1980s and 1990s, Nick Broomfield made a series of innovative, gonzo-style documentaries like Chicken Ranch, Fetishes and Kurt & Courtney.

     Breaking with tradition, he would often appear on-screen, wielding his trademark boom mic and asking folk confronting questions.

    The docos were self-reflective with Broomfield describing the topsy-turvy process of making the film, including failed attempts to interview people and dead-end leads.

    Now in his mid 70s, the Englishman has ditched the trademark mic and no longer appears on-screen, but he’s still making documentaries.

    His latest, about Brian Jones, the founding member of The Rolling Stones, is a slightly personal affair.

    • There’s a new doco out about Brian Jones (second from left) the founding member of The Rolling Stones.

    Broomfield met Jones on a train in London when he was a teenager and had a pleasant chat with the soft-spoken, fresh-faced musician.

    A few years later, Jones was found dead in his swimming pool, aged 27, with an enlarged heart and liver because of drug and alcohol abuse.

    The doco is a traditional, chronological affair, blending archive footage with new interviews and never-before-seen footage, including a new chat with Bill Wyman and excerpts from letters between Jones and his estranged parents.

    Rebellious from the off, Jones was expelled from two schools, had a string of girlfriends, was only really interested in jazz and blues, and was kicked out his family home aged 17.

    Growing up in post-war Britain, his conventional middle-class parents believed in discipline, manners and hard work, which made Jones rebel even more.

    The good-looking blonde youth was popular with the opposite sex, but had a nasty habit of getting girls pregnant and then moving on to the next one.

    This selfish side to Jones extended to his bandmates, who described him as being musically gifted but prone to mood swings, jealousy and bouts of cruelty.

    There’s some excellent footage of the early Stones, which under the leadership of Jones was a hard-rockin’ rhythm and blues outfit, aping the sounds of Elmore James, Muddy Waters and Bo Diddley.

    With his classic teardrop guitar and iconic hair style, an energetic Jones leads The Stones through early classics like Not Fade Away. 

    But then Mick Jagger and Keith Richards began writing songs and the power dynamic shifted, sparking jealousy, insecurity and ultimately paranoia from Jones.

    The rest of the documentary details how Jones’ musical prowess waned as he was consumed by drugs and alcohol and became a libertine dandy in the Swinging Sixties, thanks to the influence of then-girlfriend Anita Pallenberg.

    It’s a sad tale and as Charlie Watts noted, Jones wasn’t robust enough mentally or physically to cope with vast amounts of alcohol and drugs.  

    Towards the end of his tenure with The Stones, he was almost a zombie and incapable of doing anything at sessions, with the band unplugging his amp so it wouldn’t be recorded.

    But amidst the decline, there’s some great cameos from the multi-instrumentalist – Jones contributed the sitar part to Paint it Black and the flute on Ruby Tuesday.

    These little flourishes gave the music an exotic twist outside the confines of blues and rock, and there is whole raft of fans who think The Jones-era of The Stones was the best, his fey sensitive adding an extra dimension.

    The film is well structured and entertaining, but it doesn’t really answer why Jones was so insecure?

    There’s a brief mention of his short height (1.68m) and his strict parents who didn’t show him much outwardly love (but wasn’t that the norm in post-war England?) so at times it’s hard to feel sympathy for someone who was so self-destructive, despite having the world at his feet.

    Jones died three weeks after being chucked out The Rolling Stones on July 3, 1969.

    Over the years some of The Stones have admitted to feeling guilty about it, while others have said his behaviour was so out there they had no choice, and they were young at the time and didn’t know what to do (drug rehabilitation programmes were not commonplace back then).

    Ultimately, maybe Brian Jones was destined to burn brightly and not fade away.

    The Stones and Brian Jones is showing as part of The British Film Festival at Luna Leederville on November 21/26/30. 

    by STEPHEN POLLOCK

  • Top character

    Top character

    THE Voice is a sucker for tuck-pointed brickwork.

    It looks classy and adds real character and prestige to a home.

    This three bedroom one bathroom home in Maylands has some lovely tuck-pointing on its facade.

    The sense of style continues inside this circa 1915 home, which has loads of heritage features including jarrah floorboards, ceiling roses, sash windows, picture rails and a vintage fireplace.

    There’s a nice blend of smooth surfaces and exposed brickwork, creating a variety of textures and colours.

    This is most evident in the lounge, which has a beautiful period fireplace with a large wooden mantel.

    One wall is exposed brickwork, giving the room a feeling of space and depth.

    Completing the pretty picture is a sliding glass barn door, allowing you to maximise the space.

    The newly renovated kitchen is another high point with the cooker tucked away in a stylish brick recess and a chic pendant light dangling from the ceiling.

    There’s lots of natural light and it feels bright and spacious with the air of a farmhouse scullery.

    The bedrooms continue the stylish theme with the main featuring high ceilings and large built-in robes.

    The Voice really likes the bathroom – it’s got a mix of art deco-style tiles and white subway tiles with a little splash of olive green to break things up.

    It feels stately and modern all at the same time. 

    The cute back yard is low maintenance with a little lawn and an elevated patio where the owners have put some tables and chairs for Sunday morning coffee.

    The surprise package of this house is the large 12sqm attic, giving you heaps of storage space.

    The home includes north-facing rear garden, rear storage shed, alarm, reticulation front and rear gardens, and rear visitor parking.

    Situated on Peninsula Road, it’s close to all the delights of the Swan River and Bardon Park, and the shops, cafes and small bars on Eighth Avenue aren’t that much further away.

    This is a delightful Maylands home with lots of character.

    Offers starting in the high
    $800,000s
    156 Peninsula Road, Maylands
    Beaucott Property 9272 2488
    Agents Aaron Storey
    0417 931 604
    Emma Proud
    0412 499 568