Perth Voice Interactive

JAPANESE botany could be front and centre of a plan to transform Perth’s verges into mini forests.

Murdoch University research fellow Grey Coupland is an expert in Miyawaki forest revegetation and will be keynote speaker at an Urban Bushland information night in White Gum Valley next month. 

The Miyawaki method, which was developed in Japan by botanist Akira Miyawaki, is based on the remnant patches of sacred forest around Japanese temples, and recognised as a solution to urban greening efforts in Australia. 

An “intensive” revegetation process, it comprises three key components, according to Dr Coupland. 

Botanical

The first and “most important” step is to plant native species, tailored specifically by an intensive botanical survey of nearby vegetation to identify which plants are most suitable to the location. 

“The aim is to identify what would have been growing on the site before the site was cleared.” 

Secondly, the vegetation’s soil is subject to “intensive remediation” to reinvigorate as it is “often devoid of life” after urban development. 

Finally, the native shrubs are planted at a high density, with around 30 different locally native species in a space between three and five square metres. 

It’s an “ideal solution” for the environmental impacts of Perth’s urban sprawl, Dr Coupland says.

“We have really poor housing development design where we’re clearing vast swathes of landscape putting the houses in at really high density with very little space for green. 

“All these things are making cities more difficult for humans to live with the organisms we share the planet with.”

With a maturation rate of between 10 and 20 years, the Miyawaki method has a “remarkable” capacity to boost Perth’s urban vegetation which is under threat from both climate change, lack of regulation, infill, and the widespread effects of the polyphagous shot-hole borer. 

“It’s potentially a very good option for urban areas where we need to increase canopy cover quickly,” Dr Coupland said. 

“If you get a mature forest quickly, you can provide habitat quickly, so the biodiversity in the area can increase as well.

“We also need to consider not removing the native vegetation that we’ve got in place, and stop clear felling all the areas of land, because keeping the original vegetation should be the first priority.” 

Valley Verges member David Broun says the Miyawaki method touted by Dr Coupland directly addresses the need for fauna habitat in a city with such a large urban sprawl like Perth. 

“We have cleared large areas of land to for houses and development and a lot of the species of birds and animals that used to live here have a greatly reduced habitat,” Mr Broun said. 

“By growing these pocket forests, we’re providing more habitat for those birds and insects to live.” 

Benefits

There are a range of additional benefits to increased urban woodland, according to Mr Broun, which will be discussed at the Urban Bushland talk. 

“In Perth, we have quite a high rate of things like roads, car parks, houses, and buildings attract and retain heat from the sun, which makes our urban environment much hotter than it otherwise would be,” he said. 

“When we grow these areas of bush, we’re providing shade and reducing what’s called the urban heat island effect, making our suburbs quite dramatically cooler.

“By increasing areas of bushland and urban areas and having access to nature, we’re also making that easier for everyone as a whole range of social and mental health benefits.” 

The Urban Bush talk featuring Dr Coupland will be happening at Sullivan Hall in White Gum Valley on Thursday, October 3 at 6.30pm.

by KATHERINE KRAAYVANGER

CHILDCARE operators could be invited to put in bids to build and run an out-of-school-hours facility on Gibbney Reserve in the latest bid to find a solution to a chronic shortage of places in Maylands.

Councillor Nat Latter has put forward a motion for Bayswater council to support a lease on the reserve for a purpose-built childcare facility, following unsuccessful attempts to wrest an existing pavilion from Football West.

The issue has been kicked along by the Maylands Peninsula Primary School and its P&C for almost five years, as the school’s growth has far outstripped the number of childcare places available in the suburb.

Cr Latter says it has become a gender equity issue, as the majority of parents affected by the shortage are mothers whose hopes of returning to the workforce are being dashed.

“I can’t speak for everyone, but I think we already know that women experience disproportionate disadvantage in the workplace because of career disruption, and this just adds to it,” Cr Latter said.

“Even for parents who have secured a place, but aren’t able to get every day they need, it’s like the sands are constantly shifting.”

Council staff have identified two sites on the reserve close to the primary school which currently have no infrastructure on them; directly behind the pavilion and next to the reserve’s practice nets.

Maylands mother-of-four Star Gianetti is one of the parents affected by the childcare shortage; in a deputation to this week’s council agenda briefing, she outlined the extraordinary efforts she’s been forced into to find a solution.

“I am looking at work opportunities… but before I can look for an actual job, I need to secure childcare and afterschool care for my children, so I am able to make it compatible with the work I then seek,” the mother-of-four wrote.

Work

“This has proven to be very difficult.”

After speaking to principal Paul Andrijich, she offered to buy a demountable building and run an after-school facility on the school’s grounds herself.

“The education department have outlined that this is not possible for a variety of ownership and leasing reasons,” she said, adding Mr Andrijich had also indicated he was already squeezed for space because student numbers had grown from 470 to 730 over the last decade or so.

“I attempted to find a property nearby with the right characteristics for a centre to meet the required indoor and outdoor play areas per child,” Ms Gianetti said.

“There are no commercial childcare facility-approved locations available in the suburb.

“The instrumental school on Peninsula Road are also at capacity and are not allowing leasing of their buildings for external parties any more.

“The only building they can offer is heritage listed, full of white ants and any works done on it would be undertaken under the ownership of the education department anyway – another dead end.

“I have rung and written to the council about the use of the creche and sporting facilities at The Rise, but I have not been contacted back as yet.

“I have been unable to lock this down in any way, it is significantly more challenging than I thought it would be or than it should be.

“No wonder no one does it.”

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the national average for using out of school facilities is 37 per cent of all school-based students – and it’s even higher for inner-city areas.

Maylands Peninsula sits at just 6 per cent.

“On current numbers and basing it on a conservative estimate of 30 per cent of the school population needing out of school care for their children, we would require 219 active places in total,” she said.

“We have 50 available right now and the waitlists are long.”

Cr Latter couldn’t put a timeline on when a facility might open if her motion is successful at this week’s full council meeting, saying it might require an amendment to the proposed sites’ zoning because it doesn’t currently support childcare.

But she’s hopeful the purpose-built facility will get support from her colleagues, as it gets around one of the main objections of handing a sporting facility to a childcare operator.

by STEVE GRANT

VINCENT council says a public artwork celebrating an important Indigenous institution should be repaired in the “coming weeks” after it was targeted by a graffiti vandal.

The artwork in Weld Square is based on the little-known story of the Coolbaroo League Social Club, which formed in 1946 and offered Indigenous people an opportunity to gather at a time they were banned from entering Perth without a “native pass”.

The club operated in several locations, but its most familiar was on Newcastle Street, right on the border of the forbidden zone.

While it was a social club, it also had an important role in improving civil rights for Indigenous people who had limited access to health and education.

The name means magpie, and was chosen because it signified black and white coming together.

Adding to the artwork’s lack of gleam at the moment is staining from the bore water used to irrigate the square.

Acting Vincent CEO Peter Varris said they were aware of the graffiti and stains.

“We are working with contractors to clean the artworks, which will include removing the bore water stains and the graffiti,” Mr Varris said.

“As part of our graffiti removal service, we will remove tags as soon as they are reported.

“This work is in progress and should be complete in the coming weeks,” Mr Varris told the Voice.

by STEVE GRANT

UNHOSTED short-term rentals will only be able to operate 90 days each year without council approval under new rules introduced by the Cook government.

The amendments to the regulations are an attempt to sort out the sector following a decade-long debate between those concerned about long-term rental shortages and disrupted neighbourhoods and those who feel owners should have more rights over what they do with their properties.

Fines

As far back as 2015 Bayswater council tried to rein in short-termers, but some councillors baulked at the $200,000 fines flagged for operators who didn’t have council approval.

“Do we have a right to regulate this, and put these onerous requirements on people sub-letting a room,” former Bayswater councillor Brent Fleeton said at the time.

Then in 2017 Stirling also tried to curb short-term rentals amidst a storm of media stories about thugs who were hiring unhosted homes for raucous parties.

But it was blocked by the state’s planning department which had plans for an inquiry the following year. The inquiry led to the introduction last November of $5000 incentives for landlords to put properties back on the long-term rental market, and the new rules announced this week.

Under the new rules, hosted short-term accommodation won’t need planning approval and all operators will have to register with the state government.

Ultimately that will cost them $250, but a free grace period has been extended to December 1 to encourage more to sign up.

Planning minister John Carey says the new regulations bring “clarity” to councils on how short-term rental accommodation is defined and how they should be regarded in planning processes.

“Importantly, these reforms will enable local governments to commence amendments to their local planning schemes,” Mr Carey said.

“Introducing STRA as a dedicated land use will also provide transparency and certainty to communities on where short-term rental accommodation may be permitted in their neighbourhoods.”

by STEVE GRANT

BACK in 1987 when Limbo Dance Club opened its doors at 232 William Street, few might have predicted the lasting influence the nightclub and its band of small but diehard devotees would have on Perth.

The bush doofs and raves that to this day get under WA Police’s skin all have their genesis in the underground house scene Limbos introduced to Perth teens; its first resident DJ Roy ‘The Boy’ Jopson is credited with holding the city’s first illegal warehouse party.

These days the parties come pre-approved, while superannuation nest eggs are more likely occupying the minds of those early ravers than teen angst, but the desire to relive the ‘Second Summer of Love’ still burns hard, says Limbos aficionado Chris Peers.

He’s organising a Limbos reunion at The Rechabite tomorrow (Sunday September 22) as co-administrator of the Facebook group Limbo Social Club.

“Well, it’s been 12 years since the last one and we could feel the sense of energy – people were crying out for it,” Mr Peers says.

“The vibe was there.”

He says while other nightclubs have been holding more regular reunions, Limbos held a special place in Perth’s nightclub history; it was where everyone ended up after 2.30am when other clubs lost their oomph.

“We wanted to pay tribute to what the venue meant to people and its importance as a meeting place,” he says.

Although the first iteration of Limbos followed the formula of many of Perth’s original nightclubs, such as Pinocchios, DCs or the Red Parrot, it was the first to pick up on 1988s ‘Second Summer of Love’ which was roaring out of London on an ecstasy-fuelled jet pack, and soon Limbo’s DJs were pumping out house music in marathon sets.

Mr Peers says those who were there look back on the times with great regard.

“The togetherness, the peace and love, and first and foremost – the music.”

The reunion will feature some of Limbo’s early resident DJs, including Adil Bus, Colin Clark and Dave Jackson, and Mr Peers says it will be a bit of a homage to Jopson, who died in 2004.

Remarkably, the organisers have tracked down extensive photographs and film clips from inside the club, which they’ll be projecting around The Rechabite to help the ravers relive the glory days.

The reunion party runs from 5pm to the not-so-underground-sounding midnight, with tickets available from Megaton.

by STEVE GRANT

MORE Bayswater residents are asking for a verge tree, as the City tries to combat the loss of its green canopy to infill.

Bayswater council has just finished a bumper winter planting season, with more than 50,000 trees and shrubs finding their way onto verges, parks and reserves.

Acting mayor Elli Petersen-Pik said the community was passionate about trees and encouraged residents to continue to work with the City to help improve canopy cover.

Winter

“Of the trees planted on verges this winter, 263 were in response to requests from residents, which is an increase on last year,” he said.

“I encourage residents who are keen to receive a free street tree on their verge next winter to request one now through the City’s website: bayswater.wa.gov.au/streettrees.”

Bayswater also introduced mandatory tree planting along key routes to schools as part of the Safe Routes to School program.

“By providing more shade on our footpaths, this initiative aims to create more walkable and cyclable routes for children and their carers, while also enhancing the aesthetics of our streetscapes and increasing our tree canopy,” Cr Petersen-Pik said.

“Encouraging more families to choose a healthier way to get to school will also reduce car parking pressures around schools and traffic congestion during drop off and pick up.

“This planting season, we’ve seen 131 trees planted along identified routes to Bayswater Primary School and Maylands Peninsula Primary School.

“The City aims to roll out the program across all schools within the City, so we’ll be undertaking the same process, identifying pathways to schools that could benefit from tree planting and other upgrades.”

Cr Petersen-Pik said the hottest and driest summer on record had undoubtedly

impacted trees not just in the City but all around Perth.

“This year, we have increased the watering of mature trees that are struggling due to the conditions being experienced across the state,” he said.

“The City will also continue to trial more drought-resistant species in an effort to combat the effects of climate change, and look into ways to improve our tree care practices.”

WA is well-placed to cash in on a renewed interest in getting outdoors, but needs more qualified leaders to help the sector reach its potential, says the peak organisation representing educators, adventure tourism and recreation operators.

Crawley-based Outdoors WA released a report this week that pulled together decades of research into the benefits of getting people into nature, from making locals happier and healthier through to cashing in on international demand for adventure tourism.

Outdoors WA CEO Neil Le Febvre said WA’s natural landscape and plentiful parks were the perfect location for people of all ages and abilities to get outdoors and boost their wellbeing.

“The outdoors helps reduce the risk of chronic disease and plays an important role in positive physical wellbeing and mental health, no matter your age. Spending just two hours a week in nature is the optimum time to significantly improve your mental health and reduce the likelihood of developing chronic disease. 

“So many people are struggling with their mental health – getting outdoors is a positive, relatively easy and cost-free way to spend time in nature and get a shot of positive.”

The Outdoors WA report found that the outdoor industry in WA generated almost the same benefits to the state’s economy as fishing, but employed almost three times as many people.

Following Covid there’d been a big boost in people getting involved in outdoor participation, and with more older Australians keen to improve their wellbeing (and time on the planet), nature-based recreation was actually growing at a faster rate than organised sport.

There could also be major tourism benefits.

“Travellers are ready to live life to the fullest once again after having been left feeling frustrated, socially isolated and disconnected from nature during the pandemic,” the report found.

“Forecasted megatrends include ocean swimming, bushwalking and adventure racing.

“We’ve already seen it happen with world-wide explosion in mountain biking and the massive jump in bike sales. 

“Our trails, waters, forests, skies and lands are perfect for outdoor adventures and offer an opportunity to connect with an ancient culture.”

But Outdoor WA warns WA is lagging behind other states in providing opportunities to study outdoor education and called on the state and federal governments to work with the sector to develop ATAR and VET options through high schools and Tafe.

by STEVE GRANT