Perth Voice Interactive

THE notorious Bayswater rail bridge will be raised by one metre to stop trucks getting jammed underneath it.

The alteration is part of a $146 million state government project that will overhaul the Bayswater train station.

Metronet

Under the over-arching Metronet strategy, the station will be turned into a hub connecting the Forrestfield-Airport link and the Morley-Ellenbrook line.

The 3.8m King William Street bridge is regularly hit by trucks, with a local website that tracks accidents listing 11 so far this year.

Premier Mark McGowan described the bridge as “notorious” and said it “has trapped at least 20 trucks since I have been premier”.

Sinking the line was ruled out as too costly by the state government in April, which also baulked at closing the station for a year.

There’ll be more open space around the bridge, with a second public space planned for the intersection of Whatley Crescent and Hamilton Street.

“Along with creating a junction for our new Metronet lines, it will pump vibrancy and activity into the Bayswater town centre to support more jobs and local businesses,” Mr McGowan said.

Bayswater mayor Dan Bull said the city was “delighted” by the concept plans.

“The city hopes to work with the state government to minimise the impact on businesses during the construction phase by addressing parking needs and enticing visitors to the town centre through events and other placemaking initiatives,”Mr Bull said.

Impact

The state government hopes to award the contract and start construction in late 2019, with completion scheduled for 2021.

There are info drop-in sessions planned for December 11 at the Bayswater Seniors Centre (27 King William Street) at 5pm and another on January 19 at 9am at Bayswater primary school.

by DAVID BELL

CALLING all inspiring (or aspiring) wordsmiths, bards and poets – we want to hear from you.

In January next year the Perth Voice is opening up its pages to local writers who’ve got something to say.

Tell us about the highs and lows of your neighbourhood, who the hard-working champions were that inspired you, and where you see your neighbourhood going next year.

Whip out a quick, cracking tale – fact or fiction. We want to see your furtive imagination at hard work and hear about the quirky happenings around town that might not have made it into the paper first time around.

And lastly, everyone loves a good laugh, so if you’re a budding Ben Elton with a witty bent give us your best short story based around where you live, your favourite Chook and what you like to do with newspapers.

Selfies

Feel free to dress up your stories with artworks, photos or selfies (that’s a headshot for oldies).

There’s two $50 prizes up for grabs each week, plus a grand prize of $200 for the best article or artwork over the holiday period.

The rules are simple: Keep it clean and don’t be mean (we’d hate to wake the lawyers from their post-Christmas snooze), and keep it short and sweet (up to 500 words).

Send your articles, photos or artwork in to news@perthvoice.com.au including your name, address, phone number and email address as soon as possible, and no later than Wednesday December 17, 2019.

There’s no limit on entries.

BAYSWATER council is set to crack down on sloppy business owners who have turned the Baysy industrial estate into a junkyard.

In recent years a few bad apples have left parts of the district looking like a Mad Max set with tons of car wrecks strewn across verges.

In the first seven months of this year, rangers attended to 267 complaints in the industrial zone that flanks the Tonkin Highway.

The estate is such an eyesore the city is looking at spending $103,000 on an enforcement blitzkrieg.

Beleaguered locals told the Voice the problem’s dragged on for years and they’re unimpressed with the lack of action to date, but they’ll have to wait until at least July next year, when funding for the clampdown is considered in the 2019/20 budget.

Dodgy

Meanwhile, dodgy auto businesses will continue to leave the verge chockers with unregistered cars with no number plates.

A staff report to Bayswater councillors in August said businesses take advantage of a rule requiring 24 hours’ notice before an infringement is issued for an abandoned car.

Bayswater mayor Dan Bull moved a notice of motion in August calling for improvements, writing to the 810 property owners in the estate notifying them of an “increased enforcement regime” to clean the streets of garbage and junked cars.

Cr Bull also politely asked if any of the business owners would be willing to have a tree planted to make the area look nicer.

It’s unlikely many people will agree to the tree: When the council wrote to Noranda residents offering a free tree on the verge, 80 per cent said “no thanks”.

The report on dumping told councillors staff “anticipate that this percentage would be even higher throughout the Bayswater industrial area,” recommending they enforce tree plantings on the council-owned land.

Councillors voted not to compulsorily plant trees at Tuesday night’s meeting.

Cr Bull says they want to instead partner with the business owners to improve the area and not just play the enforcer: “We want more trees, but we also want it to be a partnership. We don’t want to just force trees on them.”

There are a few options on the table including spending $103,000 on hiring two additional full time rangers and one admin staffer to blitz the area for three months.

Number of complaints to Bayswater city council about dumping in the industrial estate from January-July this year:
• 133 for vehicles blocking verges and driveways
• 30 for rubbish dumping
• 27 for roaming animals
• 50 for graffiti, vandalism and assorted damage

by DAVID BELL

MENORA residents can expect a rate hike after a cost blow-out in upgrading the suburb with underground power.

Unexpected changes to Western Power’s code of practice jacked up equipment and labour costs, adding $680,000 to the cost of the project.

Stirling had agreed to foot 60 per cent of the bill, meaning Menora ratepayers will have to cover $400,000.

But all ratepayers will feel the pinch, with council-owned buildings in Menora accounting for an extra $17,000.

When the state finance department wrote to Menora householders about the project in 2016, it initially estimated they each household would have to pay an average of about $8000.  That was revised to $7000 in rates notices issued in July, before residents were informed of the cost blow-out.

by SEAN HILL

A PETITION to save Maylands Waterland has been signed by 2700 people in its first week.

In July a divided Bayswater council voted to give themselves four months to find $3.2 million in external funding to refurbish the ageing waterpark or close it down.

They can’t get the cash and the quaint waterpark, popular with locals, is set to go down the gurgler.

Mayor Dan Bull said at the time of the vote the council simply couldn’t afford to upgrade Waterland.

“It would mean increasing rates by at least seven per cent,” Cr Bull said.

Conscience

“I could not in good conscience agree to that sort of increase”.

South ward councillors Elli Petersen-Pik and Catherine Ehrhardt wanted to keep the quaint waterpark, and along with Filomena Piffaretti they voted against the “find a grant or close it down” plan.

Cr Bull says they’ve left no stone unturned, but haven’t been able to secure external funding.

“We promised the community we would explore all funding options available and have worked tirelessly to honour that commitment,” Cr Bull said.

“Council officers have met with senator Dean Smith, a senior advisor to senator Bridget McKenzie, Lisa Baker MLA, Donna Faragher MLC along with representatives from Lotterywest and the Department of Sport and Cultural Industries in an effort to secure funding.

“Financial support for the refurbishment of Maylands Waterland has also been sought from the private sector, philanthropists and water park operators, without success.

“I am disappointed to report that, despite our best efforts to-date, the city has been unable to secure funding for the refurbishment of Maylands Waterland.”

There’s one hail mary possibility: They still haven’t heard back from the local government department about a possible sport and recreation grant.

The change.org petition “Postpone the demolition” was started by the Friends of Maylands Waterland and the Maylands Residents and Ratepayers Association.

It’s called on the council to “postpone any closure of the facility until after the next state government election,” expected March 2021, to allow more time to seek external funds.

Cr Bull says “waiting a number of years to redevelop the facility is not an option. The facilities’ pools are deteriorating and no longer meet modern standards.

“In its current state there is a risk the facility will simply fail – this will lead to its immediate closure or significantly increased operational costs just to keep it open.

“We took a serious look at the financial viability of the project in the context of the 2018/19 budget. The truth is we simply can’t afford it.”

Cr Petersen-Pik’s urged people to sign the petition and vote with their feet: “The Waterland is now open for this season, and as decisions currently stand, this might be the facility’s last season,” he said.

“Attendance figures are always a crucial factor in determining if there is adequate justification to invest money in facilities, so bring along your families and friends.”

by DAVID BELL

ERIC Singleton Bird Sanctuary in Bayswater is safe from developers after being rezoned from “urban” to “parks and recreation” by the state government.

No development was earmarked for the sanctuary, which underwent an award-winning restoration in 2015, but the rezoning closes any planning loop holes.

The move comes after the state government and Bayswater council split the cost of purchasing the neighbouring “Carter’s Wetland”, ensuring that wouldn’t be developed.

The block just south of the wetland, owned by the prominent D’Orazio family, will become a 23-lot Iterno housing development, despite significant local opposition.

“WHY’S the big blue head yellow?” is the question on the lips of Vincent locals.

Turns out the sculpture in front of council offices has been painted yellow to celebrate the launch of the city’s outdoor events season.

Mayor Emma Cole says: “We host so many fantastic and free outdoor events in Vincent during the warmer months, so we’ve given Beseech, also known as the Big Blue Head, a yellow, sunny makeover to celebrate and promote this to our community.”

The full list of what’s on is at events.wa.gov.au but there’s about 50 events including February’s LeedyPalooza street party and next weekend’s Hyde Park Carols by Candlelight on December 14.

There’s also a bunch of free outdoor sunset movies in local parks.

Ms Cole says they got approval from Beseech artist Ken Sealey before giving it a lemony makeover and a splash of sunscreen.

The head’s previously been rugged up for the 2017 winter with a beanie and scarf made by guerilla knitters from the North Perth Knit Natter and Crochet group.

The big blue head ending up on the corner of Loftus and Vincent Streets back in 2013 was a happy accident.

It was commissioned as part of the council’s “per cent for art” scheme which calls for developers to pay one per cent of the overall project cost for a piece of public art.

It would’ve gone up on an office block on Charles Street, but the owner didn’t like the design.

Never one to miss an opportunity for a pithy soundbite, then-mayor Alannah MacTiernan had said the council location was perfect as developers often came to beseech councillors for approval.

by DAVID BELL

A HISTORIC glory hole has been accepted into the WA Museum’s collection as a significant object in Perth’s LGBTI history.

The hole had been cut through the door of a car park toilet block on the Albany Highway-side of the Gosnells train station and was used by gay men for covert sex and to find boyfriends back when being queer carried a nasty stigma.

Glory holes were also used by men who hid their sexuality behind a traditional marriage, and men who didn’t identify as gay but got off on the anonymity and detachment of sex through a hole.

Neil Buckley, aka Mother Gretta from gay activist group Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, saved the door with friend Bill Martin in 1997, shortly before the toilet block was demolished.

Gay beats

Mr Buckley had featured the door in a short film he’d made that year titled The Other Side of Glory, exploring the culture surrounding gay beats.

Mr Buckley said the door was an important part of a social history that is disappearing in the digital age.

“I am sure this exhibit will bring back a lot of fond memories for many of the men who used beat culture as a way to meet other gay men to form a friendship, partnerships and a quickie.

“It was a lot of fun and a thrill too,” Mr Buckley said.

“Beats were an important part of gay social life and culture: they were a great place to meet, make friends and have a great anonymous sexual experience.

“Beat culture is not often talked about, but most of the gay community has done it at one time or another. Sadly this culture has now disappeared with the installation of automated toilet cubes and gay pick up apps like Grindr [and] Scruff.”

Cultural

WA Museum’s head of the history department Stephen Anstey says the museum is committed to representing the multiplicity of WA’s social and cultural experiences, including items that share stories from WA’s LGBTI community.

“We are very pleased to have received the door from Neil Buckley and believe it represents an important part of Perth’s social history.”

“Our collections also aim to reflect contemporary issues in the diverse communities of Western Australia. With this in mind the Museum’s history department has collected a range of items such as T shirts, posters and banners from both sides of the recent marriage equality referendum.”

The toilet door went through the museum’s acquisition’s committee before being accepted and will now be put through a rigorous process of cataloguing its physical condition, function and significance before it goes into the storeroom or onto display.

by DAVID BELL