Perth Voice Interactive

Perth MP gets security stitch

October 20, 2017

WHEN John Carey’s neighbours saw a car stopped outside the MPs house and someone furtively taking pictures of his property, they got suspicious.

It had been a rough election campaign back in March with a few smears thrown about, and before that a couple of people unhappy with Vincent council decisions had harangued him for months, so he had some cause for concern.

Then his dogwalker had also seen someone scoping out his house, and they’d managed to snap a pic of the car’s number plate.

“I talked to other MPs, and they said ‘you should report it,” he says. “They said ‘just do it as a precaution’.”

He informed the State Security Unit, a branch of the premier’s department that oversees MP safety.

They looked up the address and tracked the suspicious car, only to find it belonged to a local knitter who was planning a surprise yarnbombing on the tree outside Mr Carey’s house.

Dianne Birt from the local group North Perth Knit, Natter, Crochet and Craft had planned to surprise Mr Carey with a yarn installation.

• Rosie Bell and Dianne Birt putting together a “surprise” instalment on John Carey’s tree. Photo by David Bell

He’d helped the group to get their massive yarn installation on the Big Blue Head outside of Vincent council house, and then back in August he’d mentioned on the group’s Facebook page that he loved a photo of a tree that’d been yarned with a rainbow-coloured spiderweb.

A fan of both marriage equality and Halloween (he hosts a huge annual party for it), he posted: “Love this! My tree outside my house please!”

Almost two months later he’d forgotten about it, until the business with the suspicious photography.

Ms Birt gave him a call saying “I’m sorry! It was me!” and letting him know the SSU had come knocking on her door.

She’d needed to get precise measurements for the tree to put up the webbing: it needs to be as well fitted as a tailored suit, taking into account differing thicknesses of the tree along the trunk and accounting for old knobbly bits, otherwise it’ll sag like loose socks.

Now that the tree’s up just in time for Halloween (and that plebiscite) Mr Carey says, “I love this!”

Ms Birt says she loves brightening up streets and adding a bit of whimsy to the neighbourhood.

“I have an illness that keeps me housebound, and one of the ways I’ve broken out of that is social media, and it was through Facebook that I started up the North Perth Knit, Natter, Crochet and Craft group”.

It’s helped her get out of the house, with other members happy to give her a ride to scout out a location or install one of the group’s projects.

The group’s Facebook page is at http://www.facebook.com/groups/npknc and they meet every second Friday at the City of Vincent library for a catch up and craft session.

by DAVID BELL
LETTERS 21.10.17

October 20, 2017

State of affairs
IN reverend David Seccombe’s Speaker’s Corner (“No equality in same-sex vows”, Voice, October 14, 2017) he articulates a Christian case against changing Australia’s marriage law.
I would like to respond.
What reverend Seccombe doesn’t address is that the subject matter of the current survey is not what marriages should be performed in a church but, rather, what marriages should be recognised at law.
This is not a church matter, but a state matter.
It is a long held principle that the state should not make rules for the church.
Equally, however, the church should not make rules for the state.
The state has long enacted legislation that reflects developments in secular civil thinking without impacting on differing church teachings or practice.
The decriminalisation of homosexuality has not impacted on the freedom of some Christians to continue to hold that same-sex intercourse is a sin; sex discrimination legislation has not forced the Catholic church to ordain women.
Similarly, the recognition at law by the state of same-sex marriages will not require churches to perform or recognise those marriages.
The reverend points out that marriages have been taking place in churches long before the Commonwealth of Australia started making laws.
That is not to say, however, that church marriages have gone unchanged in that time.
The Anglican reverend’s own church was established to allow a divorcee to remarry; something the Catholic church does still not do.
The Catholic church would not recognise the remarriage of a divorcee.
The state, however, having made its own rules, does.
The two exist, side by side, without the enforcement and suppression of dissent that the reverend Seccombe claims will follow the current proposed change in the law.
The reverend’s piece also implies that when society moves away from a morality informed by Christian teaching, it ditches morality altogether.
Religion and morality, however, are not the same thing.
One does not have to be religious in order to be moral.
One could go on to question what moral authority Christian churches have these days following the child abuse cover ups and current domestic violence scandals now confronting Christian churches of several denominations.
So, by all means, warn us.
That is the church’s prerogative and nothing should restrict it.
But nor should the beliefs of some restrict what laws a secular state may, by consensus, enact.
If society wants this change in the law, it is not the church’s place to obstruct.
David Sheen
Robinson Avenue, Perth

Hotel fears
RESIDENTS living in the vicinity of a proposed new building at 180 Bennett St, East Perth, received notification of the proposed building plans being submitted to council.
The letter was dated August 8, 2017, but, thanks to our postal service, took a while to be delivered.
Consequently, only a relatively short time was available for submissions to the Perth city council, as they had to be presented by 25th August.
The application cited in the letter to residents was for a 14-storey residential hotel.
The application, approved subject to a number of provisions (none of which allay the main concerns of local residents) by an “absolute majority” of the council, was for a 16-storey residential hotel, with 85 hotel rooms, a restaurant and bar, and no provision for off-street parking.
This hotel will be built on a relatively narrow block, and will be about 10 storeys higher than every other building in the vicinity.
It will stick out like the proverbial ‘sore thumb’.
So, why do we have the building regulations, precinct plans and design policies below?
• 4.4 Building Design (Context) Unsympathetic contrasts of scale and materials relative to adjoining buildings should be avoided.
• Residential/Commercial Development: this type of development should contain a mix of residential and commercial uses.
Building design should be complementary to surrounding residential development in terms of scale and design.
• The above policy states that buildings around Wellington Square have ‘a continuous edge of appropriately scaled peripheral buildings of relatively consistent height, abutting the front boundaries of their sites’.
Although they state “abutting the front boundary…”, the set-back towering construction on this particular block is going to stick out in a very obvious fashion, and will certainly not be complementary to surrounding developments, but will be an eyesore!
Rosanne Gresser
Wickham Street, East Perth

A bridge too far
REGARDING the Burswood Bridge, has any person been made accountable for the stuff up, of what should have been a simple pedestrian bridge over the river?
It is great to see a bridge or building that is pleasing to the eye, but it must also be practical.
A good concrete bridge such as The Narrows Bridge would have been adequate, with maybe a fancy railing to brighten it up.
The bridge should have been designed strong and wide enough for emergency vehicles should the occasion arise.
Part of the bridge should be covered, with the west side glassed in.
I am sure this type of bridge would not have cost anywhere near what the bridge is costing now.
The bridge would have been finished now.
Frank Granger.
Melville Beach Road,
Applecross
Hidden gem

October 20, 2017

WE’VE been missing out on Food Monkey Cafe.

I’m not sure how this little gem near the corner of Lake and Newcastle Streets in Northbridge has escaped us, but so far I’m the first Voice journo to drop in.

The weather was bordering on miserable and the indoor seating looked, from the street, to be an office next door, so I almost bypassed it again.

I’m so glad I didn’t.

Given the weather and being a Tuesday, there wasn’t a great deal in the display cabinet, but the specials menu promised Asian vegies and noodles topped with a fried egg, which seemed a good tonic for the chill.

And from the first mouthful it lived up to its promise; it was very special indeed.

The soy-based sauce could have plonked it in the wok of any great street vendor in China, as did the perfectly-cooked egg noodles.

Roasted eggplant added a nice twist and creaminess to the dish, as well as complementing the texture of the noodles to ensure it slid down oh-so-easy.

The remaining vegies were lovely and fresh, and the egg fried to perfection.

It was the perfect lunch size and at $14.50 excellent value.

I slipped in a mango smoothie ($6.95) in the hope it would summon some warm weather.

It didn’t, but it was sweet and creamy enough to lift my mood anyway.

A small sweet from the display cabinet ($4) was a little disappointing, as it had clearly passed its best days, but it wasn’t much of a damper on an otherwise excellent meal.

Food monkey is also a ripper at breakfasts, I hear.

By STEVE GRANT

Food Monkey Cafe
101-103 Lake Street,
Northbridge
Mon – Fri, 6am – 2.30pm
Sat, Sun 7am – 12pm
Ex-premier fights mine

October 20, 2017

FORMER WA premier Carmen Lawrence will be guest speaker at the Perth screening of the award-winning documentary Chasing Coral on November 2.

The screening is part of the campaign opposing the proposed Carmichael coal mine, to be operated by multinational Adani, on the north Queensland coast.

There are fears The Great Barrier Reef could be damaged and suffer further “coral bleaching”, an effect of climate change, if the coal mine goes ahead.

Professor Lawrence says she’s not surprised that a lot of Perth locals are campaigning against the mine, because “with climate change, there are no boundaries”.

About 300 people protested at a Stop Adani rally at Cottesloe beach on October 7, coinciding with events around the country.

• The Sundance award-winning film Chasing Coral investigates reefs killed off by climate change. Photo by Exposure Labs

“We’re talking about a global battle, and everyone in Australia should be alarmed about this proposal,” Professor Lawrence told us.

“We’d be destroying one of the world’s natural wonders in exchange for a pollution coal mine whose proponent has been fined for pollution even in India, where it’s really hard to get that done.

“And the amount of employment, which they claim to care about in Australia, which is generated by a mine of that size is tiny compared to the amount that would be lost by the tourism operators and small businesses that rely on the Great Barrier Reef for their livelihood.”

The federal government is considering loaning a billion dollars of taxpayers’ money to the Adani Group to get the mine started.

Oil spill

The Indian multinational has argued the mine will export coal that’ll help bring electricity to India’s poor to help them out of “energy poverty”, as about 300million people living there have no electricity.

Professor Lawrence says the international community is “not buying the line that this is good for the poor of India…the Indian government itself is now moving away from coal because of the serious health effects of pollution.”

She says Adani was fined when one of its ships sank off the Mumbai coast, causing an oil and coal spill, and it was also fined by the Indian government for constructing the Hazira Port—without approval—which caused environmental damage and cut off fisherpeople from the sea.

The documentary Chasing Coral is a Sundance award-winning film about divers, photographers and researchers investigating coral deaths caused by climate change.

• Chasing Coral director Jeff Orlowski. Photo by Richard Vevers

In March, Adani’s operation at Abbot Point released coal-laden stormwater into waters close to the Great Barrier Reef (the Queensland government fined them $12,000 and the company appealed).

The potential movement of coal ships in those waters has raised concerns, but the major threat is through “coral bleaching,” an effect of climate change that leads to the coral losing its colour and ultimately dying.

Professor Lawrence, a psychologist and director of UWA’s Centre for the Study of Social Change, has seen protest movements come and go, but says the Stop Adani movement has a broad and sensible base.

“It’s very broad: A lot of people in the renewable sector can see the craziness of this, you’ve got the people involved with protecting the reef, you’ve got indigenous people in the local area, you’ve got scientists of all stripes who are convinced of the idiocy of going ahead with this, so you’ve got coalitions across the board including the local landowners whose water supplies are imperilled.”

She says companies like Adani are unlikely to be deterred by protest, but governments, which grant approvals and dole out loans, can be swayed. Stop Adani Perth’s film screening’s at Citiplace Community Centre on November 2 at 7pm, tickets $10 via Eventbrite or $15 at the door and the proceeds go to the Stop Adani campaign.
ASTROLOGY: Oct 21 – Oct 28, 2017

October 20, 2017

ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)
There is a lot of pressure on you to consider the implications of your actions. The door is there to act freely. With freedom comes responsibility; an obvious fact that doesn’t always get traction. Mars is in Virgo, which will make you very aware of the need to be grounded and in tune.

TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 20)
There’s a longing underneath the surface to find a deeper and more authentic harmony in your relationships. This means that you are aware that your key relationships aren’t presently quite as balanced or just as they could be. This ache for change will soon crystallise into action.

GEMINI (May 21 – June 21)
You are in the midst of a cleanout. If you aren’t scouring your home for all its worth, you’ll be scouring your emotional basement; cleaning out old habits and patterns that need to go, before fresh emotional and spiritual buds can form and grow. Do all this with your optimism intact.

CANCER (June 22 – July 22)
The planets are being very kind to you at the moment. Though you are on a transformational journey, which is shifting a ground beneath your feet, you are well aware that all change ultimately delivers greater beauty in the end. If you forget this, hang out with someone who remembers.

LEO (July 23 – Aug 22)
By staying disciplined, you are staying on track. It’s not as if you are imposing discipline. You are listening for the discipline that your organism craves. Find the mid-point between rigidity and chaos; that’s where you need to be. Life is bumping and nudging you in the right direction.

VIRGO (Aug 23 – Sept 22)
Mars is driving you to express the very essence of who you are. If you aren’t, you will find that you are experiencing a certain grumpy turbulence. Authenticity is the most exquisite driver of change. There’s no need to be reactive. Life doesn’t reward cowboys. Drive change gently.

LIBRA (Sept 23 – Oct 23)
The Sun is arcing up, as it swings through the last few degrees of Libra. Your desire to access and express the very heart and soul of individuality, makes you feel like you are a host to solar flares in your heart. You may have to break through all sorts of conditioned walls to get there.

SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 21)
There are now three planets in Scorpio, one of which is the new Moon. The new Moon is a fresh beginning. A little bud of nature’s magic is somehow finding its way through all the concrete that seems to want to hem it in. Soon the Sun will be with you too. Your resilience is legendary.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 – Dec 21)
In your mind, you may imagine that you must perform some kind of heroic gymnastics to hold yourself and those around you, from veering off into chaos. It’s not true. You have a self-righting mechanism within; some kind of spiritual keel. So too do the one’s you tend to worry about.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 19)
Communication is what is going to bring you out of whatever creative cul de sac it is you might happen to find yourself in. The magic of authenticity can never truly be described. There is no better feeling than an unexpected breakthrough, brought about by a courageous dialogue.

AQUARIUS (Jan 20 – Feb 18)
The whole question of home is on your mind. What is home? Where is it? Is it a place? Is it a feeling? Is it where you are right now? Or is it somewhere out near the tail end of the trajectory of your longing? Nourishment is required. Old habits can get in the way. Fire up your enquiry.

PISCES (Feb 19 – Mar 20)
That which appears to be slowing you down is not at all what it seems. Look again. Saturn is sending his energy your way in the form of apparent obstacles. These obstacles are important. Decode their secret and they will take you higher. Life expresses kindness in all sorts of ways.
The perfect blend

October 20, 2017

THE Maltings is a first-rate example of urban renewal because it successfully blends heritage and history with modern living.

And you don’t have to take my word for it—those are the words of former Urban Development Institute of Australia president and lifetime member Peter Lanigan, just after he’d given the Palmerston Street development a national award in 2006.

The complex began life in 1903 as the Perth Pneumatic Malting Company, providing David William Harwood’s brewery with malt.

He added a brewery to the site in 1910, but it was later sold and the brewery shut down as the new owners struck a deal with the Swan Brewery to focus on the malt.

It continued as a viable operation wright up to the late 1990s, when it was sold to Australand to develop the award-winning apartment complex that stands there today.

It beautifully blends buildings considered too important to demolish with new, sensitive apartments, and the grounds are a fascinating series of nooks and crannies where you might catch a quiet bit of sunshine or stumble across a bit of historic equipment. It’s even got its own museum.

And I bet there’d be few apartments amongst the 137 that’d match this two-bed beauty in the old barley store.

It’s owned by two architects who spent a mini-fortune turning it into a uber-chic home that maximises its space—there was even room for their own bar.

The open-plan kitchen and dining area is united by a beautiful, chocolatey-brown pressed-tin ceiling, while next door the lounge’s white walls ensure it doesn’t get too dark and gives the impression of extra space.

Bi-fold cabinets in the kitchen give you a little extra storage space, which comes in handy given they made sure there was a 900mm chef’s grade stovetop, microwave, double-fridge with ice-maker and dishwasher to fit in there as well.

There are two courtyards, one facing out to Palmerston Street and the other internally to a covered walkway in the complex.

If you’re feeling a little reflective, perhaps the inner courtyard’s for you, while in your more gregarious moods you can mix it with the punters walking down Palmerston to the myriad of restaurants and cafes towards Perth.

The complex also features a great lap pool, gym, sauna, and residents lounge that can be booked out for birthdays or functions.

By STEVE GRANT

5/65 Palmerston Street, Perth
Expressions of Interest
Pam Herron | 0413 610 660
Jon Adams | 0413 610 662
Beaufort Realty
9227 0887
Cosmopolitan Living

October 20, 2017

World class architecture that feels like home

Apartment living has come a long way in Perth and those that are designed with careful consideration are attracting professionals and downsizers, choosing to forgo the traditional 4×2 house in the burbs and opting instead for location, quality & convenience.

DevelopWise Managing Director John Woon said it’s not surprising to see this new trend emerge as Perth grows and becomes a more vibrant cosmopolitan city much like its Eastern States counterparts. Their latest development located at 70 Wright Street Highgate, known as the Wright St Residences offers a choice of 1, 2 & 3 bedroom apartments, each with high ceilings and spacious proportions for comfortable open-plan living. Its modern and refined interior design with high-end finishes elevate these apartments above others on the market.

“If you’re the kind of person who makes no compromises, you’ll feel right at home at Wright St Residences. These beautiful residences have an elegant charm, harmoniously integrating with the area’s historic buildings and the enchanting leafy park it faces. It’s an awesome location that pretty much puts you in the centre of everything that’s wonderful about Perth. Set on a peaceful street, you have shopping, schools, restaurants and services all just a short walk away,” said Mr Woon.

Apartment prices start from $420,000 for one bedroom, $595,000 for two bedrooms and $845,000 for three bedrooms. Apartments like this are a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

To find out more about these truly extraordinary residences, please contact John Woon from Developwise on 0421 595 481, visit the website at http://www.developwise.com.au/wrightst or come along to the Grand Launch Park Festival, a free community event to be held on 4 November from 3-6pm at Brigatti Gardens Highgate.
Renovate with care

October 20, 2017

DIY is on the rise with the number of home owners doing renovations increasing from 57 to 62 per cent over the last three years, according to Roy Morgan Research.

Some 8.4million home owners did renovations in the last 12 months, with minor repairs/alterations being the most popular, followed by painting.

But before you rush down to the local DIY store to buy an angle grinder and do major renos, make sure you know what you’re doing and take safety precautions, because the number of people hospitalised with DIY-related injuries is also rising.

DIY workshops

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare revealed that over a 12-month period, almost 100 Australians lost a finger or toe when using a power saw, woodwork machinery or lawnmower and 1262 sustained a fracture after falling off a ladder.

Nearly 900 people suffered power tool-related injuries.

“Hospitalised DIY fall injuries most often involved the trunk (31 percent) but also commonly involved the limbs (shoulders and arms 20 percent, hip, thigh and legs 19 percent) and the head and neck (19 percent),” stated the AIHW report.

People aged between 65-74 suffered the most injuries.

Handyman magazine managing editor Daniel Butkovich says people should consider doing a basic training course if they are unsure about using power tools.

“Ensure that you know how to use power tools correctly and safely,” he says.

“Thoroughly read the manual to be aware of any potential hazards.

“If you are still unsure, consider undertaking a basic course on woodworking.

“Most Bunnings stores offer free DIY workshops every weekend covering a variety of topics.

“Steer clear of electrical work if you are not a qualified electrician—not only is it illegal, but it’s also incredibly dangerous.

“Ladders can be a major cause of injuries—always set ladders up on a flat, stable surface and maintain three points of contact at any one time e.g. two feet and one hand.

“Never climb above the second last rung and never straddle an A-frame ladder.”

RMR chief executive officer Michele Levine says renovation TV shows are inspiring home owners to hit the DIY store.

“With hugely popular reality TV series like The Block and House Rules inspiring DIY fervour among Aussie audiences and home ownership rising despite inflated property prices, hardware and home improvement retailers and tradespeople stand to benefit from this booming market,” he says.

“Even bearing in mind that the number of people who own or are paying off a home has grown by 400,000 since 2013, the trend towards domestic improvement is still trending upwards.

“As our data also shows, home-owners who have been at the same address for a year or less tend to be more inclined to undertake renovations, alterations or repairs than people who’ve been at their address for longer.

“This suggests that they have recently purchased and moved into a home previously owned by someone else, and are making their own mark on it. It’s not that renovation activity plummets once they’ve been in their home for a while, but that first year is particularly active.”
Dream homes start at Home Base

October 20, 2017

Home Base is Australia’s largest building, renovating, decorating and landscaping centre, featuring the latest and greatest products, ideas and innovations for home builders and renovators.

With more than 30 kitchens and 15 bathrooms on display 7 days a week, as well as 18 flooring showrooms – including options for decking and concrete, dream homes really do start at Home Base.

Whether you are looking to build your first, second or fifth home, or maybe it’s time for a much-needed renovation – search for inspiration, talk to the experts and discover the latest products and services available for project home building, owner-building and renovating.

And if you are not sure where or how to start, book in a free one hour appointment with a Home Stylist to get your project off to the best possible start. Appointments are available every Friday to Sunday and can be booked via the Welcome Desk.

Home Base
Phone 9388 1088
55 Salvado Road, Subiaco
homebaseperth.com.au
RENOVATE & UPDATE FEATURE

October 20, 2017

Extend your house outdoors
You might be surprised to learn that most of the clients that Patio Living help to redesign their backyard have often spent years trying to find the inspiration to start the project.
This is often because the solutions that have been provided in the past simply didnt fit the clients needs or failed to grasp the fact that the new structure needed to feel like a natural extension to the home and not a kit.
At Patio Living the design team headed by Nick Jolley listen to your needs and are more interested in the architecture and style of your own home and how it might be extended sympathetically rather than any preconceived solution that would look tacked on.
The 3D image attached to this editorial gives you an idea as to the quality of the drawings they can produce so that you can picture your dream alfresco extension on your own home.

Patio Living
Suite 15, Plaistowe Mews, West Perth.
Phone 9322 3777
nick@patioliving.com.au
http://www.patioliving.com.au

Summer is Coming
Does your air conditioner need a service or upgrade? With the warmer weather approaching it’s time to ensure your system is working efficiently. Often the first sign that your air conditioner needs a service is that your electricity bills start to rise.
Another more worrying problem is harmful mould and bacteria that can build up inside the fan coils. Over time, the mould spores dislodge from the unit and get blown into the air, potentially creating health problems for your family.
Lekcom Air Conditioning is your trusted air conditioning installation expert. Lekcom installs, repairs and maintains all brands of air conditioning. They also sell a selection of quality units chosen for reliability, price and noise levels.
In addition to servicing the general public, Lekcom also supplies and installs air conditioning for
Independent Living Centres, Neurological Council of WA, Dept of Housing and Lotterywest.

Lekcom Air Conditioning and Solar Design
Phone 0421 128 719
lekcom@iinet.net.au
http://www.lekcom.net

Restore, Repair, Renovate
Build Strut specialises in home restorations, repairs and renovations. Owned and operated by Chris Picone and assisted by head consultant Rick Williams, both with over 25 years industry experience, Build Strut takes great pride in providing outstanding service and value for money. All work is backed by an unconditional guarantee.
Whether you’re selling or just need general maintenance done, Build Strut can help you assess and prioritise. Structural damage is not always as bad as it seems! Repairs can be carried out to all aspects of your property, from the foundations to the roof. Build Strut’s team of qualified tradespeople can repair brickwork, timber & ceilings, mend sagging roofs, replace broken tiles and replace old doors & windows.
If you’re thinking of restoring or renovating, talk to Build Strut. Their free consultation service is the best way to work out a plan that fits your vision and budget. Rejuvenating your home or investment should be an enjoyable process and with Build Strut as your partner, it can be. For more information, please call Chris on 0400 377 198 or Rick on 0401 293 343.

Build Strut
c_pic_one@hotmail.com
rickbld@westnet.com.au
http://www.buildstrut.com.au