Perth Voice Interactive

BAYSWATER police have held a community meeting in Maylands following a wave of anti-social behaviour in the suburb’s business district.

The area, especially Eighth Ave, has improved in leaps and bounds in recent years with swank new venues and high quality retailers opening up, but aggressive behaviour from unsavoury characters is turning punters off.

With the economy struggling, thuggish behaviour seems worse this year, and at least two business owners have been assaulted, while councillor Catherine Ehrhardt was attacked earlier this year at the park in front of the Rise.

One business owner told the meeting she’d seen a customer pull up on the street, but before she’d even turned the car’s engine off a grumpy character was knocking on her window demanding money. The woman drove off.

There’s a few plans around the corner to help with issues on Eighth Avenue: Labor’s pledged about $80,000 for CCTV and better lighting, and Bayswater council’s signed a one-year trial contract with Noongar Patrol that’s soon to start (though the problems down there aren’t Noongar exclusive, with one of the most problematic characters a white male who’s known for shouting all the horrible things he wants to do to children).

Cr Ehrhardt says she’d also like to see the PTA install turnstiles at Maylands station to prevent people getting off without a ticket.

But she says any single solution will just move the problem elsewhere, and there has to be a broad approach from all levels of government and community.

by DAVID BELL

THE MOUNT LAWLEY primary school chess team has taken out the state title.

The whiz kids beat Deanmore Primary School and Anzac Terrace PS at the Chess Association of WA school championships, and will travel to Sydney in December to compete for the national title.

MLPS pupils Zachary Pendragon, David Richards, Minh Nguyen and Ethan Richards each played six games, winning 21 of their 24 matches.

Year four student Ethan played the toughest players in the competition on “board 1” and year five student Minh faced the second best on “board 2”.

They both won all of their games in the heats and finals, even though Ethan was up against year six players from other schools.

Ethan’s dad Jim Richards, who coordinates the MLPS chess club, says his son, “has got an amazing talent, to play at that level at that age”.

“He was the youngest kid playing in the school team and he was beating kids from year six, so it’s quite an achievement”.

Many primary schools still don’t have chess teams, but at MLPS their program’s been driven by coach Jay Lakner and coordinator Michael Richards (no relation to Ethan and Jim), and they’ve had unflagging support from principal Cavelle Monck.

Jim Richards says chess is a great substitute for screen time and the game has helped him bond with his son.

“Every house should have a chess board set up” he says.

“Chess is getting a bit of a renaissance now, because I think parents are realising there’s a serious problem with attention spans.

“The great thing about chess is it makes the kids concentrate.

“If you don’t concentrate you lose, and they don’t like losing.”

“They learn to concentrate and focus, to plan ahead, to handle pre-game nerves, and also how to lose sometimes.

A lot of primary school sports don’t keep scores in games anymore, in case pupils on the losing side gets their feelings hurt.

But Mr Richards says losing a game of chess is good preparation for adult life, and he’s watched kids accept defeat gracefully and maturely.

He says people shouldn’t be put off by the complexity of chess because it’s really easy to learn the basic rules.

“The beauty of the game is it’s the most simple game, but it’s impossible to master,” he says.

Over the past few years MLPS has successfully got kids interested in the game, and the school’s chess club now has more than 50 members.

by DAVID BELL

BAYSWATER councillor Stephanie Coates won’t re-contest her west ward seat at the local government elections in October.

When Ms Coates was elected in 2013 her kids were two, four and six years old, and in bed by 7pm when the meetings started.

Now the kids are staying up later and the meetings are starting earlier.

“I am also keen to see my husband a bit more than I have in the past four years,” Cr Coates says.

“He has been very stoic and has been my rock of support and I am very grateful to him.”

There’s already a few people interested in running for Baysy council and Cr Coates, who’s not a member of a political party, says “I hope more people who are independent consider running, as the subject matter of council—parks, playgrounds, footpaths, planning, riverbank restoration [and] festivals to name a few—is very tangible and should not be impacted upon by political persuasions”.

In her time on council she’s pushed for a better Bayswater town centre—moving a motion to use consultants to get a detailed town structure plan to guide future development—and also kickstarted the engagement sessions that saw the birth of the Baysie Rollers, a group of residents and traders who were keen to spruce up the town.

She also moved the parklets policy in November 2016 and pushed for the installation of the pedestrian crossing at a busy section of Guildford Road, near local schools.

And while Bayswater council’s greener these days, Cr Coates was into the pro-tree movement before it was cool, having a voting record of preserving trees dating back to December 2013 (just two months after being elected) when she tried to stop four swamp mahogany trees being pulled out of a Law Street block.

“I have been really happy to see the changes the council has made on the tree front,” she says.

“In time, the next generation will reap the benefits of all the tree planting we are undertaking.

“I may run again in the future, if it is the right move for my family.”

by DAVID BELL

IN the wake of a national survey revealing that nearly 7 per cent of uni students were sexually assaulted in 2015/16, Edith Cowan Uni says its rates are lower at its Mt Lawley campus.

The shocking national figures were produced by the Australian Human Rights Commission, which found  1.6 per cent of the assaults occurred on campus.

ECU’s survey shows it’s less common at its campuses in Mt Lawley and Joondalup, with 0.6 per cent being sexually assaulted at uni.

Rife

Sexual harassment was far more rife, with 26 per cent of students nationally, and 21 per cent of ECU respondents, reporting they’d been sexually harassed at university in 2016, with offences including unwanted touching, cornering, indecent exposure, and sending unwanted sexual pictures.

Across the country, 7 per cent of offenders were a tutor or lecturer; but at ECU it was eight per cent.

Offenders were overwhelmingly males (71 per cent of harassment was carried out by men, 11 per cent by both men and women, and 11 per cent by women), while the remaining respondents didn’t know or didn’t want to report the gender.

ECU students were less likely to know where to seek support from within the uni, where to make a complaint, and what the uni’s policy was.

ECU’s data vice-chancellor Steve Chapman said, “we have zero tolerance for sexual assault or harassment” and that the uni was committed to the 10-point action plan, developed by Universities Australia to address the sexual assault and harassment rates.

The 10-point plan will complement the existing measures ECU’s taken, including a 24-hour security control room, 24-hour security patrols, vehicle escort service for students, letting students park in the closer staff and visitor bays after 5pm, and holding mandatory inductions for students living on campus to educate them on consent and respectful behaviour.

HUMAN RIGHTS activists will march in Perth this Saturday urging federal MPs to vote for marriage equality in parliament.

The Liberal party’s election platform was to go out to a “plebiscite”, allowing the country to vote on whether they wanted people to get married regardless of their sex.

It will cost about $160million, but some estimates put the cost to the economy at $500m, and it’s non-binding, so MPs can still vote whichever way the want, and some Liberal MPs have already said they’ll ignore the outcome and vote against letting same-sex couples marry regardless.

Fiery debate 

Marriage equality advocates also claim  negative campaigning in the media ahead of a plebiscite could be hugely damaging to gay people—especially the young—as their right to marry who they want is put out to what will likely become a fiery public debate.

Early leaked pamphlets from anti-marriage equality campaigner Chris Miles were filled with anti-gay rhetoric, claiming same sex marriage could lead to disease, drug use and child abuse.

Accounting firm PwC estimated that the damage to the mental health of the LGBTI community would cost the economy about $20m.

The weekend’s rally is being organised by lobby group GetUp!, whose campaign director Sally Rugg told the Voice she hoped the rally would “demonstrate overwhelming support” for parliament to skip the pricey, damaging plebiscite and just vote in marriage equality.

WA Liberal senator Dean Smith is leading the charge within the party to go straight to a parliamentary vote, and is due to bring a private members’ bill to the party this week.

While GetUp’s usually associated with the progressive side of politics, they’re backing Mr Smith’s move: “he crossed the floor last year to vote against the plebiscite, so he’s been a champion for LGBTI rights.

Ms Rugg says “when the issue of marriage equality is before the party room on Tuesday we want every single member of the government to understand that the public demand a free [parliamentary] vote and they want it now.”

A Newspoll last week ostensibly showed more respondents wanted a plebiscite than a parliamentary vote, but Ms Rugg says such “push polling” can be misleading.

She says when it’s explained to people that the plebiscite is non-binding (along with the cost of carrying it out and the potential damage to vulnerable LGBTI youth), most people quickly come to the conclusion it’s better to let parliament handle it.

The rally is at Forrest Place this August 5 at 1pm, and it follows similar marches across the country, with Brisbane attracting about 700 people last weekend.

by DAVID BELL

WILLIAM STREET art space Paper Mountain hosts its annual art auction with the opening night this Friday August 4.

Paper Mountain’s been running since 2011 providing a space for local artists to showcase their work and develop their talent. Dozens of artists including Andy Quilty, Nathan Beard and Jo Darvall have donated works to raise funds for the centre.

Quilty, an award winning artist who donated three self portrait studies, says a space like Paper Mountain is vital for younger artist: “Many older, established artists have their own home studios. For this generation a home studio is not going to happen. I mean, I barely have enough space for a spare room at my own home. I think younger artists have it tough, which is why a space like this is so important”.

The auction’s showrunner Jennifer Garland says, “in many ways Paper Mountain offers ‘a space between’. There are other arts initiatives in Perth, but not many, and then obviously the established art galleries in the Cultural Centre. Paper Mountain occupies that gap in offering a space for both emerging and established interdisciplinary artists to showcase their work.”

Entry’s free and it runs 6pm to 10.30pm (and if you get your Voice delivered really early there’s a preview and silent bidding August 3, 9.30am to 7pm).

HOMELESSNESS WEEK runs from August 7 – 13, and apart from giving a donation to any of the noble charities providing succour to people on the streets, there’s a few activities you can take part in. Head to http://www.shelterwa.org.au/homelessness_week to have a look at the program of events. Meanwhile, the Voice presents part 1 of Madalena’s Story to raise awareness about homelessness. 

MY name is Magdalena and I’m 61 years old.

I lived in my car for one year—it was my only home.

I had resigned from my job, lived off my savings and a small monetary inheritance from a friend for two years until eventually the bank foreclosed and I lost my home and had nine days to move out.  I moved to Perth, planning to stay with my brother, attend uni for a year to change the course of my career as well as other things.

I had no criminal history, no mental illness, and held a responsible position as a nurse in a hospital in regional WA.

I was in good health all my life, didn’t even catch colds.

A couple of times in my life I took risks that didn’t pay off, and resigning from my job was up there as one of the worst.

I sought help from various places for the first time, such Crisis Care and Lifeline for a roof over my head.

One sent a man to meet me where I was parked/stuck in my car.  He questioned me and promised to return the next day.

Excitement and hope loomed in me thinking my plight was over.

He didn’t come, but came the following night bearing the news there was nowhere for me.

He also used the information I’d given him against me; inferring I’d been lying. I was so shocked, so horrified that because I was living in my car I was so disbelieved.

I needed to prove who I was.

Imagine if you can what if feels like to have your identity wiped out; your family, your interests, your position in the workplace, the things that make yourself you to be so utterly disbelieved, the need to prove you are who you say you are.

A very lovely man and his wife came and talked to me for the first time on my first day in a new park.

I used to move to a new location every day so I didn’t draw attention to myself or frighten anybody.

This man came back because he was a decent fellow. Once he, his wife and children were stranded in a foreign country without any money.

He accepted money from a stranger. I guess he’d never forgotten it.

I’m a law-abiding citizen. I believe in the police and am appreciative of the difficult job they do. During my homeless year, I had two encounters with them and they were the lowest points for me.

They’d received a complaint. I was almost asleep when the knock came on my car window. Heart hammering with fear I discovered it was the police.

I was so embarrassed and hated being a possible law breaker. And though they were so helpful, making phone calls on my behalf, warning me about the area I was in, when they left the bottom dropped out of my world. Now I was known to the police—I went to a new low.

My immediate daily needs were: knowing how to reach the closest public toilet first thing in the morning, and waking up early every day in order not to be seen by the residents.

This is so vital for you to understand. The stress of surviving for me, of keeping alive, of not frightening anyone whose home I slept besides, of not attracting the notice of residents, innocent or those with evil intent, this stress never left me in this year. I was hyper-vigilant and it never left me.

For example, I hurt my hand badly—all my fingers and wrist were swollen, puffy, I couldn’t touch my thumb with most of the fingers nor could I sleep due to the burning pain. It took five months to heal, but to this day I don’t know how I hurt myself. I think this is because everything else but survival and safety was insignificant.

At some stage in the final two months of living in my car I was cut off from Centrelink payments because I had not received mail, because I had no address and I was aware of this starvation again.

Three days later and without a morsel of food I remembered another department and so I went there.

They fed me and sent me to a GP, who found my blood pressure was dangerously high.

Despite going on medication, it was consistently the same ranges, always above 220 and never below 120, putting me at risk of stroke, heart attack, aneurysm, among other things.

There was talk of putting me into hospital in order to control it I guess to keep me safe should I start to die.

The doctor also diagnosed anxiety and depression.

I wondered if the stress which I was living in, the effort to stay alive and safe and of not offending/ frightening anyone, was taking its toll.

I am currently awaiting a cardiologist appointment to find out the damage caused to my heart.

I was so afraid of my blood pressure. I was a time bomb about to go off at any moment and this bought on debilitating panic attacks; gripping fearful experiences and I truly feared for my sanity.

I honestly thought I was entering madness.

I struggled to hold on and not go over to the side of madness. That’s panic attacks.

All of this happened in the three weeks of me having high uncontrolled blood pressure and abated once my blood pressure was in the normal range.