Perth Voice Interactive

Costs for trip to CCC to be reimbursed

November 11, 2016

PERTH deputy lord mayor James Limnios is to be reimbursed $2370 in legal fees he incurred when called as a witness to a corruption and crime commission probe into the sacking of former CEO Gary Stevenson.

After the council unanimously voted to end Mr Stevenson’s contract in January, a media report linking the move to gift and travel breaches by lord mayor Lisa Scaffidi caught the CCC’s eye and it conducted an investigation.

The theory his sacking was some sort of payback for Ms Scaffidi’s discomfort didn’t make much sense, as her detractors on council, including Reece Harley and Jemma Green, also voted to end Mr Stevenson’s contract.

The CCC found “no evidence of serious misconduct by any elected official or current or former officer of the City of Perth in relation to the departure of the former CEO, Gary Stevenson”.

Reimbursement for legal costs is not a given for Perth councillors, who must rely on the approval of their colleagues.

Staff said Cr Limnios’s appearance was “in his capacity as the deputy lord mayor” and recommended he be reimbursed the money he spent on legal counsel with Timpano Legal ($1325.50) and Hotchkin Hanly Lawyers ($1,045). The item sailed through,

A note from staff added a rider: “In the event that any future adverse findings are made in respect to this matter Cr Limnios has signed a statutory declaration that the reimbursed funds would be returned to the City of Perth,” in line with council policy.

by DAVID BELL
Going batty to save lakes

November 11, 2016

BAT boxes, granules to suck up phosphates, revegetation, and mechanically skimming algae from Brearley and Bungana lakes have been suggested to decontaminate water in Maylands’ lakes and combat mozzies.

A full water quality report was presented to about 70 concerned locals at Bayswater’s Rise last Monday, who heard long-term restoration of the lakes might cost $3 million.

• A raft of initiatives have been suggested to combat poor water quality at Maylands’ lakes, but getting residents to ease up on fertilisers remains a major obstacle.

Dredging

Dredging the two lakes and modifying their shape; installing floating wetlands and submersible solar pumps; and funding community education were some of the report’s expensive management recommendations for the long term.

But the report said ratepayers could also do their bit by limiting fertiliser use and maintaining clear gutters to keep stormwater clean. Dumped rubbish, grass clipping and pet fish were also problems they could help combat.

The report was funded by Bayswater council last year following concerns about water toxicity. The recommendations will have to come to council before being put into action.

by TRILOKESH CHANMUGAM
Waterlands visioning

November 11, 2016

WITH the future of the Maylands Waterlands hanging in the balance Bayswater council is holding a visioning workshop for residents on November 17.

Much of the park’s infrastructure is past its use-by date and this could be its last season without a heavy cash injection from the council.

It could cost up to $3 million to fix the water playground, but it’s valued by locals as a place for little ones to have a splash, since nearby Bayswater Waves is meant for older kids.

The council will decide come April 2017 but it’s holding a lengthy consultation process and the workshop’s the next stage. It’s at the Maylands Peninsula Golf Club November 17 at 6pm, and register via engage.bayswater.wa.gov.au

by DAVID BELL
LETTERS: 12.11.16

November 11, 2016

Lightning rod of angst
OVER the last couple of months the Voice has written about the Skipper’s Row wetland destruction, including the removal of 40 to 60 paperbark trees.
This reporting has grasped the “lightning rod” of community angst. What have the regulators (for the town planning side the WAPC and City of Bayswater and for the environment the EPA and department of water) been doing?
Asleep at the wheel, or worse, consciously negligent.
The decision to not renew the Bayswater CEO’s contract was an outcome (or was it? So far there’s zero transparency).
The photo of City of Bayswater councillor Michelle Sutherland’s husband [Mt Lawley MLA Michael Sutherland] handing over $90,000 of state government money for Banks reserve on the Swan River foreshore again highlights planning failure, with the simplistic notion that “a $2 million injection into the Swan and Canning river foreshores“ will solve the problems [“Money in the bank,” Voice, September 3, 2016).
Giving with one hand and taking with the other.
It should be noted Cr Sutherland voted for the D’Orazio-led Skipper’s
Row wetland destruction in King William Street, Bayswater.
And the city is going to erect a sculpture to honour D’Orazio’s contribution to the City?
Greg Smith
Rose Avenue, Bayswater

More to the fluoride story
I APPLAUD Peter Abetz for his courage in writing to the West about the dangers of fluoride.
However commendable his effort, it is only part of the story. Former dentist EA Adler then tried to dazzle us with scientific terms as his way of attempting to “prove” that ingested fluoride is beneficial.
Sodium fluoride and fluorosilicic acid are both industrial waste products that are very expensive to dispose of. These fluoride waste products were first sold as insecticide and rat poison in the 1920s, but weren’t being disposed of fast enough. Perhaps Mr Adler’s “research” played a role in WA’s efforts to justify fluoridation?
In 1954, the National Health and Medical Research Council rejected nationwide fluoridation of public drinking water, due to concerns that the high rate of tea consumption was already a source of fluorine. In the 1970s Australian scientist Dr John Yiamouyiannis showed that fluoridation can cause high rates of cancer.
In the March 2014 issue of The Lancet Neurology, the authors of one study revealed that fluoride is a neurotoxin equal to arsenic, lead, and mercury. They concluded that “untested chemicals should not be presumed to be safe”.
Fluoride is neurotoxic, calcium-depleting, and carcinogenic. Most people don’t have any idea of the level of fluoride they are taking in, so it’s no wonder the elderly have fragile skeletal structures.
It’s a pity Mr Adler didn’t learn about another dentist of the time, Dr Weston Price, who discovered that dental caries is primarily found in those with high sugar diets and/or diets with a deficiency of vitamins A, D3, and K2. It’s certainly not a deficiency of toxic fluoride.
Tad Krysiak
Tasman Street, Mt Hawthorn/ Glendalough

Uncaring about those who care
I RECEIVED a letter from “multicultural services” where my elderly mother attends a couple of times a week in Farmer Street, North Perth, telling us that because of the mean-spirited attitude and downright non-caring approach by City of Vincent, this highly professional and genuinely caring facility for the elderly will no longer be available to my mother and a lot of other elderly residents of Vincent.
They have been sitting on their hands on the issue of the redevelopment of this facility for years and have made no contribution whatsoever.
It’s obvious there is another reason why they are moving them out.
If this is the case, you should all hang your “private party” and “lazy junket” heads in shame.
One day you also will need centres like this and I hope they close the door in your faces.
This centre allows carers the opportunity to have a break.
The clients also show great enjoyment when attending the centre.
The alternative is to go to Morley.
This would obviously increase costs but, more importantly, people will not go and the ones that do will no longer have their friends with them.
So to the Town of Vincent or the new money-wasted version “City of Vincent” I say “well done” … still, I suppose you can probably run up another dangerous, underused bike lane like the one on Scarborough Bach Road.
Perhaps even some imbecilic road humps as well. Oh, sorry, you have already done that.
Just don’t forget, the elderly and their carers also vote.
Larry Arrigoni
Loftus Street, North Perth
Steaming ahead

November 11, 2016

I LIKE a cafe where you can choose a table according to your mood.

Steam Haus is a kind-of newish addition to the Maylands town centre; a renovated old home where each room is an artistic statement in its own right.

For the slightly nostalgic the front parlour’s the place to go, with its olde-worldey shelves of victuals and collectibles.

Heading further into the cafe, you pass the hipster’s hangout, the family room with space for a crawling toddler and the dog-lovers zone on the back verandah. Even the pop art toilet’s an eye-opener; flick the lights on and off quickly or spin around and you’ll feel you’re in a Velvet Underground video.

It sounds chaotic, but is done with finesse so the overall effect is one of a comforting welcome.

And that’s exactly what I got from staff.

It was just before Melbourne Cup. The rest of Maylands was tacked up and taxiing off, and I fully expected to be subjected to distracted service as the town’s anti-racing oddball.

But there was none of that; Steam Haus was mercifully free of cup fever and every time I found myself needing another excellent, creamy flat white ($4) there was a smiling face behind the counter ready to oblige.

Steam Haus has a typical modern cafe menu, with all-day brekkies offering the classics like toast, eggs, croissants or toasted sandwiches with a little twist here or there.

I went for the more lunchy caesar salad ($19) and a freshly squeezed orange juice ($6.50).

The salad was a good midday size and came with a slightly runny and warm poached egg perched on top, which made me think I may never go back to cold, hard-boileds ever again.

I’m not sure I’m a big fan of the small inner cos leaves, though. The outies are a better source of beta carotene and vitamin k than their anaemic inner cousins, and have a little more grunt in their dark green.

But the innies are a bit crisper and present quite well, so it may be something to just grin and bear.

The salad was finished off with lovely crispy bacon and a delicious classic dressing and all up was a great lunch and left enough room to try a treat.

Steam Haus carries a range of Mary Street Bakery’s excellent pastries, but this time a slice of the cafe’s own chocolate brownie caught my eye. It was beautifully moist and sugary enough to satisfy this sweet tooth, and accompanied by another of those delicious, creamy coffees, left me to roll out in a fine mood.

Steam Haus is a great addition to an already cracking local scene, and I think it’s got the right ingredients to be a long-term fixture.

by STEVE GRANT

Steam Haus
206B Whatley Cres, Maylands
Monday – Friday 7am – 5pm
Saturday, Sunday 7am – 3pm
Music boosts WA to the tune of $1b

November 11, 2016

A NEW study into Perth’s music scene has found it pumps a whopping $1 billion into WA’s economy.

The study was commissioned by music industry peak organisation WAM, and released on the eve of it’s big awards night, which was dominated by a re-emerging Fremantle music scene.

WAM head honcho Mike Harris says they wanted to use the study to give them ammunition when arguing for a bigger slice of arts funding.

• Freo’s Koi Child had a big night at the WAM awards, taking out four categories.

Massive industry

“Music is such a massive industry…it’s contribution is significant,” Mr Harris says.

“There was a degree of pissed-offness. We don’t get the same level [of funding] as other art forms.”

ECU, which conducted the study, found there were almost 3000 full time jobs and wages of $149 million associated with music.

The figures could be even higher, as the data was based on people listing music as their primary job and didn’t take into account door sales at smaller venues: “What is missing is the cash economy,” Mr Harris says.

WA performer and WAAPA graduate Tim Minchin put his scathingly stylish seal of approval on the study.

“Trying to convince economic rationalist of the impossible-to-quantify cultural benefits of music is like trying to explain Shakespeare to pigeons,” he said

“This…study proves…the music industry is economically smart.

“The least profound way in which it profits is finanacially…but if that’s the only thing you care about, then fine. Look at the data. Fund the arts. For fuck’s sake.”

Meanwhile jazz-rap collective Koi Child chalked up four wins from five nominations at WAM’s glittering red-carpet music awards at Claremont Showgrounds last week, taking out Most Popular Act, Most Popular Music Video, Best Album and Best Urban Act.

Another troubadour with strong Freo roots, Abbe May, got the gong for Best Single and Best Female Vocalist.

Hip-hop-jazz, psychedelia-grunge-soul band Pow Negro took out Most Popular New and Most Popular Live Act.

• PowNegro, another Freo up-and-comer at the WAM awards.

Doldrums

For years Fremantle’s music scene was in the doldrums as cashed-up retirees moved in gentrifying the city, but things are reversing, Mr Harris says.

“Fremantle has the strongest music scene in the country…One of the 10 best bands in the world [Tame Impala] comes from Fremantle.”

From the northern camp, drummer Daniel Susnjar’s Afro-Peruvian Jazz won the Best Jazz Act and Best Drummer/Percussionist.

Camp Doogs won their first Music Event of the Year Award and Freo venue Mojos collected Most Popular Venue for the third year in a row.

Keeping the ball rolling for Fremantle The Triffids, along with Rick Steele, were inducted into the Hall of Fame.

“Both [were] integral to shaping the thriving musical landscape we see in WA today,” WAM board chair Al Taylor says.

by JENNY D’ANGER
ASTROLOGY: November 12 – November 19, 2016

November 11, 2016

ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)
Mars has just moved into Aquarius. This should fill you with a whole lot of brand new, wild ideas. Not only that, but the Moon begins her week in Aries, which should fuel you with passion. One can only imagine where this will take you. If you point yourself at work you will do miracles.

TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 20)
Venus moves from Sagittarius into Capricorn. Your restlessness will ease. You’ll find fresh angles in the work you do; new ways of approaching old problems. As you get inspired, so you get absorbed. As you get absorbed, so you will flow. Watch as your problems go out the window.

GEMINI (May 21 – June 21)
Relationships are paramount. The Sun is in the gentle third of Scorpio. The issue now is nourishment and how best to share it. Soon you will find yourself on the other side of the river of emotion you have been swimming across. There are wide open spaces full of clarity to come.

CANCER (June 22 – July 22)
The Moon begins her week in Aries. Your general state of impetus is bordering on the awesome. The full Moon is only days away. Though you are heading into some kind of transition, you are all set to do so in style. Life is inviting you to get closer to your being, intelligence and calling.

LEO (July 23 – Aug 22)
The Moon in Aries at the beginning of the week, will motivate you. Mercury in Scorpio will give you access to your gut brain, your intuitive intelligence. Though some will question your motives, you know that if you assert your position, there will be a positive outcome. Be brave.

VIRGO (Aug 23 – Sept 22)
Mercury is spending his last few days in Scorpio. This is your last chance for a while to have such easy access to your gut feel for things, not to mention your ability to turn difficult situations around. Life feels generally kinder than it has for a while. As you find happiness, so others receive it.

LIBRA (Sept 23 – Oct 23)
Rather than obsess with your imagined future, come back to exactly what you have right before your eyes. Consider the possibility of committing to it with no hesitation or reservation. Life is even smarter than our imagination. Imagination can be a veil over all available possibilities.

SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 21)
The Sun is moving through the last ten degrees of Scorpio. This is a time to integrate the emotions and experiences of the last few weeks. Life feels more nourishing than confronting – that is unless you find the whole idea of nourishment confronting. Use this gentle time, in gentle pursuits.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 – Dec 21)
Venus will leave Sagittarius this week. Hopefully you have let her do her job of inspiring your capacity for delight. If nothing else, she will have added a dose of playfulness to scenarios that have been getting way too serious. This will help, not hinder your more substantial pursuits.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 19)
Venus arrives in Capricorn this week. Venus describes our capacity to delight in life. If we can, then there is nothing but deeper and more substantial smiles. If we can’t, then our emptiness leads us to be ravenous consumers. We displace our pleasure; we look for it in all the wrong places.

AQUARIUS (Jan 20 – Feb 18)
Mars has arrived in Aquarius. Mars describes our will and capacity for adventure. When we are adventurous, Mars is happy. When we deny ourselves adventure, that same energy becomes our stroppiness. The first place Mars is inviting you to adventure in, is the area of communication.

PISCES (Feb 19 – Mar 20)
Neptune is in exactly the same spot as the South Node of the Moon. The South Node of the Moon represents everything we carry from the past. Neptune’s job is to dissolve illusions so that we can become genuinely blissful, in reality. Leave your attachment to history go. Be more present.
Getting down to business

November 11, 2016

URBAN style, hipster lifestyle and street art seems to be what all the cool kids are doing these days and this Somerville house defines that in a building.

A property with many talents, it can be used as a home, an office, or both.

Built to mimic a warehouse conversion, the owners were hoping to live upstairs and work downstairs, but as the business grew so did the demand for space and eventually they kicked themselves out.

The high ceilings, concrete floors, brick walls, large floor-to-ceiling windows throughout and wide concrete staircase give the sense of a warehouse’s open space.

Two large rooms downstairs are perfect for showrooms or workspaces, but could easily convert into large bedrooms with natural light from the small windows which lead to an upstairs courtyard.

Hidden treasure

A large powder room, with disability access, is a hidden treasure down the back.

An inbuilt kitchenette along the hallway comes with cupboards, a sink and room for a coffee machine — bingo, perfect for that creative business you’ve had brewing in the back of your mind.

A small courtyard lines the hallway to bring natural light into the lower floor.

The first thing you see at the top of the stairs is a beautiful and inviting outdoor courtyard where you can sit and enjoy the sunshine.

A large bathroom and storage area are the only upstairs rooms with doors; the rest is an open book, allowing the owners to experiment and put their interior design and architectural skills to the test.

The kitchen is inbuilt like the smaller one downstairs, and although it isn’t huge, it frees up space in the rest of the open area. It’s being used as a large office at the moment but could easily be a dining/lounge area or a massive games room if that’s your style.

A beautifully tiled balcony looks out onto the city centre and across Somerville Street, which is becoming the cool and hip place to be.

Double double parking

With double parking out the front and back, you can even have some pals over without blocking the street.

Somerville Street and the Claisebrook precinct is expanding to become a beautiful neighbourhood to live in with many warehouses being converted to residential spaces and lots of impressive graffiti art on the walls — not sure if that is 100% legal but it gives the area a good vibe.

With the property located next door to a peaceful park and close to new cafes, fitness studios and public transport, this is the ideal area to live without the hustle and bustle of the CBD.

by HOLLY COOMEY

8 Somerville Street, Perth
$1.295m
Craig Boyanich
0433 926 283
Rayner Real Estate
9427 8888
Too high for Highgate folk

November 4, 2016

A GROUP of Highgate residents are fighting to block a five-storey apartment complex, saying it will blight their streetscape of mostly 1900s character homes.

Two older homes on the block have already been knocked down to make way for the 40-unit complex, while another is also facing demolition.

Imposing

The residents say developer Momentum Wealth’s proposal isn’t good enough to earn height bonuses allowed in Vincent planning scheme for “exemplary design excellence”.

They say it’ll have an imposing facade, cut green space from the block, and won’t meet road setback requirements.

“At close to 17 metres and two storeys above planning policy, the community is naturally concerned about the detrimental impact on our character streetscape,” resident group spokesperson James Singh says.

•This group of Highgate residents are outraged that a five-storey apartment complex is being considered for their quiet street. Photo by Steve Grant

“We’re certainly not opposed to density in Highgate and have seen many great developments here, but the scale of this is just ridiculous.”

Over 30 residents have made submissions against the complex, and the group has now garnered support from MLA Eleni Evangel and former Perth MP and WA planning minister Alannah MacTiernan.

Ms Evangel thinks it’s “gross over-development”, while Ms MacTiernan argues it’s symptomatic of excessive discretion in the development assessment panel process, which she wants overhauled.

“The envelope for discretion is becoming so great; you have people who are unaccountable making decisions … we really need to do something to reign in the discretion of DAPs”, Ms MacTiernan said.

The community group met with the developer last week, but say their concerns “fell on deaf ears”.
Paved paradise?

November 4, 2016

A COMMUNITY rallying to save a parking lot is odd, but residents and businesses around Haig Park Circle in East Perth say a 60-apartment high-rise development will negatively affect the area.

Business owners say without the 50-bay car park the’ll suffer, as street parking’s limited and customers will head elsewhere, while residents fear more cars clogging the narrow streets.

Perth council reckons there’s a nearby multi-storey car park to fill the void, but Nuvo Hair Studio proprietor Michael Hinkley says it’s too far away. “I’m against the apartments being built, not just from a structural point of view … but also because the car-parking spaces for the general public are just ridiculous as it is,” he said.

• Resident Paul Griffin with business owners Ursula Rose and Michael Hinkley. Photo by Steve Grant

The hairdresser pays $1000 a month for three bays in the existing Wilson Parking-run lot, which resident Paul Griffin calculates as requiring two days’ worth of haircuts to pay for.

Mr Griffin has dubbed the proposal “Taj on Claisebrook” because he reckons a looming apartment glut will see the development empty and needing to be pulled down like the Owsald mansion in Peppermint Grove.

“People are putting their names down for apartments and reneging … there’s heaps of apartments and we don’t need any more,” he said.

Three concept plans for the site have been released, ranging from 8 to 14 storeys, and the council is considering whether to remove a covenant aimed at ensuring it remains a car park.

Consultation is open until November 7.