Perth Voice Interactive

ARCHEOLOGISTS have uncovered historic artefacts around the old WA museum site, digging up century old crucibles used to smelt minerals at the old geology lab plus an adorable old pipe with a small face on it that came from the old gaol.

The museum, in the Perth Cultural Centre, is in the midst of a makeover with a dramatic new building slated to be installed around an on top of the current museum, and in the leadup to the build a team of UWA archaeologists have been hard at work peeling back the layers of history.

Archaeologists Sven Ouzman, Jillian Barteaux and Annie Carson lead the team excavating shallow trenches around the museum, searching for information about buildings which used to be on that land: The government geologists’ laboratory and the Victoria public library ‘stacks’ building (built between 1902 and 1904), and the old Perth gaol (1850).

Among the artefacts uncovered were crucibles imported from England used to smelt down minerals in the geological laboratory around 1920 and 1930.

Dr Ouzman said as “diagnostic items”, these crucibles shed light on early days of the geological survey—a government initiative founded in the early days of settlement to understand Australia’s geology.

The crucibles also tie in with one of the museum’s design motifs: a lump of rock previously found in the old Perth gaol site which has a vein of gold running through it.

“That history today lies beneath the ground and archaeology is the primary means of bringing that up”, Dr Ouzman says.

Carved relic

“We can offer a set of grounded resources which help bind what seems to be an ultra-modern building into it’s history…what we’ve found under the ground can feed into that”, Dr Ouzman says.

The pipe with a wee face on it was probably mass produced rather than a hand-carved relic, but it was likely made prior to 1850. Even its little size tells you something of the era: Pipe bowls were smaller back then because tobacco was more expensive.

WA heritage minister Albert Jacob wants the finds to help shape the new museum’s design so it meshes with the area’s history.

by TRILOKESH CHANMUGAM

THE kingly clothing reimbursement for Perth councillors is again in the crosshairs with councillors Reece Harley and Jemma Green calling for it to be dumped.

The council’s gag on elected members prevents them speaking publicly, but they oppose councillors being allowed to spend up to $13,360 on clothes, hair, shoes and the like.

So it was a rare opportunity to air their views at this week’s finance and admin committee.

Power dynamic

The three member group is usually made up of Councillor Harley, councillors Janet Davidson and Lily Chen, with the latter both supporting the clothing allowance.

But with Cr Chen away she was replaced by Cr Green, and under a new power dynamic a slew of contentious items were passed.

“I think the council needs to revisit the elected members expense policy, with a view to removing the clothing allowance,” Cr Harley said.

It was one of the platforms he ran on when taking on Lisa Scaffidi for the spot of lord mayor, losing 2,266 votes to 1,872.

Former local government minister Tony Simpson agreed clothing allowances were left over “from a bygone era”. Labor’s Ben Wyatt told parliament there was no problem with councillors using their allowance on training, conferences and professional development, but it was an embarrassment to see tens of thousands spent on clothes and grooming.

Reimbursement

At the committee meeting corporate services director Robert Mianich said “I can tell you right now, my understanding is very few, if any, of the local governments in WA are allowing elected members to claim reimbursement on clothing”.

CEO Martin Mileham declared his “personal view, is my personal view”, but said he’d direct staff to review the policy and prepare a report on what other councils are doing.

Cr Davidson voted against the review, saying: “I’m not going to vote for it, we’ve reviewed the policy more than enough,” but with the usual balance of power upset she was out voted.

by DAVID BELL

FRIENDS of the wetlands are set to march on parliament at noon October 11 to save Perth’s remnant wetlands from development.

It’s an issue across the whole city from Bayswater to Beeliar but the rally was sparked by the housing development near the Eric Singleton bird sanctuary, which saw a big chunk of neighbouring privately-owned wetland cleared.

“We have no choice but to protest” Deborah Bowie from the No Houses in Wetlands group says. “With no provision for an adequate buffer to protect the Eric Singleton Bird Sanctuary or any conditions relating to the conservation of protected fauna in two wetlands, this is a real red flag that something is seriously wrong with how our wetlands are being assessed and protected in Perth.”

The WA planning commission could have imposed a buffer between the houses and the sanctuary, but decided the existing pathway was space enough and instead took a cash payment in lieu of the owner giving up the space.

The protestors want planning minister Donna Faragher to place a planning control area over the site to halt any further damage. They then want WA environment minister Albert Jacob to reinstate a policy that would legally require those buffer zones instead of allowing them to be bought out by cash in lieu.

by DAVID BELL

MILLIONS have been spent on bike lanes through the Perth CBD to help cyclists get around but long stretches of them are often being hogged by taxis waiting for a fare.

Often parked in the Barrack Street bike lane they put cyclists at risk to lycra-clad limb as they are forced to veer onto the road.

Perth councillor Reece Harley raised the issue at this week’s finance and admin committee saying it’s a constant “bugbear” of his and one he had raised numerous times.

“There are lots of people breaking the law right there in plain daylight,” he says. It’s most often taxis but regular drivers have been spotted setting down in them too.

CEO Martin Mileham said the city had written twice to the taxi board but had been ignored.

Cr Harley said parking officers needed to crack down and start handing out fines.

Director Rebecca Moore who’s in charge of parking said the city was in a difficult situation, as parking officers needed solid evidence including photos taken from various angles showing the offence in order to have their ducks all lined up in a row when they go to court.

“[But] taxis just drive off when parking officers approach,” she says.

Unlike police they don’t have the power to order them to stop.

“It’s not a very satisfactory response,” Cr Harley said. “I don’t want to raise it again, it’s been maybe 10 times now.”

Mr Mileham said the city would meet personally with the taxi board rather than any more written missives – and would bring the issue to the attention of police.

The city had seen an epidemic of drivers running red lights in recent times and Mr Mileham said he’s looking into installing red light cameras.

by DAVID BELL

CLINTON PRYOR is a 26-year-old Aboriginal man on a seven-month journey through central Australia, via Uluru – in summer – to meet prime minister Malcolm Turnbull in Canberra.

A key figure in the Matagarup/Heirisson Island fight with Perth council, Mr Pryor took leave from his job at Perth Tafe and plans to confront the PM about a list of grievances which grows longer as he encounters justice issues  along the way.

“I’m walking for justice because there’s no justice for my people…I’m walking for everyone’s issues, not just my own.” Mr Pryor says.

Justice for Elija

Dubbed “the Walker,” he was in Kalgoorlie earlier this week for the funeral of Elijah Doughty, the 14 year-old Aboriginal boy whose death sparked race riots in August when the accused man was charged with manslaughter; many wanted it upgraded to murder.

“I have seen so much hurt and pain in my people’s eyes today at the funeral”, Mr Pryor wrote on his blog.

“It make me understand that I need to finish this walk to get justice for my people and young Elijah.”

After one month of walking, Mr Pryor is in high spirits as he approaches the toughest section: a 550 km stretch of scorching desert road between Laverton and Warburton which he claims has not been walked since the “old time” of 230 years ago when his people followed song-lines towards Uluru.

Before setting off on the walk from Matagarup, Mr Pryor was an activist for preserving Aboriginal culture, against closing remote communities, and supported Perth’s homeless.

Mr Pryor is also thinking about how to address corporate greed, environmental exploitation, and indigenous incarceration.

Mr Turnbull is not yet aware of Mr Pryor’s approach, but SBS reports former PM Kevin Rudd has already offered encouragement over the phone, and said he would like to meet Mr Pryor at Uluru.

Mr Pryor will be disappointed if he can’t get a face-to-face with Mr Turnbull after walking all the way to Canberra from WA.

“He better speak to me… If he doesn’t come out and speak to me then he just proves my point that the government doesn’t give a crap about the people,” Mr Pryor said.

Mr Pryor’s support team includes a cyclist who rides directly behind him, and two vehicles carrying supplies: camping equipment, food, emergency supplies and fuel, all paid via crowdfunding.

A “Nyangar, Wongi and Yamatji man”, Mr Pryor has already raised over $14,000, which he points out is entirely from the generosity of working class people.

He’s still raising money through http://www.startsomegood.com/clintonswalkforjustice and is hoping for funds for a satellite phone for the most isolated stretch, if anyone is feeling generous.

by TRILOKESH CHANMUGAM

THE KING’S Park duck pond, usually a haven for feathery floaters, briefly became a “death trap for ducklings” when heartless vandals threw three ramps on the water’s edge into the middle of the pond.

For the little quackers, this casual act of vandalism turned the overhang into an insurmountable barrier – so ducklings got stranded in deep water when they couldn’t follow mother-duck back out of the pond.

The avian disaster prompted one concerned observer to organise park-goers into a citizen action group; shepherding nine baby birds toward a rock where escape was possible.

With responsibility thrust upon him, the unlikely ornithologist contacted the Voice to complain about the pond’s design.

As it turned out, the duckling brood had not been forsaken by the Botanical Gardens and Park Authority – which knew about the crisis and had taken steps to make the pond more duck friendly.

“On investigation, BGPA staff found that someone had dislodged the ramps we usually have in place for this purpose and thrown them into the pond away from the edge. The ramps have been retrieved and more permanently fixed in position at the pond edge, reinstating the three exit points for ducklings,” executive officer Liz Suttie said.

by TRILOKESH CHANMUGAM

FRUSTRATED at being unable to speak her mind on council matters publicly Perth councillor Jemma Green is calling for an investigation in to whether the city’s rules gagging councillors could be overridden by higher laws.

The WA local government act dictates that the mayor is the only elected member who can speak on “behalf” of the city, but is silent about whether councillors can give their personal opinion.

Perth is one of very few to interpret the rule so narrowly as to prevent councillors speaking about council matters.

Once a decision has been made they’re required to support it, whereas in neighbouring domains councillors can freely explain what they think of a decision (as long they are clear they are not speaking for the council and are not catty about the decision).

Cr Green says she wants legal advice on whether the city’s ruling is consistent with federal and constitutional laws on freedom of speech.

“It’s important to understand whether we’ve created a policy that’s in contravention of other laws.”

Free speech is an amorphous beast in Australia which has no explicit bill of rights like the US, but key high court rulings have found that because our constitution states we’re a democracy that implies we have the right to freely speak about political matters.

“I don’t think anyone has been fettered by this policy,” CEO Martin Mileham told this week’s finance and administration committee meeting.

“That is not my experience,” Cr Harley retorted.

When first elected he said he was given conflicting advice by the then-CEO Gary Stevenson, who told him: “You have freedom of speech, but you cannot talk about any council issues with the media.”

There had been occasions when other councillors tried to stop him from criticising the clothing allowance by citing the policy and warning him they’d report to the local government standard body if he didn’t stay quiet.

Staff were wary of potentially spending thousands of dollars on legal advice, so the committee instead resolved to go to the local government department for advice, along with seeking an opinion from the state solicitor’s office.

by DAVID BELL