Perth Voice Interactive

A PICTURE of a protestor dressed as the Lorax protesting wetlands destruction has been rejected from a Bayswater council photo competition for being too politically charged.

Branka Radanovich submitted the pic of rabble rouser Greg Smith dressed up as Dr Lorax with a sign saying “Help save our wetlands and Eric Singleton Bird Sanctuary” and imploring people to sign a petition against a housing development on privately owned land.

The verdict from the council: Too political.

Lobbying

CEO Francesca Lefante said via email the photo “was deemed to infringe one of the rules of the competition that states that entries may be excluded if they are deemed not to be in keeping with the spirit of the competition, or of a political nature or designed to promote the interests of other organisations and/or special interest or lobbying groups”.

Mr Radanovich was allowed to submit an alternative image of the Lorax reading to kids, deemed less politically potent. It was put in as a late addition which got at least one anti-protestor protesting.

A poster calling himself “Mike Doyle,” whose Facebook page appears to have been set up that day, complained “why has this photo been added a week after entries closed and why are Councillors [Chris] Cornish and [Catherine] Ehrhardt voting for it? Is that appropriate when it’s a council competition?” He went through clicking on a bunch of the other entries, copying and pasting a similar complaint.

It appears the “voting” he refers to was the councillors clicking the “Like” button, which many councillors do on many photos every month.

“If I see a picture I like, I will certainly ‘like’ it,” Cr Ehrhardt says. She’d also liked some of the others posted earlier, including an utterly unpolitical picture of some birds.

by DAVID BELL

KEEPING an eye on who’s wining and dining elected officials got a bit easier in Bayswater, with the city’s “governance portal” going online.

The site is a one-stop spot about who’s been gifted what, who traveled where, and who’s not been showing up to meetings.

The creation of many of the online registers was driven by councillors Dan Bull, Brent Fleeton and Catherine Ehrhardt.

The gifts listed recently don’t paint too much of a picture of fat cats supping: A couple of $25 luncheons here and there with Crs Bull, Ehrhardt and mayor Barry McKenna joining Amber-Jade Sanderson for a dinner at parliament house being the most recent ($50 a head, or $25 for Cr Ehrhardt since she didn’t have any plonk).

The portal also shows the fees councillors are being paid ($139,310 for the mayor, $34,764 for ordinary councillors) and the number of employees pulling in over $100,000 a year. A total of 28 staffers are making six figure sums, with eight of them coming from technical services alone, 5 in planning, 6 in finance and 7 in community services.

Attendance at council meetings and committees is also recorded.

Cr Ehrhardt says laying it all bare “shows we’ve got a true commitment to transparency”.

It’s up now at http://www.bayswater.wa.gov.au/council/governance-portal

by DAVID BELL

LOCAL government finances are to be overseen by the auditor general, with the Barnett government adopting a recommendation from a CCC report launched soon after massive rorting was uncovered at Stirling council.

The report found local governments are vulnerable to fraud, corruption, and other misconduct.

Local government minister Tony Simpson has introduced legislation to make the change, saying there’s no reason for councils to be less open and accountable than other levels of government.

“This [Bill] will not only improve local governments’ understanding of their financial position…but also provide local governments with the ability to take corrective action in a timely way,” Mr Simpson told the legislative assembly.

“In this way, ratepayers’ funds and community interests are better protected.”

by TRILOKESH CHANMUGAM

BALCATTA’S tip-shop has reopened after a month-long makeover and is now under the management of a social enterprise.

Workpower helps people with disabilities find employment, and CEO Lee Broomhall says the tip-shop is a great example of what can be achieved with a diverse and integrated workforce.

”I have no doubt customers who have frequented the Recycling Centre in the past will enjoy an improved shopper experience when they visit now,” Ms Broomhall said.

The shop floor is now more organised and items are marked with the price, there are more staff to help unload goods and there’s even a kiosk for a cuppa while treasure hunting.

by TRILOKESH CHANMUGAM

STIRLING councillors Stephanie Proud and David Michael picked up awards at the recent local government conference. Cr Proud picked up a merit award, while Cr Michael joined CEO Michael Jardine in becoming a recipient of an eminent service award for his council work over many years.

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Correction

STIRLING loves culture even more than we thought! Last week we wrote council had bumped up flagship event funding by $10,000, when the actual bonus for events was over $20,950 for the Voice’s patch of Stirling, and $47,950 across its whole bailiwick. The error was made by a sub-editor.

AMID a massive $25-million upgrade of East Perth train station a kind-hearted Voice reader has called up to make sure authorities keep an eye out for a family of finches that’s been living there more than 20 years.

The reader (who wanted to stay anonymous because of his job) said for as long as he’d been coming to the station he’d seen successive generations of the birds breeding in the eaves of the platform shelter.

He says the wee family has done renos over the years to keep the spot active, as it keeps them sheltered from predatory birds like kookaburras.

Previously work has kept the tiny red birds in mind said our twitcher: “When they painted the station, the painters lifted up the nest and painted, then put it back there,” he said.

The PTA’s Claire Krolsays “it’s nice to know people notice these things”.

“We’re aware of the birds, and we will ensure any fauna on site is caught (if possible) and relocated to a suitable location,” she said.

The upgrades aim to modernise and expand the station in preparation for larger crowds expected once the new Perth stadium opens. About 7500 people out of the stadium’s 60,000 capacity are expected to come via East Perth station.

Works include lengthening the platform, putting in a better pedestrian bridge with more covered area that’s also compliant with the disability discrimination act, four new lifts, bike facilities, and upgrades that’ll let them handle Midland line disruptions more smoothly.

by DAVID BELL

MOUNT LAWLEY and Meltham train stations are not closing, with transport minister Dean Nalder quashing rumours of their demise this week.

Whispers about the stations closing stemmed from a meeting between Bayswater council and the public transport authority, where a state bureaucrat’s comment they were underperforming had the locals worried about their future.

Mt Lawley MP Michael Sutherland asked Mr Nalder for some certainty and the transport minister was clear: “I would like to allay your concerns and assure you that there are no plans or proposals before the government or my office to close these train stations.

“Indeed, both Meltham and Mount Lawley train stations were recently upgraded at a cost of $2 million each.”

He says the PTA is working with councils on “station access strategies”, which are still in the early stages, and haven’t got to the point of determining if there’ll be any station closures across the metropolitan area.

“This is all part of a bigger program to facilitate the railways meeting demands for the next 30 to 50 years,” Mr Nalder said.

Mount Lawley station is chronically underpopulated. The sculptures of three travellers wrought in metal outnumber the actual flesh and blood patrons most times of the day.

by DAVID BELL