Perth Voice Interactive

RAINBOW RIGHTS WA is petitioning premier Colin Barnett to support legislation quashing historical convictions under old anti-gay laws.

The legislation making homosexual intercourse illegal wasn’t repealed until 1989, and at the height of its enforcement in the 60s and 70s hundreds of men were convicted. A conviction, even if spent, still comes up in job interviews for sensitive security positions, the police, or working at the Perth Mint. It also makes travel to the USA difficult.

In June, Maylands MP Lisa Baker used her budget reply speech to argue for legislation expunging the convictions and an apology to the men (“Push to quash gay convictions,” Voice, July 2, 2016).

Now LGBTI+ advocacy group Rainbow Rights WA is collecting a petition to present to the premier saying “WA is the only state that has not quashed these convictions… this can be fixed with the help of public support and political goodwill”.

“RRWA believes it is unjust to leave these charges and convictions in place, as they stand as a reminder of a shameful part of WA’s history where people were targeted by the law for simply expressing who they were and who they loved. Furthermore, it is unjust and unfair that people can potentially have these archaic convictions held against them decades after these discriminatory laws were removed.”

RRWA is a new group formed out of a Pride WA and Equal Opportunity Commission human rights forum in 2015. While Pride continues to handle the cultural side of things like the march, fair day and artistic events, RRWA’s vice chair Jon Mann says “our main goals are providing advocacy and an avenue to deal with the kind of issues we feel, in the community, aren’t being dealt with by anyone. We will be pushing the human rights agenda more than anything else.”

Their petition is up now on the their Facebook page at Rainbow Rights WA.

by DAVID BELL

A CONTENTIOUS concrete batching plant planned for Bayswater looks likely to get approval, with environment minister Albert Jacob deciding it doesn’t need a full environmental assessment.

Ransberg Pty Ltd got approval for the Collier Road plant after a state administrative tribunal appeal, but locals concerned about health impacts, air quality and the amenity of their neighbourhood were hoping the environmental protection authority might step in. The EPA says a full assessment isn’t necessary.

Bayswater councillor Chris Cornish lodged an appeal (one of four) to the environment minister, beseeching him to force the EPA’s hand and provide a full formal environmental assessment.

The minister sent him a long letter saying “no”.

Scathing

Cr Cornish wrote a scathing opinion piece on his blog, saying Mr Jacob’s response could be summarised by an image he posted: a picture of the minister’s head placed on a cartoon body pulling the middle finger.

“The people who live and/or work in the vicinity have been severely let down by numerous state government departments,” Cr Cornish wrote.

He says the EPA and the minister trusted Ransberg’s dust and noise modelling instead of doing independent investigations.

Cr Cornish also says the plant will be capable of producing 150 cubic metres of cement every hour, yet the applicant says mostly it will only produce 135 cubic metres in a full day. A couple of times a year that might rise to 500 cubic metres. “It defies logic that the plant capacity is ignored in this way,” he wrote.

“The SAT are the real villains in this whole process. There should never have been an approval in the first place, and now we simply await their red stamp, the only one they have, for approval of the revised plans.

Let down

“The people have been sorely let down”.

Mr Jacob says the EPA considered “amenity, human health, and air quality … but concluded that its objectives for these factors could be met without the need for a formal environmental impact assessment.”  The minister also noted the plant had approvals through the SAT.

Mr Jacob also says if the plant does ramp up production, it’ll still have to abide by planning and environmental rules.

“Taking into account the information available to me, including the level of local interest, I consider the EPA was justified in determining not to assess the proposal,” Mr Jacob’s letter reads. “I note in particular that the proposal will need to meet detailed conditions relating to dust in the SAT approval as well as meet statutory requirements under the concrete batching and noise regulations.”

by DAVID BELL

THE Lorax lurked on the steps of parliament this week to speak for the trees, imploring MPs to protect privately-owned Bayswater wetlands that are being eyed off for housing.

The Lorax joined campaigners from Environment House and Maylands MP Lisa Baker who tabled a petition calling on planning minister Donna Faragher to grant a planning control area for the wetland to halt further works.

In the upper house Labor MP Samantha Rowe said “given the significance of the privately owned wetlands known as Skipper’s Row and Carter’s Block… will the minister declare either of these sites a planning control area”.

Ms Faragher’s response: “No. The existing planning framework and processes that apply to the sites provide for the consideration of environmental matters.

“I understand that the City of Bayswater is exploring options to potentially purchase the land, which would also involve considering the possible reservation of the site under its local planning scheme.”

She pointed out Bayswater had the option to buy up the land or change its zoning to prevent housing in years past, “and it chose not to”.

“It should be noted that the site has been zoned urban under the metropolitan region scheme since at least 1963 and for residential purposes under the City of Bayswater town planning scheme 24 since at least 2004. Further I am advised that although the site is identified as a multiple use wetland, this is the lowest classification level and it does not prohibit subdivision or development.”

The protesters haven’t given up: They were outside parliament again this week calling for intervention.

by DAVID BELL

DISCRIMINATION continued even after anti-gay laws were removed from the books, one Voice reader tells us.

The man, who asked to be anonymous to avoid being restigmatised, claims in the mid-90s he was targeted by homophobic police.

He says gay men who’d meet at “beats” (spots to meet for socialising) were routinely charged with “loitering with intent to commit a crime” if they were caught in a car together, even if there was no hanky panky happening. While sometimes charges followed a steamy session, such laws were almost never used against straight couples and have since been repealed.

“They’d just come in and clear out the car parks and charge everybody.

Kick doors in

“They actually wrestled people to the ground, they’d kick doors in and quite literally drag you out.

“It was real homophobia, even after the 1989 legislation went through there was still a very homophobic culture. It has changed a bit now but right up to the mid-90s there were people still being charged”.

He says the meetings were harmless and often involved little more than a barbecue, and often they were the only place people who hadn’t come out could socialise with other gay men.

His conviction put a speed hump on plans to travel to the United States, requiring him to pay for an application for a spent conviction.

“Could you imagine if you wanted to get a police clearance if you want to work with children?” he grimaces.

Along with completely wiping these convictions, he says “we think it’s really important that we get an apology as well. It’s important to show there has been a change in culture, and especially in police culture”.

LAX rules allowing houses to be demolished before councils find out what will replace them are leaving gap-toothed streets and undermining Vincent’s heritage streetscapes, says mayor John Carey.

Until last year developers needed plans on the table before councils would approve a demolition. The law aimed to prevent blocks lying vacant, attracting rubbish, vandalism, and generally bringing the tone of the street down.

Mr Carey says removing that protection could leave more streets with ugly gaps, despite the council introducing hard-fought character protection areas which were designed to give residents the change to preserve streetscapes they way they are.

“[It’s] weakened our character protection areas, because you can just demolish without submitting plans, whereas if we had the old regime you’d have to submit plans and those plans would have to be in alignment with the character retention area,” Mr Carey said.

Critical issue

He says the council would be stuck between a rock and a hard place; if it rejected a development application it could result in an ugly empty block for years.

“This is a critical issue and we want it to be changed,” Mr Carey says. “We’ll be going to the WA planning commission and the minister seeking a change.”

It’s already come to a head on Harley Street. Locals were in the planning stages of applying a streetscape protection area, but the owners of number 14 have demolished, making for a gap-tooth smile in the street.

They went to the council with a new plan for a two-storey house that was roundly condemned by neighbours.

Resident and former ABC broadcaster Verity James told Vincent councillors lovely Harley Street was getting the “architecture of crapola” creeping in.

The mayor, a fellow ex-journo, told her “Verity I’m going to have to call to order on that”.

The council rejected the designs “due to the adverse impact they would have on the streetscape and surrounding properties”.

The owner’s appealing to the state administrative tribunal, but as that lengthy process drags out everyone’s stuck with an empty block.

by DAVID BELL

A PETITION to remove pesky peppermint trees in Yokine has been slapped in front of Stirling council.

Fourteen Lonsdale Street locals are demanding the newly planted peppies be pulled out of their verge.

“We consider the trees to be unsuitable for the purpose due to their appearance, size, growth habit and reputation for producing large amounts of debris,” their petition claims.

They’re also not happy with the “method and level of consultation over the choice of tree species”. The gripe opines that “two trees per verge is problematic in an area subject to infill”.

It’s in stark contrast to tree agitation over the border in Bayswater, where locals railed against the council pulling out peppermint trees from Halliday Park (the city said they were too old and dangerous). And over in Vincent the council has for the past year been inundated by people keen to host greenery on their verges in a council-subsidised program.

The petition’s now with Stirling’s parks and reserves department to mull over.

by DAVID BELL

ALANNAH MACTIERNAN’S political career is almost certain to be revived with Labor leader Mark McGowan keen to see her fill a vacancy left by retiring upper house MP Ken Travers.

Ms MacTiernan, 63, has served as state MP, Vincent mayor, and recently retired from federal politics as the Perth MP.

Some Liberal party members greeted the news by taking aim at her age.

ABC reported Liberal MP Joe Francis, age 61, saying bringing her back was like “Lazarus with a quadruple bypass”.

Upper house member Phil Edman described Ms MacTiernan as a dinosaur, saying his party could bring back Norman Moore and the pair could be put in the upper house with a “blanket on their laps so they are nice and warm”.

Ms MacTiernan was light-hearted about the criticism: “It’s official, A-Mac is no more,” referring to her old nickname. “You can call me A-Rex (Alannah-saurus Rex). Big, powerful, but definitely not extinct. Thanks @phil_edman,” she signed off with a tag that would alert her quarry to the post.

The cabinet has its fair share of 60 year olds: Colin Barnett is 66  and so is Mike Nahan. Peter Collier is 57, John Day is 60, Andrew Mitchell is 60, and Michael Mischin is 57. Joe Francis is 45, Albert Jacob is the youngster in cabinet at 36 and Mia Davies is 37.

by DAVID BELL