Perth Voice Interactive

CEBA gets awards cash

August 4, 2016

THE Central Eastern Business Association has finally got its $15,000 from Bayswater council to hold an awards night.

The CEBA awards are a shot in the arm for local businesses but Bayswater council’s been unable to vote on the grant because too many councillors have accepted tickets to previous awards and have been told they’ve got a conflict of interest.

Meanwhile councillor Dan Bull’s business is a part of CEBA (he withdrew in time for this vote), while Chris Cornish, and Catherine Ehrhardt are members of CEBA and declared an impartiality interest.

They didn’t want to vote, but the department of local government knocked back a request to give councillors who’d attended dinners an exemption to vote and firmly told the trio they had no option.

Cr Cornish said the ruling from the department was that if he vacated the council chamber he’d be acting “contrary to the spirit of the act”.

“I do not want to be here,” Cr Cornish told Tuesday’s meeting.

Impartiality interest

”I do not think it passes the pub test. I don’t think the councillors who have had to leave this chamber for accepting two tickets … [are] conflicted.

“Councillors should be given the right to declare an impartiality interest and leave the room,” he later told the Voice, adding the sector should be doing all it could to reduce the perception of conflicts of interest.

Cr Bull, a lawyer by trade, says “it’s ripe for mistakes to be inadvertently made by councillors across the state under this regime”.

“As a consequence I don’t blame councillors for erring on the side of caution in determining if they should be in the room or outside of the room.

“My personal view is issues such as the one seen with CEBA are potentially going to occur more frequently throughout the sector while councillors grapple with what their statutory obligations are.”

by DAVID BELL
Cubans share a ‘human’ Castro

August 4, 2016

PERTH’S Cuban community is holding an exhibition to celebrate the 90th birthday of the country’s communist leader Fidel Castro.

Regularly portrayed in Western media as a moustachioed Cold War villain, defying Lady America with every authoritarian puff of his cigar, the exhibition is designed to put a more human face on Castro.

It’s being organised by the Cuban embassy, the Australia-Cuba Friendship Society, the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the People and the local branch of the CFMEU.

Curator Christopher Crouch has selected images taken by Castro’s personal photographer Roberto Chile which show the leader around the time he stepped down from power in 2006.

• Photographer Roberto Chile captured Cuban leader Fidel Castro as he prepared to step down from power.

The most visible and vocal Cuban expat community lives in Miami, most strongly anti-Castro. The US government has long pointed to that community’s distaste for their homeland as evidence Cuba is a crumbling second world dystopia ruled by a dictator.

Since coming to know Perth’s Cuban community, Dr Crouch has discovered views here are far less one-sided.

Unlike Miami’s diaspora, many return regularly and speak fondly of the country’s culture, where they don’t have 17 brands of margarine but do have free healthcare and education.

“No human being is universally liked by everyone,” Dr Crouch says, but he reckons there’s a genuine warmth to the commandant that dictators usually have to manufacture.

”What the photos show is a Cuban perspective of Fidel, someone who is seen as a wise father figure. Whether we agree or not is neither here nor there.

“It’s a very interesting insight into an old man stepping down from power.”

In one image Castro looks frail in a hospital bed, his spotted hand sporting a bandaid which is likely covering the hole from an intravenous drip.

But he’s still an active mind: “What you have in these photos is an old man, stepping down from power, still talking, still head of state, but there’s a sense of the man’s intelligence and sophistication and his ability to communicate… he’s intellectually active, but physically frail.”

It’s a view of a leader that rarely seeps out in western politics, which often involves carefully curated images of leaders in suits, shaking hands, kissing babies.

“The political rhetoric and the rhetoric of life in Cuba is very different,” Dr Crouch says. “The idea of Tony Abbot being photographed being vulnerable, it wouldn’t happen. Everything is based around this centred, empowered, masculine world. It’s a very different conception of who you are in Cuba.”

The For Fidel exhibition is at Tafe’s Gallery Central at 12 Aberdeen Street, August 17 to 20.

by DAVID BELL
Ban it now!

August 4, 2016

SOUTH metro MLC LYNN MaCLAREN joined about 200 protestors on Wilson Park, South Fremantle on Sunday to call for a ban on greyhound racing in WA. The sport has already been outlawed in NSW and the ACT after numerous media and official reports uncovered horrific abuses of dogs and mass euthanasia. Unwary wildlife was also turned into grisly live baits. Ms MacLaren revealed at the meeting that more than 700 greyhounds were put down in WA during the 2013/14 and 2014/15 seasons because of injuries or poor performance. Another 157 were killed because they were unsuitable for a new home. In this week’s THINKING ALLOWED she says enough’s enough and the Barnett government should be issuing its own ban.

WA must act now in response to the overwhelming evidence that has led NSW and ACT to ban greyhound racing because of systemic cruelty.

Senseless deaths and injuries are unacceptable to all Australians.

A recent NSW independent inquiry uncovered the ghastly truth about greyhound racing. It’s clear that the ‘social license’ enjoyed by the industry no longer exists.

The report states: “Members condoned and participated in the mass slaughter of tens of thousands of healthy greyhounds simply because they no longer are, or never were, able to compete against other dogs. …it appears unlikely that the issue of the large scale killing of healthy greyhounds by the industry can be addressed successfully in the future.”

Damning evidence

The evidence provided in this report was so damning that both NSW and ACT acted to put systems in place to ban the industry immediately.

Interestingly these governments are of different political persuasions — NSW is Liberal while ACT is Labor. This clearly demonstrates that whether or not greyhound racing should be allowed is above party politics – it is a moral and ethical issue.

Worldwide the industry is in decline, with only eight countries permitting greyhound racing. In the USA, it is illegal in 40 out of 50 states.

The question on all of our minds is: to what extent do these horrific practices happen in WA?

The short answer is we don’t know for sure. I have repeatedly asked questions in Parliament trying to get an accurate picture of the number of injuries greyhounds have sustained and how many dogs have been euthanised simply because they weren’t fast enough. My questions have been consistently stymied or stonewalled.

Soon after the 2015 Four Corners exposé of the industry shone a light on live baiting practices in NSW and Queensland I called for an independent investigation into the WA industry here.

The government refused, maintaining that there was no need as Racing and Wagering WA monitored the practice. In light of such serious allegations of misconduct that was taking place in the Eastern states this response was clearly inadequate.

We know that many of the dogs that race here have been bred and trained in other states. The WA scene is interconnected with what is happening nationally.

Horrific injuries

The minister has recently admitted however that in Western Australia at least 800 dogs have been euthanised in the past two years. Of these 520 were due to injuries and 182 were because of lack of racing ability or being a poor performer. These numbers are outrageously high.

We can also assume that the horrific track injuries reported in the inquiry report such as skull fractures and broken backs happen here. These kinds of injuries can occur during a race and as such are an inherent part of the sport.

Lack of transparency into the WA industry aside, if you share my belief that humans have a responsibility to minimise any suffering of animals caused by human activities, and to maximise their quality of life, then you will also agree that Greyhound racing is a sport that is fundamentally at odds with this stance.

Should the NSW report fail to convince the current WA government to ban greyhound racing here, they may well finally instigate an independent inquiry into the WA industry. But each time a dog incurs a painful catastrophic injury during a race and with each greyhound euthanised for not being the fastest in the litter, the ‘sport’ will fall further into disgrace. Best to follow the lead of NSW and ACT and initiate a ban.
Majestic Himalayas

August 4, 2016

Scale the heights of the Himalayas without leaving the country. Himalayan Nepalese Restaurant and Cafe introduces the unique tastes of this magnificent region in 3 handy locations – Inglewood, Vic Park and Mosman Park. Enjoy the finest Nepalese cuisine in a relaxed and friendly environment.

The Nepalese people are descendants of major migrations from India, Tibet, North Burma and Yunnan and the cuisine reflects this rich cultural diversity. It draws on the great culinary traditions of China and India to create unique dishes and tantalising flavours. It is healthy, fresh and delicious!

The menu contains a mouthwatering mix of chicken, beef, goat and fish curry-style dishes that range. There’s plenty of choice if you prefer just a touch of spice, such as machha tareko – pan fried marinated fish fillets and kasha sa raga – boneless lamb cooked in a mild thick sauce. And if you like your curry with a kick, the fiery flavours of Himalayan hot lamb will hit the spot. Chara ko sekuwa is the house specialty – tender pieces of chicken marinated in a spiced yogurt, slow cooked in the Tandoor oven. It is exceptional.

Starters include chicken momo – divine little melt-in-the-mouth dumplings. They are a must – if you haven’t tried them before.

“Momo is the Nepalese equivalent of steamed dim sum: tender meat encased in a delicate dough. They’re slightly spicier than their oriental cousins, garnished with ginger, garlic and coriander,” explains owner Bhairab. Vegetarians are well catered for, with a tempting array of non-meat options and the kids will be kept happy with yummy butter chicken.

Great dishes, modest prices and good service, take a trip to the Himalayas soon!

Himalayan Nepalese
840 Beaufort Street, Inglewood
Phone: 6161 9509
www.himalayanrestaurant.com.au
A little bit of heaven

August 4, 2016

I’VE killed more bonsai than I’ve had hot dinners, so it’s probably just as well there were no mini-trees at The Bonsai Restaurant to get me thinking “maybe this time”.

The restaurant’s name was chosen to reflect a common bond between creating a beautiful bonsai or an authentic Japanese dish; both need intricate knowledge and skill to produce something that outwardly seems so simple.

“Each dish possesses the love and care of tradition and is innovated to excite the taste buds of the modern customer,” The Bonsai webpage says.

And excite the taste buds it did, so much so I was sorry we were heading to the theatre and didn’t have the leisure to explore more.

The hot, cold and fried share menu is perfect for sampling a wide range of dishes – all beautifully presented mini artworks of culinary delight.

My days of likening a dish of raw fish to sucking on worms has long gone, so I was keen to try the salmon sashimi on asparagus ($12.90).

The finely sliced fish was so tender it melted in the mouth, with a pleasant fresh taste and wonderful texture.

A small bowl of steamed rice was just the thing with the cajun squid ($14.50), tender spicy pieces sweetened with a garlic caramel soy sauce.

And the dishes kept coming, with the arrival of the soft crab tempura ($17.90), pan seared scallops ($20.80), beef asparagus ($16.90) and vegetable tempura ($14.50).

Looking like slender fingers the crab flesh was subtle and the batter crisp, and the wasabi mayo set it off to perfection.

The scallops were divine, the soft flesh making chewing superfluous and the karashi-su (a type of mustard) miso vinaigrette refreshingly zingy.

The vegetable tempura really showed off the talent of the chef, the vegetables perfectly cooked and the batter so light and crisp it was in danger of floating away.

The beef was thinly sliced and tender.

The dessert menu sounds equally amazing and I’d be up for trying the black sesame ice cream ($4).

But the bell was about to ring at the Blue Room Theatre so we bid a fond farewell to The Bonsai and its pleasant and efficient service, hoping for a return visit in the not too distant future.

by JENNY D’ANGER

The Bonsai Restaurant
30 Roe Street, Northbridge
Wed–Sun, 5.30–9pm
A brush with Baroque takes artist to new level

August 4, 2016

MOODY lighting, a solitary cellist playing Bach and the fluid movements of a partially obscured figure painting a huge canvas in Judith Wright’s latest exhibition takes art to a different plane.

“I’m painting through a series of screens. The front layers are transparent so the audience can see me as I work.” Wright told the Voice.

She’s linked up with cellist Rachel Scott, a personal friend, who will perform one of the German composers pieces as part of her unusual Bach in the Dark series.

• Rachel Scott fiddles while Judith Wright paints. Photo supplied

Mesmerised

The inspiration for the series came after the internationally-renowned performer played at a remote community school.

Leaving her precious 1789 cello behind, she took a ”purple, sparkly stunt cello”.

She told the school kids to lie on the ground so they could feel the music as well as hear it, and she says they were mesmerised.

“They were really silent … later one little boy said ‘Rachel this is the most beautiful thing I have ever heard’.”

Inspired, she created Bach in the Dark and co-opted other musicians to tackle his works in the darkened crypt of St James’ church in Sydney.

“I wanted everyone to be in the dark, a glass of wine in hand — that’s the way I like to listen to Bach.”

Combining her music with painting seemed a logical step.

“So many people say they don’t look at me…it doesn’t become Rachel and art and Judith, it becomes just Bach,” Scott told the Voice.

White says painting is normally a private activity for her, so to be creative in front of an audience was an enjoyable challenge.

“I use the music as a tool to help interpret creative activity and Bach is amazing in terms of the imagery that I can associate with it.”

Known for her pure watercolour technique, water is a recurring theme in White’s work.

Her current exhibition Island focuses on the junction of land and water, the power of the natural environment and the interaction of human history and endeavour at the edge of this connection.

Bach in the Dark is on August 11, but White’s Island exhibition runs until August 21, at Linton and Kay galleries, St Georges Terrace, Perth.

by JENNY D’ANGER
A swing and a miss

August 4, 2016

MAKING music for a living is tough, but a career in the male-dominated jazz scene is even harder for women, Perth Jazz Society president Gemma Farrell says.

Which is why the Willagee musician is helping coordinate a course aimed at encouraging young women aged 12 to 25 to see jazz as a career.

The six weeks of tutorials and workshops will be held at the WA Academy of Performing Arts, under the auspices of the WA Youth Jazz Orchestra.

Jazz has traditionally been seen as a male domain, where women at best were singers.

Gemma Farrell (soprano sax) Alana MacPherson (alsto sax) Talya Valenti (drums) and Kate Pass (double bass) are carrying the torch for women in jazz. Photo by Jenny D’Anger

Numbers have improved over recent years, but only slightly, 29-year-old Farrell says.

“I was the only female sax player in [my year] at WAAPA.”

Talya Valenti (26) is a crash-hot drummer, but being petite some find that hard to believe: “People always think I’m the singer,” she told the Voice.

The WA Symphony Orchestra holds “screened” auditions, where even footsteps are muffled by carpet so the panel doesn’t know the gender of an applicant.

Which Farrell attributes to a 50/50 male and female split of its musicians: “[While] only 15 per cent of professional jazz musicians are female.”

The workshops kick off August 20, and will culminate with a concert at The Ellington Jazz Club – as WA’s first all female jazz band.

Auditions for the workshops are on August 13. To find out more go to wayjo.com and click onto Young Women in Jazz.
ASTROLOGY August 6 – August 13, 2016

August 4, 2016

ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)
The more disciplined you are, the more creativity surfaces. Know your chops. Soon your mastery will come flying out like a bird of fire. Keep picking up your instrument, no matter what it is. Stay in the moment with it. Each committed interaction will strengthen your skills and confidence.

TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 20)
Venus is out of Leo and into Virgo. This settles you down a little. You may have been feeling like you were walking on a highwire. Highwires are no places for bulls. Now you feel like you have ground beneath your feet. The earth is supporting you in all sorts of ways. Know this well.

GEMINI (May 21 – June 21)
Mercury has moved into Virgo. He will be here for a while. It would be wise to understand the implications. Gemini is associated with that part of our nervous system that is conscious. Virgo is more about our silent, unconscious, bodily functions. Listen to the music of your organism.

CANCER (June 22 – Jul 22)
The Moon begins her week in Virgo. This grounds you and keeps you from getting too skittish in the light of the Leo Sun. The Leo Sun can feel very extroverted and outgoing, whilst you prefer to operate more silently and under the radar. Your friends will keep you grounded and sane.

LEO (July 23 – Aug 22)
This is a particularly creative time for you. The Sun in Leo is at the fulcrum of what in astrology is called a Yod, or ‘finger of god’. The other two players, who are driving this time of great blessings, are Pluto and Neptune. Pluto implies transformation. Neptune implies bliss. Go deep.

VIRGO (Aug 23 – Sept 22)
There are now four planets in Virgo, as well as the North Node of the Moon. You are in an astrological hot spot. You are in line to revision many parts of yourself that you have been taking for granted. This is a very good thing. The time is ripe for moving from stuckness to flow.

LIBRA (Sept 23 – Oct 23)
Venus just moved into Virgo. This may feel inhibiting, initially. It may feel like there are constrictions around your capacity to enjoy yourself. Life is not going to change. It is up to you to figure out the code and discover a new joy. Be realistic. Get a handle on the natural order.

SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 21)
Mars has gone. He has done his work and is moving on. You will feel less drive, but also less tension and less drama. You no longer have anyone pushing you every inch of the way. Your trainer wheels have been taken off. A few wobbles here and there are natural. Connect poetically.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 – Dec 21)
Mars is in your territory. He is the planet on which we project our ideas of what it means to be masculine. This is the theme that will be travelling with you now. Drive is a good thing. Repressed, it gets antsy. Indulged, it becomes a monster. Love and awareness make it a healthy adventurer.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 19)
The Leo Sun reminds you that love is the ultimate power. It reminds you that we are here to sparkle, to be wonderful and colourful, and not just to be useful and functional. It reminds you of your roots – of your capacity for silliness and joy. Transformation is not a heavy thing. Wear it lightly.

AQUARIUS (Jan 20 – Feb 18)
Make relationship your craft. To attune oneself to another human being is an extraordinary thing to do. If you are too loud, you will drown them out. If you are too soft, they will struggle to find your melody and get terribly confused. Are you up for mastering this most delicate of arts?

PISCES (Feb 19 – Mar 20)
The Leo Sun is intrinsically optimistic. Even though prone to encouraging grandiosity, it only does this so life can be ‘more so’. Have some fun. There may be someone nearby who is inviting you to play. To say ‘yes’ might well be the most therapeutic thing you’ve done for a long while.
Coolbinia treasure

August 4, 2016

WHEN a home designed by architect Ivan Iwanoff was gutted by fire earlier this year headlines lamented the “loss of a local treasure”.

Thirty years after his death, aged 67, Bulgarian-born Iwanoff is still regarded as one of Australia’s best and a wander through this Cranbrook Street, Coolbinia home reveals why.

Quite simply this four-bedroom home has sleek lines and beautiful spaces that look as elegant and space-aged as when it was built in the late 50s or early 60s.

The vendors added an extension, enhancing the maestro’s design with gorgeous open spaces perfect for today’s family.

Gorgeous

Iwanoff’s work is tagged “brutalist”, but there’s nothing brutal about the gorgeous skillion roof lines, and the use of limestone bricks for the exterior walls.

Step inside and you’ll think you’ve walked into a Home Beautiful magazine straight from the 50s.

A lake of silken-honey blackbutt floors shimmer with life and light thanks to banks of huge windows, and glass doors.

They flow down a set of stairs to the bedroom wing and in the other direction through to a second living area beyond the kitchen.

There are three sitting areas, each with its own access to the outdoors.

Golden timber stylishly frames the semi-open kitchen from the living area, while glossy-black drawers and cupboards and white Caesarstone benchtops are a touch of class at the working end of this commodious space.

A six-burner Smeg stove/oven and a tall double pantry add to the delight of cooking in this attractive space.

French doors off the dining area lead to an expansive covered alfresco area, with a timbered deck and timber and alsynite ceiling.

There’s a swath of grass and manicured hedges, backdropped by many huge neighbourhood trees.

Stone stairs lead down to one of the best timber-cubby houses you’ll ever see, nestled under a magnificent flame tree, where the kids have their own grassy promenade to run and play.

Asked what she loved about living here the vendor said simply: “The lot. I love the open design…the wow factor as you walk in the door and it has a nice vibe.”

She also likes that it’s so close to the local shopping centre she can walk, and that there’s a park mere metres away to walk the dog.

“And there’s a nice mix of people in the area. Families and people who have been here for the past 50 years.”

by JENNY D’ANGER

7 Cranbrook St, Coolbinia
Auction Saturday August 20, 12pm
Jody Missell
0401 770 782
Acton Mt Lawley
9272 2488
Clearing goes to EPA

July 29, 2016

THE clearing of a privately owned wetland near Eric Singleton bird sanctuary has been referred to the Environmental Protection Authority.

The referral was by a “third party” according to the EPA, meaning it was likely a concerned citizen and not a government agency or Bayswater council.

The EPA has 28 days to decide whether to formally assess the wetlands development, and if so, at what level. It said now the issue’s on its books, it could make no additional comment.

Meanwhile Bayswater councillor Chris Cornish has launched a freedom of information request to discover what “environmental assessment or consideration” was done by the WA planning commission prior to approval.

Cr Cornish wants correspondence between WAPC and all environmental bodies which provided relevant information.

He believes the department of parks and wildlife wanted a bigger buffer between the development and the wetlands (as did most Bayswater councillors), but the WAPC instead allowed the owner to pay cash in lieu.

WAPC chair Eric Lumsden fronted 720 ABC radio this week to explain the approval. He pointed out there’s already a 20m buffer between the proposed development site and the bird sanctuary (which, while officially labelled King William Street, is actually just a footpath) and said there was no objections from other government departments.

One point from Mr Lumsden can’t be argued: Bayswater council had ample time to change the zoning from residential to parkland if it thought the wetlands were important enough, and could have purchased some of the land a few years back. It did neither.

Mr Lumsden said the council’s vote on the sub-division wasn’t unanimous either, and at 6-5 was close enough to have been a factor in the commission’s approval.

Locals opposing the clearing were planning a protest outside planning minister Donna Faragher’s electorate office in Guildford on Friday July 29 at 10am.

Maylands MP Lisa Baker and Ms Faragher were also due to meet about the issue on Thursday after the Voice’s deadline.

Meanwhile some activists have complained about Bayswater council cracking down on their protest signs.

CEO Francesca Lefante says while technically signs are prohibited without a permit, the council’s approached the issue with kid gloves: “The city’s rangers did remove one sign that was adjacent to a shared path as it was deemed to represent a safety hazard.”

The city is also pursuing the developer over damage to trees on public land that were hacked into because of overhanging branches, saying the chainsaws were used too liberally.

“A number of trees along the bike path adjacent to the land were pruned without authority from the city,” Ms Lefante reports.

“The city takes vandalism of trees very seriously and has power to take action under the Local Government Act 1995.

Protestors told the Voice they’d already collected nearly 1000 signatures opposing the sub-division.

by DAVID BELL