Perth Voice Interactive

Teach about terror

March 31, 2016

IN the wake of terrorist attacks in Brussels, Iraq and Pakistan, WA terrorism researcher Anne Aly says Australian kids might have questions and teachers must be ready to answer them.

Dr Aly says most young people who get involved in extremist organisations like ISIS or Al Qaeda are Muslim kids with questions about who they are and what terrorism is achieving. Most were born shortly before or after 911.

If questions aren’t answered properly by adults and educators, kids will seek answers online, putting them at risk of getting sucked into net-savvy, radical and violent groups.

“However, if those questions are answered in a safe and rational way, we can prevent the negative influence of those organisations,” Dr Aly told the Voice.

• Dr Anne Aly

She says teachers should be talking about terrorism in school curricula.

“Those extremist groups influence people by telling them the others are different and stating their moral superiority.

“Therefore, since they are superior it is okay to kill the others as it is the only way to achieve their goals.

“We provide moral dilemmas to kids and examine their responses to violence, and we provide them with alternative ways to express themselves. Like through political participation.”

Dr Aly says it’s not about teaching educators about a different way of doing things but how they can include positive activities to prevent violence, instead of looking for which kids have been “radicalised”.

by MARTA PASCUAL JUANOLA
Darryl’s up for moore

March 31, 2016

DARRYL MOORE has put his hand up for another tilt as the federal Liberal candidate for Perth.

The woman who beat him in 2013 says she’d love to see him win pre-selection, even though she won’t be facing him this time around.

Alannah MacTiernan held off Mr Moore to retain Perth for Labor following Stephen Smith’s retirement.

Having served just one term Ms MacTiernan has decided to call it a day. Labor’s candidate will be lawyer Tim Hammond.

“I’d really be looking forward to Darryl coming back for a second round,” Ms MacTiernan says. “I think that would add a lot of entertainment to the campaign.”

For months after the 2013 election the Voice continued to receive letters from Mr Moore, criticising Ms MacTiernan’s performance.

“I just thought it was extraordinary the degree to which he behaved in such a personal way and was unable to accept the result,” the MP says.

Liberal party rules prevent preselection candidates from speaking publicly.

The Voice understands Mr Moore faces competition for preselection from Oxford University researcher and former World Economic Forum executive Trudi Lang, real estate developer Leona Gu and Jeremy Quinn.

The candidate is expected to be announced at the Liberals’ state council on April 9.

by DAVID BELL
Saved

March 31, 2016

BAYSWATER council has decided to leave the massive beehive in Robert Thomson Park untouched.

The council decided at its meeting last Tuesday to follow the advice of acting technical services chief George Rimpas and not get rid of the hive in one of the park’s sick trees (“Hive save,” Voice, March 26, 2016).

According to Mr Rimpas, the hive is located too high up to become a nuisance to residents and since no complaints had been received the council deemed removal unnecessary.

The council also decided to save three of the sick trees from the axe. They will be fenced off and annual inspections carried out to avoid park users being clobbered by falling limbs.

A marri tree with canker disease will be removed and replaced with four trees.

by MARTA PASCUAL JUANOLA
Boulevard for bikes gets the nod

March 31, 2016

THERE were street campaigns for it, letters against it, and even a bit of petty theft aimed at stopping it. Now, after lengthy consultation it looks like the bike boulevard will be installed in Mt Hawthorn’s Shakespeare Street.

A WA transport department baby, bike boulevards are low-speed neighbourhood streets “where the car is a guest and bikes have priority,” engineered through landscaping, slow points and bike priority areas at intersections.

Based on Dutch models the department says “these streets are quieter and healthier than busy, car-filled streets and are welcoming to children, families, pedestrians and those new to cycling,” and they’re put in areas to connect places like schools, shops and trains. This east-west path will link Mt Hawthorn with Leederville, Lake Monger and the shared path that runs along Mitchell Freeway.

A little over 60 per cent of the street was for it, and at Christmas locals staged a campaign to show their love for the plan by hanging pro-boulevard decorations in their street trees. Many were then stolen by an anti-boulevard grinch who said they were illegal because they were on the verge.

• How a bike boulevard might look—with bikes and pedestrians coming first. Image supplied | Department of Transport

After two rounds of consultation the department wants to go ahead and Vincent council staff have recommended councillors support it (provided the department agrees to pay for it all).

Mayor John Carey wants to delay the final decision until the council can notify all residents, but councillors seemed thoroughly underwhelmed by the stripped down final result, which basically boils down to a 30kph limit and some road treatments.

“How watered down is this from the original proposal?” Mr Carey lamented as the final plan hit the projector at this week’s council briefing.

Given they still get a much-sought after lowered speed and an upgrade at state government expense, it’s unlikely anyone at the council will stand in its way.

Cr Josh Topelberg wanted to ensure a sign went up declaring it was a state government initiative in case anyone had questions as to who was responsible.

Pegged for between Green and Ellesmere Streets, work on the boulevard should start around June.

In other nearby bicycly news, Vincent councillors are due to sign off on the next stage of the city’s big bike lane project, with more lanes going down Bulwer Street between Smith and Lord at a cost of $160,000. It’s been on the cards for a while but the money to pay for it was “inadvertently omitted from inclusion in the budget review”, so it needed a final rubber stamp to go ahead while the engineering teams are on site and raring to go.

by DAVID BELL
Kids call the shots!

March 31, 2016

ARTIST Renee Vassiliou is working on a 50sqm mural in Coolbinia and she’s letting kids call the shots.

New Kidsland owner Taryn Prior commissioned her to do the piece to liven the Walcott Street place up, wanting something more personable than the usual Mickey Mouse motifs on the wall, and Ms Vassiliou wants to go hyper-local by incorporating kids’ requests.

• Clockwise: Rosie (6), Kidsland owner Taryn Prior, Jaxon (6), artist Renee Vassiliou and Anastasia (4) work on a new mural. Photo by Matthew Dwyer

So far youngsters have asked for purple dinosaurs and pink bunnies, and all the houses and people in the mural are local personalities and places (with a little bit of artistic interpretation, since there aren’t actually that many pink and orange houses). Ms Vassiliou’s own daughter Rosie is pictured swinging on an orange tree.

On Friday April 8 she’s inviting everyone down to 340 Walcott Street between 10am and noon to meet the artist and make requests. “I’m expecting lots of lady bugs and flowers,” Ms Vassiliou says.

by DAVID BELL
Noranda joins Baysy

March 31, 2016

NORANDA has become part of the City of Bayswater following a 25-year turf war with neighbouring Swan.

Bounded by Reid and Tonkin highways and Benara Road, the suburb will be officially transferred on July 1.

“The council has been pushing for this boundary change for many years,” Bayswater mayor Barry McKenna said.

“It’s wonderful to see this finally come to fruition.”

Noranda residents pushed hard for the change, garnering 549 signatures from an electorate of 1060.

“There was a very good support. I am very happy,” says Noranda Action Group chair Doug McLennan.

With bustling Morley just 5km away, compared to Midlands being 15km away, most Noranda residents already use Baysy facilities.

Mayor McKenna says Bayswater and Swan will work together to ensure the transition is “as smooth as possible”.

by MARTA PASCUAL JUANOLA
A little law of horrors

March 31, 2016

VINCENT council will consider writing to the WA government pleading for new laws that can help it address “nuisance or dangerous trees” on private property.

The council gets peppered with “numerous requests on a weekly basis” about leaves and branches falling over fences, invasive roots tearing up fences, fire hazards from shedded bark, seeds and leaf litter falling into gutters.

Because it’s treated as a civil matter the council can’t do anything to enforce a crappy neighbour to attend to their nuisance tree, and is only allowed to step in (after a tortuous process) when the tree presents an “immediate danger”.

Cr Josh Topelberg asked council staff to look into a new law to manage nuisance trees but they cautioned against that path, saying the state parliament will probably disallow it.

Instead, the council is most likely going to write to WA local government minister Tony Simpson imploring him to follow the lead of other states and develop new state laws to deal with nuisance trees.

by DAVID BELL
LETTERS 2.4.16

March 31, 2016

First world solution needed
IN the article relating to the proposal to redevelop Charles Street (Voice, March 26, 2016), the Member for Mt Lawley, Michael Sutherland, is quoted saying the concerns raised by residents were a first-world problem.
He is right, and a first-world solution is required.
In terms of process, there was no community involvement in concept or options analysis — essentially, the community was told what it was getting. This led to fear about what might happen for the rest of Charles Street, which is presently a street with safety and amenity issues.
In terms of outcomes, the redevelopment proposal should ensure the needs of pedestrians and cyclists, of all ages and ability, are given the same consideration as motorists. To achieve this, the central median strips should not be removed, mature trees should not be cut down — and more should be planted — and protected bike lanes should be incorporated into the design.
A comprehensive, integrated transport plan for the whole length of Charles Street developed in partnership with the community would also be appreciated.
There is nothing new with the above ambitions — they are encapsulated in state government policies already.
The assistance of Mr Sutherland with voicing the concerns of the community in relation to this project is welcomed. Similarly, the recent meeting with officers from the public transport authority and Main Roads is appreciated and we welcome a productive ongoing relationship that results in a win-win outcome for all.
Andrew Main
Alfonso St, North Perth

What a waste!
IN regards to the Charles Street upgrade and the bus lanes being planned, the only thing I can say is the whole of that area recently had a median strip paving upgrade and now that will be put to dust.
I cannot understand why our public services, using funds extracted from us, continuously pave roads, then pull them up, lay footpaths, then pull them up or in this case, employ expensive paving contractors to do a job when all the while, the plan is to dig it all up.
One would think that with any amount of cross referencing between state and local governments, any planner worth his salt could see that spending money one day to see it all wasted on another day’s plan, is obviously a huge waste of time, money and effort. Our taxes going to work (or not).
Colin Scott
Deague Ct, North Perth

Who are you?
I LOOK forward again to your profiled examination and reporting of candidates for the upcoming federal election.
Yes, I want to know their histories, vested interests, alliances and policies. Also guarantees of where preferences will go from minor parties and independents who can split the vote. Anything of pertinence.
Sadly, we will still end up having a majority or coalition party leader as prime minister with head-of-state powers beyond the brief of someone not popularly elected. A very poor substitute for chief executive/s democratically elected by us all.
To their shame and our loss the Australian Republican Movement does not have the preferable broader Swiss form of republic as a future referendum option.
Gordon Westwood
Coode St, Maylands

Let the people speak
THERE have been recent reports that at least one member of Bayswater city council believes question time at council meetings needs to be curtailed.
It seems, it is thought, that too much time is spent on this important element of the democratic process.
However, one might wonder why it is that so many ratepayers feel the need to turn up at council meetings to challenge elected representatives with questions about matters that concern them.
Maybe, just maybe, the reason is those same ratepayers can’t get answers in any other way. Is the city in lockdown? Letters I have written to the CEO are perceived to fall into a black hole. Letters to some elected representatives are not even acknowledged, let alone answered. Even my letters to Mayor McKenna go unanswered, not even courteously acknowledged.
The stand-out exception is Cr Bull, who seems motivated by good will and in accord with high principles.
It is as if our other elected representatives are gagged. If this is so, then that might explain the behaviour of another councillor who visited my home in response to a letter I had written to him. He offered advice, identifying a public risk insurance issue he thought to be of relevance but, at the conclusion of that visit, asked that I never reveal his name nor the nature of the advice given.
At that time, he was perceived to have been subject to some kind of restraining process that prevented him from overt action. Why? Is factionalism in council, referred to by Cr Coates prior to her election, getting in the way of councillors’ independence, openness and the city’s good governance? Perhaps others of your readers have had similar experiences.
Vince McCudden
Almondbury St, Bayswater
Top Gami in town

March 31, 2016

WHEN I heard about a place called Gami Chicken & Beer I knew I already liked two of those three things.

Turns out Gami, roughly translated from Korean, means “good delicious”, and the friend I was eating with had been there two nights in a row so I figured the name was on the mark.

A Melbourne import that’s now moved into Shafto Lane, the meals revolve around the Korean fried chicken: you either pick a whole ($32) or half ($18) or go for a stack of wings ($12 for 8 or $16 for 12) and then choose which flavours you want them bathed in.

• Photos by Matthew Dwyer

We opted for wings in the original flavour. Imagine if KFC was actually as good as you remember it being as a kid and you’re halfway to how tasty this is. It’s salty and moreish and the inside is beautifully moist and tender.

Good as it was, it was blown away by the sweet chilli. These sticky wings were covered in a sauce heavy on the sweet, light on the chilli, almost like a honey glaze. All the fried chicken comes with cabbage salad and radish too, just to cut through the deep fried medley and to pretend it’s sort of healthy.

There’s also a slew of smaller dishes on offer, but don’t make our mistake and order them like they’re going to be tiny sides: They’re not tapas — any one makes for a good sized lunch.

The spicy chicken ($15, or cheese on top for another $2 — definitely get the cheese) sees you served up a bowl of stir-fried fillets, vegies and these weirdly delicious rice cake sticks called garaetteok that look like a thick gluey noodle and have a strange chewy consistency and soothing, slightly sweet taste. I’m a convert. I’d eat these things like chips.

A lot of Asian places around Perth think us white folk are still too weak to take on real heat, so “spicy” dishes are usually no more bitey than a Werther’s original. But the sauce here actually has a decent kick to it, refreshingly cutting through the covering of gooey melted cheese and chewy rice sticks.

I don’t know how traditionally Korean the corn cheese is ($9.80), but holy god damn is it good. It’s a simple dish but the corn is sweet and juicy, layered with seared cheese that makes for a comfortingly familiar foil to the barrage of flavours topping the chicken.

The other half of the equation is the beers on offer, and they don’t skimp. Apart from a couple of pretty straight forward Asian lagers, most of the line up is heavy, full flavoured beers, the kind of bitter hop-loaded (Feral Hop Hog) or fruity (Sly Fox summer ale) brews you need to keep up with such full-on cuisine.

I can’t find fault with this place and I’ll definitely be back after a jog or two. It’s not high society dining and I wouldn’t head there for an overly romantic Valentine’s dinner unless you like sticky hand-holding and sauce-smeared kisses, but it’s cheap, every dish we had was on point, and the atmosphere’s easy and casual.

by DAVID BELL

Gami Chicken & Beer
3B Shafto Lane, Perth
Lunch and dinner Monday
through Friday, dinner til late on Saturday and Sunday.
Sealed with a kiss

March 31, 2016

MYTH and cultural and gender relationships are played out in a mix of theatre and dance as the Blue Room opens its 2016 season with Selkie, an ancient Celtic legend presented with fresh eyes.

Written by Finn O’Branagain it’s based on the myth of seals shedding their skins to become women: as the creatures played on the shore, fishermen would steal their skins to stop them returning to the sea, and force them into marriage.

“There are still people in Scotland and Ireland who claim to be descendants of a selkie,” producer Harriet Roberts says.

O’Branagain tapped into her Irish roots for her play.

• Yilin Kong in Selkie. Photo supplied | Callum Sims

“The idea of a strange woman from the ocean living amongst fishermen seemed magical and romantic when I was younger…but re-reading with an adult lens, critical engagement, and the growing discussion of domestic abuse, this fantastical faerie-creature that was captured and kept, now appeared to be a metaphor for keeping foreign and exoticised women captive as wives.”

Director Joe Lui, who hails from Singapore, explores the complexity of untangling cultural relationships, with a disturbing insight into how we can unknowingly repress, exploit and manipulate those we genuinely care for. “There is love in the equation, but love with no other option,” Roberts says.

Selkie is a blend of acting and dance, with Ella Hetherington playing the selkie, and Yilin Kong dancing the role, while Paul Grabovac and Kynan Hughes are the fisher. “It’s the first time Joe has used dance as an exploration of communication,” Roberts says.

Cherish Marrington’s set design and costume bring an otherworldliness to the production: “A very beautiful and rich aesthetic.”

The not-for-profit Blue Room Theatre has been around for more than 25 years, set up to foster creative talent and innovative theatre. The likes of Tim Minchin, Matthew Lutton, Kate Mulvany and Claire Hooper started their careers there.

“We are here to support new works and we love to train new artists,” Blue Room producer Susannah Day says. “Commercial success isn’t an imperative: “If it’s risky and experimental it’s completely fine with us–a full house is not an issue.”

Last year the organisation received a pot of money left over from the demise of Fremantle’s Deck Chair Theatre and ThinIce (which moved to Melbourne).

The $400,000 arts funding was put to good use with Loft, a one-off 20-month program supporting production from start to finish. For more information on Loft, or the new season of plays visit blueroom.org.au.

Selkie is on at the Blue Room Theatre, James Street, Northbridge April 12–30, tix $18–28.

by JENNY D’ANGER