Perth Voice Interactive

ONE of Lisa Scaffidi’s most ready defenders, Perth city councillor James Limnios, has been voted deputy lord mayor by his colleagues in a 7-2 vote.

Stepping into the shoes of Rob Butler — who lost his seat — Cr Limnios easily beat out Cr Reece Harley, who’d challenged Ms Scaffidi for the lord mayoral job.

Cr Limnios has long been loyal to the lord mayor, and is often the first to second her motions or hit back at critics.

AN empty house being used as a squat in Highgate is causing grief for neighbours, who’ve suffered six burglaries in three weeks.

Police attended 124 Wright Street three times in three days this week, and it’s no secret that some inhabitants are behind the thieving: on one occasion neighbours wandered through the squat’s open door and simply retrieved their goods while the squatters were out.

The neighbours also fear for the welfare of one of the group, who’s been inhaling gas from nicked barbecue canisters: it’s not unusual for the smell to hang heavy enough in the air for passers-by to get a strong whiff.

Twice, the man has been found unconscious from huffing the gas, on one occasion coming to and then legging it with an ambulance already enroute.

A local says the police response to calls has been impeccable and Vincent city council has also been very responsive, but the locals want the place secured and tidied up so squatters can’t get in.

Property owner Tiger Developments currently has an application in front of the council to knock the place down and erect four three-storey grouped dwellings.

The council refused that back in June and Tiger appealed to the WA state administrative tribunal. In September it was once again rejected, because there wasn’t enough setback from the street.

Under new WA government laws just brought in, owners can demolish a property before getting approval for its replacement, and we hear Tiger’s now getting quotes for the knock-down. Until then, the back laneway gate has been secured in the hope of minimising dodgy activities (it has been a popular route for trying to evade attention).

by DAVID BELL

THE Swan Festival of Lights is soon to brighten up the Perth foreshore to mark the Indian festival Deepavali, which celebrates the the triumph of light over darkness.

In its eighth year in Perth (but old beyond reckoning), the ancient Hindu festival commemorates Lord Rama and his wife Sita returning to Ayodhua after exhile. They came back during a dark night so the local people lit lamps so they could find their way.

Last year 30,000 people came down across the festival to check out the art, music, food and dance from traditional to Bollywood, and this year the focus will be on the Indian state of Gujarat with their culture and cuisine taking centre stage.

This year the Temple of Fine Arts will be performing dances and music from their version of the Indian epic Ramayana, which tells the tale of Rama’s return. The free festival runs Nov 6– 8 in the Supreme Court Gardens from 6.30pm.

by DAVID BELL

THE internet is so slow at Michael’s Dianella house it takes hours just to load images into an email.

Instead, mates send photos to him on a USB stick — via the post.

Michael’s internet service provider Optus has sent him documents indicating AM radio waves are interfering with his connection.

He says Optus technicians told him it was because of the copper wires in his house. He’s had people look at his modem and connection lines for a problem—to no avail—before resigning himself to the fact he can’t do anything about it.

His download speed often sits at 1.1 to 2 megabits per second. ADSL is around 12Mbps and even wirelress NBN generally pings in at around 25Mbps.

“This is worse than dial up,” Michael groans.

“My neighbour down the road has said similar things and his kids are struggling to use their computers for research.”

Solution is simple

Local federal Labor MP Alannah MacTiernan says the solution is simple: roll out optic fibre to the premises.

The Perth pollie met with Michael at his home this week, saying a handful of other constituents have complained the Turnbull government is leaving Dianella off its three-year NBN rollout plan, which involves fibre-to-the-street and then copper from the street to the home.

“This demonstrates the fundamental problem with copper,” Ms MacTiernan says.

“It’s not fit for purpose and it’s vulnerable. Even having several hundred metres of copper running from a node to a house, under the current plan, isn’t good enough.”

She wants the government to priortise residents in the Dianella area for the rollout, saying they are getting the short end of the stick.

Minders in communications minister Mitch Fifield’s office would not answer the Voice’s questions, handballing us to NBN.

NBN’s Philippa Perry says it’s “understandable” people are disappointed they were not included in the latest rollout schedule: “We are constrained by both economic and physical resources,” she says. “Ultimately no-one misses out as the NBN network is scheduled to be available across Australia by 2020, including in Dianella.”

by EMMIE DOWLING

AFTER almost three years of nomadic hockey games in public schools and car parks, Perth’s Street Roller Hockey League has found a home, breathing new life into the Bayswater Bowls Club.

A smooth concrete slab was laid over a bowls green that had been damaged in a freak storm five years ago.

SRHL commissioner Eamonn Lourey said the most important part of the rink was lighting, which allowed teams to train and compete at night — a luxury they haven’t had before. The crowdfunded rink opened on October 4, with games running late into the evening.

Though the SRHL can be a rowdy bunch, Mr Lourey said the bowls club members “absolutely love us, and are shocked that our generation can be so thankful and polite”.

And they have good reason to feel this way. Not long ago, the bowls club was struggling financially, and under threat of being taken over for soccer fields.

With the financial support of SRHL members (and a new boom in the demand for beer and Pasito), the Bayswater Bowls is safe again.

The rink marks a new age for the SRHL, which has grown rapidly from 10 teams to a whopping 89.

“It’s an organised sport for disorganised people,” Mr Lourey said. “The league has struck a chord with the youth of Perth, faciliting a change in suburban identity and encouraging a pride in the suburbs that its players call home.

“Friends start a team representing their suburb. They collectively choose a name to go by, whip up a logo and jersey, and bleed for their ‘burb.”

Most recently, the new rink was used for the biannual North vs. South All Star Weekend, in which the best -and worst- players from each side of the river met to reignite an age-old rivalry.

And as for the future of the league?

“I plan on building a second SRHL rink south of the river sometime in the next year,” says Mr Lourey, who intends to partner with more suburban bowling clubs to ensure an ongoing mutual success.

by JESSICA COCKERILL

A BAYSWATER ranger went above and beyond in helping out a homeless woman and her three kids sleeping in Bardon Park in Maylands.

In this week’s “councillor’s column” published in the council newsletter, Michelle Sutherland tells the tale of security officer Radomir Petrovic who came across the mum and her kids aged 6, 9 and 13 sleeping in their car.

“After speaking with the woman who was crying and distressed because she lost her car keys, Mr Petrovic posted a Facebook request for assistance on Perth Beer Economy,” Cr Sutherland reports.

The PBE is a quirky page where 65,000 punters trade booze for goods: Brandon from Ellenbrook might take a carton of bourbon for his heavy punching bag, while Alec in Beechboro might be happy with a six-pack of Guinness for a pair of gates.

When Mr Petrovic posted on the site no-one wanted payment: instead, the internet community rushed out with a flood of freebies. “He was overwhelmed with the response, people offering food, accommodation,” Cr Sutherland regales.

“A fantastic outcome was achieved. The family are currently staying in Armadale temporarily.”

Meanwhile, the Perth Beer Economy folk continue to help each other out: this week Rory from Marmion posted “Sorry admin but I am struggling… I will pay beers for who can talk to me outta my depressive mind”. He received dozens of offers to chat and 150-odd messages of support, along with numbers to Lifeline.

Member Russell Pinker summed it up in one post: “We may all be piss-heads but in times of need we are one and we band together and help. This group brings so many people together and develops friendships along the way.”

by DAVID BELL

THE folk from walking tour group Two Feet and a Heartbeat are trading in their walking shoes for a treadly, for a bike history tour around Vincent.

Two Feet’s gone great guns and won many an award for its walking tours around the city but Vincent council’s pulled it up north of the border to tell tales about the town.

Ryan Zaknich—who’s also been involved in the Museum of Perth venture which has just got off the ground in the CBD—will spin a few yarns about historical pubs, the gold boom era in Northbridge and the history of the area’s wetlands.

A lot of our pubs around town are remnants of the gold rush era: the Northbridge Hotel was built by a father and son team who found a huge “gold eagle” nugget and invested it into the pub.

The group’s setting out from Banks Reserve on November 1 at 9.30am for a two-and-a-half-hour leisurely ride, with frequent stops to chat history. It’s all free but book on 9273 6501, and if you don’t have a bike Vincent has a bike library where residents can borrow a treadly for free for a weekend.

by DAVID BELL

MICHELLE SUTHERLAND is trying to resurrect plans to turn Lightning Park into an educational and eco-tourism hotspot.

The Bayswater councillor recently won support for a working committee to investigate the creation of a multi-million dollar sustainability centre at the A-class reserve in Noranda.

“Aside from the education and cultural benefits that a centre would bring, I think it could become a popular eco-tourism site,” she says.

“Eco-tourism is a burgeoning industry in Australia and I think, if done right, people would flock to Lightning Park.

“A while back they had a night stalk there and it was sold out in a few hours.”

Plans to create a sustainability centre stretch back to 2002, when the initial project was scoped out.

In the 2011/12 budget, funds were allocated for the development of a concept plan for a sustainability centre at Lightning Park.

The concept plan was developed by officers in conjunction with the president of the Friends of Lightning Swamp and north ward councillors.

The estimated cost was $2.4 million and the project ground to a halt with councillors wanting more detail on ongoing costs before committing to the ambitious plan.

At the time, FOLS president John Williams said the council didn’t understand the “vision” for the centre and failed to allocate a brass razoo in its 2013/14 budget for it.

Cr Sutherland says the government had to broach state, federal, private and academic bodies on helping to fund the ambitious sustainability centre.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

IT is 1975 when Caroline Wood begins looking for work in Perth, just days after flying in from her birthplace, Singapore.

The migrant, with Indian heritage, suspects her accent is working against her.

“It felt like I wasn’t given much of a chance and that it had a lot to do with how I sounded,” the 62-year-old says.

“I would call up, but it was very hard to get a foot in the door.”

It’s memories like these—which make her feel unaccepted in WA because of her race—that’s motivated her to set up the Centre for Stories with her husband, John.

“Everyone’s voices are important and by sharing stories, I think we can create a more inclusive society. People will be able to understand each other better.”

The centre is for sharing stories from all walks of life, but there is a particular focus on shedding a light on marginalised lives.

Published by the couple — they’re also business partners who own Margaret River Press — a book called Our Life, Our Journey: A Parent’s Perspective of the Child Protection System sits on a coffee table at the Northbridge centre, on Aberdeen Street.

Mrs Wood picks it up and reads an excerpt to the Voice: “I’ll miss her firsts; her first step; her first tooth; her first word…”

It’s a piece written by a woman who’d had her daughter taken away from her by the state.

“It’s anonymous to protect the parents from judgement,” Mrs Wood says.

“You don’t often hear these voices because people think they deserved to have their children taken away from them. But it’s more complicated than that. Sometimes there are economic factors or they’re disabled.”

Mrs Wood says the centre, in a 19th century restored house which used to house the Perth Centre for Photography, is a hub for stories written, performed and recorded.

She is also planning to host book launches and other events with Perth International Arts Festival and Perth Writers Festival, and will collect stories from refugees and Family Inclusion Network of WA. The centre’s official launch is scheduled for December 1.

by EMMIE DOWLING