Perth Voice Interactive

Big crowds expected to join the 5th annual Human Chain on World Animal Day in opposition to live animal exports.

Hundreds of West Australians opposed to the export of live animals will again link hands to join the Human Chain across Stirling Traffic Bridge on Sunday 4 October to highlight the wide community support to phase out the controversial trade.

Katrina Love, Campaign Manager for Stop Live Exports, said the organisation is not opposed to agriculture, primary production, or farmers, but is opposed to the long sea voyages animals are made to endure and the fact that numerous investigations continue to expose horrific acts of cruelty and abuse without any repercussions for repeat offenders.

“The export of live animals over long distances is an inherently cruel and unnecessary trade. Increased local processing and an expanded chilled meat export trade offer the most humane treatment of animals and a more reliable income for the producers, as well as major benefits to the economy by providing more jobs here in WA.” said Ms Love.

The Australian public galvanised in opposition to the live trade after Four Corners aired an exposé on the brutal treatment of Australian cattle in Indonesia. The live export trade was suspended for five weeks, and the government introduced the Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System (ESCAS) in an attempt to ensure good animal welfare outcomes from farm gate to slaughter.

Since ESCAS’ implementation, there have been 78 reports of breaches submitted to the Department of Agriculture, involving many countries. Investigations from as far back as February 2014 have not been completed yet by the Department of Agriculture. Animals continue to be sent to every country involved in breaches regardless of status of investigation or outcome.

The annual Human Chain has attracted over 1200 participants in the past, with hopes to surpass that number this year, despite it being held on AFL grand final weekend. Fremantle Mayor Brad Pettitt, federal Labor Member for Fremantle Melissa Parke, State Labor MLA for Fremantle Simone McGurk and Greens MLC for South Metro Lynn MacLaren have all committed to joining the event.

The protest will take place from 10.45am until midday on Sunday 4 October across the Stirling Traffic Bridge in Fremantle, with participants asked to dress in black as a symbol of grieving for the millions of animals sent to a fate worse than death.

“And we also ask that people wear signs stating their occupation or position in life e.g. teacher, nurse, father, vegan, human being etc. to exhibit the diversity of those who oppose live exports,” said Ms Love.

World Animal Day
Sunday 4 October 1015
10.45 for 11am until midday
Stirling Traffic Bridge Canning Hwy East Fremantle to Tydeman Road, North Fremantle.

THE prestigious Perth College — an exclusive private school for girls — has been accused of “heritage vandalism” by the Mount Lawley Society.

The accusation was levelled following Stirling city council’s decision to oppose the college’s application to demolish four 1920s-era homes inside the leafy suburb’s heritage protection zone.

“The demolition is contrary to the character retention guidelines for Mt Lawley, Menora and Inglewood,” said Cr Joe Ferrante, who tabled the motion to oppose demolition.

Leadership centre

The college wants to replace the homes with a sprawling, multi-million dollar learning and leadership centre for its senior students. However, the final decision rests with the unelected local development assessment panel, not the elected council.

And because the council’s rejection went against officers’ advice, demolition remains a distinct possibility

“Demolishing four side-by-side intact examples of homes from the 1920s is the complete destruction of a heritage streetscape,” says Mount Lawley Society member Paul Collins.

“I think its vandalistic and I wonder why the Perth College school community has not been more vocal, particularly when 24 Lawley Crescent, for example, was the home of Archdeacon Cuthbert Huddleston until 1944.”

Principal Jenny Ethell says the college tries, where possible, to re-purpose heritage buildings and had previously refurbished two on Queens Crescent.

“The properties are zoned for educational purposes but do not meet the standards for universal access for people with disabilities, nor are they of the appropriate structural integrity to enable being included in a new development,” she told the Voice.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

DID Perth lord mayor Lisa Scaffidi ever tell council officials about serious environmental health allegations levelled against a business occupying a building she co-owns?

It’s a simple question but one the lord mayor and Perth city council’s CEO and his media team have not answered.

Last week the Voice reported — after gaining access to documents under freedom of information laws — that a tourist had written to the lord mayor to complain about their experience at the Grand Central Hotel backpackers, unaware Ms Scaffidi was a co-owner of the property.

In the email addressed to both Ms Scaffidi and council staffer Cecilia Firth the tourist complained of semen-stained sheets and cockroach-infested bedding. Ms Scaffidi emailed Ms Firth, “I’ll reply to this, Cecilia”. She then commisserated with the tourist about their experience, but without revealing her interest in the property. In a second exchange she advised the tourist she had passed the complaint on to the operator.

What is unclear is whether the lord mayor ever forwarded the complaint to council environmental health officers, as requested by the tourist, so the allegations could be followed up.

CATHERINE EHRHARDT is pushing for a pelican crossing on Railway Parade, following the death of a pedestrian struck by a car last Saturday night.

Circumstances surrounding the accident are unclear, but the 45-year-old man was hit by a Hyundai while crossing the road, around 15 metres from the zebra crossing near Maylands train station.

Ms Ehrhardt owns a nearby business on Railway Parade and says accidents and near misses on the busy thoroughfare are far too common.

“Recently I saw an elderly person stranded on the island in the middle of the zebra crossing,” she says. “Nobody was slowing down for her and letting her cross. We need a pelican crossing with flashing lights to make drivers sit up and take note: a zebra crossing isn’t cutting it.”

In 2013, the Voice reported Bayswater council was pushing for a pelican crossing at the train station, following several near misses involving pedestrians with poor or zero eyesight crossing Railway Parade.

“There have been a few rear-end accidents due to the confusion with the existing zebra crossing,” then-councillor Sonia Turkington had said.

“Pedestrians and motorists are uncertain as to who has the right of way.”

The Voice understands funding is in the budget to provide a signal controlled crossing and that, two years on, the city is still liaising with Main Roads.

Ms Ehrhardt, running against Sylvan Albert in south ward, says the zebra crossing is positioned 25 metres from each of the station’s two exit points, “slap bang in the middle”.

“It should be directly outside one of them so people can leave the train station and walk straight on to it. It’s just human nature, people aren’t going to walk 25 metres to cross, they’re going to jay-walk.”

The Voice understands the crossing will be moved as part of Woolworths’ $3.5 redevelopment of the nearby Peninsula Tavern.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

UP to 25 administrative staff face losing their jobs at Edith Cowan University as it abolishes faculties and merges schools.

At this stage it is unclear how many staff based at the Mt Lawley campus may be affected.

The reorganisation will see 14 schools merge into eight, and report directly to the vice-chancellor. Around 100 people will be affected but ECU has so far found alternative positions for 75.

“We are not a huge university by Australian standards and yet we have four faculties and 14 schools—that’s a lot of administration going on,” says VC Steve Chapman.

“We would like a flatter structure, and there was overwhelming support for that because the level of bureaucracy we have essentially inhibits what we want to do in research and teaching.

“Taking out that middle layer will improve our flexibility and make us more agile in research and education.”

ECU announced last month it’s splashing $5 million on a new communications and arts hub at its Mount Lawley campus and wants 20 new international professors hired, to increase its research capability.

Gabe Gooding, WA secretary for the national tertiary education union, says the university is more concerned about its research ranking than its staff: “Rather than thinking of students as paying customers, and themselves as a commercial entity, ECU should focus its attention on core public university values and valuing the role of students as students,” she says.

The cuts are planned to be in place by January.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

 

TWICE a week Phyllis Barras, 95, gets along to Perth Tai Chi Academy classes at Bethanie on the Park retirement village.

The Voice managed to squeeze in a photo shoot between the Menora resident’s regular bridge games and golfing sessions.

The academy runs the sessions at the village to help older folks maintain balance to prevent falls and also stave off arthritis and it helps the heart and lungs (a quarter of falls among older people are from poor balance).

The martial art has been getting more popular with seniors these days and there’s been so much demand the falls prevention agency Stay on Your Feet is in the midst of training the next batch of instructors on teaching tai chi for arthritis.

Ms Barras reckons the stretches and poses have helped her golf too.

by DAVID BELL

THERE’LL be no Leederville farmers’ markets this month, with operators deciding they couldn’t meet Vincent city council’s conditions and remain viable.

Markets owner Paul Ashbolt has described the outcome as a “train wreck”.

But mayor John Carey says the council’s already in talks with a non-profit outfit looking at a market in the same spot.

Mr Ashbolt had initially planned to re-open in September — he was previously at another site — after the council offered him a spot in the carpark at the south end of Oxford Street.

He’d asked the council to waive a $20,000 annual fee, but the council knocked him back, saying it covered the money it would have made from parking fees.

The final straw for Mr Ashbolt was the council’s decision to ban his stallholders from selling hot drinks, in order to protect the interests of nearby cafes. The same rule had been applied late in the game at his old site and Mr Ashbolt calculates it resulted in a 30 per cent loss of trade because markets shoppers like to grab a coffee while shopping for their vegies.

Mr Carey says the council’s been straight down the line all the way.

“I had multiple meetings with the operator, we went out of our way as an organisation,” he told the Voice.

“They were getting double the amount of space for the same price as they were with the other spot, so council was effectively subsidising it.

“I think the operator thought we should say ‘have the land for free and do what you want’. But this is public land and a public asset, and there’s a loss of revenue to the city.”

In announcing the cancellation, Mr Ashbolt said his dealings with Mr Carey, “up to this point have been impressive in terms of responding to concerns”, but “this is the first occasion where we consider that he has gotten it badly wrong, resulting in this train wreck”.

by DAVID BELL

THE driver of a council street sweeper that crashed into a house in Maylands has been released from Royal Perth hospital.

The driver suffered a “medical episode” and ploughed into the garage of a two-storey home on Tourer Court last Thursday.

“We understand that the driver is out of the hospital and is recuperating at home,” says Bayswater mayor Sylvan Albert.

“The driver’s return to work will be subject to a medical clearance and the city is unable to speculate on when this will be at this stage.”

The city refused to elaborate on the medical issue behind the crash, citing “privacy issues”.

The home belongs to Martin and Audrey Hughes. Their new Mercedes parked in the garage is believed to be a write-off, and the bedroom and bathroom on the second storey was damaged.

On Wednesday, a truck carrying a skip reversed into a home on Venn Street in Mt Lawley.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

 

IT’S a big field for this year’s Vincent council elections, with five people seeking the two spots in north ward, seven gunning for the two in south and three running for mayor.

The mayoral trio are incumbent John Carey, Leederville cafe owner Debbie Saunders and small business owner and “big L Liberal” Malcolm Boyd.

The south ward seven are:

Malcolm Boyd, (who’s also running for mayor). He says as a small business owner with management experience, an engineering degree and an MBA, he understands the legal, financial and government issues to be a councillor. “I support free enterprise, initiative, Liberal philosophy and believe that government should be small, efficient, support local business and our way of life”.

Susan Gontaszewski and Jimmy Murphy are both backed by Mr Carey. He’s the organiser of the Leederville carnival and she says she has an eye for detail and good policy, currently working in public health policy.

Incumbent John Pintabona is returning for another run. A serving police officer, he wants a responsible approach to development to keep the inner city lifestyle and character. He was the only councillor to support keeping former CEO John Giorgi.

Amanda Madden has a financial background and wants to improve financial accountability. She says she’ll resist any cost-shifting attempts by the state government which could impact rates.

Anthony Fisk works in communications and reckons those skills could be used to improve consultation with ratepayers. He wants to slash red tape to help small businesses out and revitalise forgotten industrial zones like the south end of West Perth.

Former councillor Dudley Maier, seeking a return to keep an eye on financials, planning and traffic.

In north ward:

Deputy mayor Ros Harley is hoping to stick around for another term to continue the campaign of transparency she and John Carey tried to introduce to other local governments;

Mark Rossi is back for another crack. He also ran in 2013, 2011 and 2009. He supported former CEO John Giorgi when the council decided not to renew his contract. Mr Rossi showed up at a town hall meeting to collect signatures for a petition to reinstate Mr Giorgi. Mayor Carey says a vote for Mr Rossi is a vote for the past. If elected Mr Rossi wants a 24-hour security patrol service so residents can report suspicious or anti-social behaviour, and he opposes unequal rates for businesses.

Engineer Dan Loden is running on a platform of sustainability, livability and environment, wanting solar power and bike lanes for the city.

Shannon Daniels says he’s standing because he wants to preserve the city’s heritage and lift the standard of public infrastructure like footpaths, cycleways and parking and “utilise the private sector to enhance offering to residents”.

Lauren Tracey’s gripes are few: she thinks the area has great infrastructure and a sense of community and wants to keep adding to that. An epidemiologist at the communicable diseases control directorate, she’s keen on promoting a healthy community in Vincent.

Mr Carey says the big turnout’s probably in part due to the state government’s amalgamations attempt, which brought local government into the spotlight.

NINE candidates, including all four incumbents, want to squeeze into four vacancies at Perth city council, while two go head to head for lord mayor.

As has been widely reported, incumbent lord mayor Lisa Scaffidi is being challenged by councillor Reece Harley for the top job. Surprisingly, no other candidates popped up at the last minute to muddy the waters.

Jim Adamos, Janet Davidson, Lily Chen and Rob Butler are all back for another try, and are firmly in the camp of lord mayor Lisa Scaffidi (at the last election, all four candidates supported by the popular lord mayor were elected).

Former soldier Francois Schiefler is a young face in the field and says everyone should know their councillor and contact them with ease. He says he’ll be accessible and bring back the personal touch to politics and “vote to free businesses and get council out of the way”.

Mathew Clarke’s back after falling short at the last election. A tenant of Ms Scaffidi, operating Bar 138 in the old Railway Hotel building, and president of the Hong Kong Australia Business Association, he’s big on environmental issues and wants more street trees, more encouragement of recycling and less waste. A cyclist, he’s keen on a more bike and pedestrian friendly city.

Former councillor Chris Hardy is back on the scene after serving 2004 to 2009. A retired architect with 50 years’ experience, his work with a large Perth practice meant he couldn’t vote on many issues previously due to conflicts of interest, but now he’s unhindered. He supported “progressive growth” like rolling out parks, gardens, arts and culture.

Curtin researcher Jemma Green’s big on sustainability and disruptive technologies that shake up the market, like solar battery storage. She wants a council that’s “open, transparent, progressive and truly representative of its diverse constituency”. Running solo, she has the informal thumbs-up from lord mayoral challenger, Cr Reece Harley.

Andrew Toulalan wants to help transition Perth to a 24-hour city, wanting better outdoor entertainment areas and to make it easier for businesses to get alfresco dining up and running (a goal shared by Cr Harley), and he wants better architectural standards from developers and more events to bring people into the city.

by DAVID BELL