Perth Voice Interactive

YOUNG children have helped design and install a new nature play area at Bayswater primary school.

Concepts drawn from pre-primary students’ paintings of an “ideal garden” were incorporated into the school’s final design.

Kids wanted their garden to include plants that “smell good”, plants that can be eaten, rainbow-coloured flowers, trees to play under and secret spaces to play in.

“Involving the students in the design, establishment and maintenance of their own garden has given them a great sense of ownership of the space, while teaching important lessons about the value of the natural environment and the role they can each play in its conservation,” says principal Steve Hovitch.

On Tuesday, students, teachers and parents transformed a piece of scrub with fruit trees, vegie gardens, a living teepee and an outdoor kitchen made from re-purposed school desks.

Volunteers from Environment House also went down to set up a worm farm.

The school gardening committee is also planning a nature playground—incorporating natural materials and indigenous plants—in vacant land below the junior school playground.

To kick in some cash, visit http://www.bpsplaygrounds.wordpress.com

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

FRIGHTENED customers, blood-soaked knifing victims invading restaurants and constant drunkenness and fighting.

Life is getting worse down at Weld Square say nearby traders and residents.

Simon Psaros opened Brika restaurant on Stirling Street a couple of years back but is a long-time resident of the area. He says it’s as bad now as it’s ever been. Twice on his brief walk to work he’s been punched. Customers in his alfresco section are often intimidated by passers-by. Once, a knifing victim ran into his restaurant to seek shelter.

“We’d have cause every day to call police,” Mr Psaros says. “Staff are not wanting to come to work.”

He’d hoped Brika would raise the tone but concedes it’s been an uphill struggle.

It’s a similar story across the square at the pharmacy and IGA, with owners talking about trouble in the park reaching a new level of late. On Monday, resident Brayden Wardrop invited Vincent mayor John Carey to a meeting with traders, locals and police.

But the meeting saw no easy solutions for troubles at Weld Square: historically it’s a meeting site for Aboriginal people but is also a mecca for homeless, down-and-out swaggies and backpackers who come to the area for free food, handed out daily by Manna Inc. Mr Psaros says “there’s no doubt [the problem] is exaggerated” by Manna’s charity, as numbers swell in the park.

Mr Wardrop wants the council to stick to a plan to move Manna out of the park and into a building.

Mr Carey says the council has searched high and low for a suitable building but it’s been hard going: one potential space proved too small and would’ve meant a line of foodseekers snaking out the door and into the street anyway.

Manna can operate until December but is unlikely to be evicted if it hasn’t found a home by then, unless there’s a massive, unanticipated upheaval at October’s council elections.

Sergeant Wayne Godwin says it’s important police are called for every single incident. But fatigue means traders rarely bother: incidents are so common and quick that they’re over and done by the time police arrive. • See this week’s Chatfield under Letters.

by DAVID BELL

Perth push blamed

THE surge of homeless and down-and-out folk in Vincent has been blamed on neighbouring Perth city council.

At Monday’s crisis meeting, police senior sergeant Brendan Moore suggested the increase in homelessness at Weld Park was down to “displacement from work done at Wellington Square,” where a small number of well-to-do citizens have been making a fuss about people sleeping in the park.

Vincent mayor John Carey agrees: “Perth has been pushing the problem into Vincent.” He said it wasn’t realistic to just get rid of homelessness, and he wasn’t keen on solutions that just shift the problem to someone else.

BAYSWATER city council has voted to ban liquor outlets bigger than 300sqm from its suburbs.

Councillors voted to amend the city’s town planning scheme to restrict large grog shops to business, showroom warehouse, light industry and general industry zones.

The amendment application must now go to the WA planning commission and be signed by the WA planning minister before taking effect. There is no guarantee either will happen.

Cr Terry Kenyon says most ratepayers would support the ban, but Cr John Rifici—a former Maylands cafe owner who does not live in the municipality—voted against it.

“We’re thinking about the minority, not the majority,” he said.

“Most people behave responsibly and I feel uncomfortable stopping commercial enterprise zoned for that area.

“We’re being narrow-minded and saying that the general public can’t be trusted.”

The ban will not apply to a 1000sqm Dan Murphy’s proposed as part of a $3.5 million facelift of the Peninsula Tavern on Railway Parade.

That application has already been before the council and will be the subject of a liquor commission hearing in the next three months.

Maylands is home to a number of agencies that tackle alcoholism and its impacts, including Shopfront, Autumn Centre and 55 Central.

In 2010 local Labor MP Lisa Baker spearheaded a campaign that stopped Coles building a 1250sqm outlet on Guildford Rd.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

Bayswater city council

AS flagged in the Voice last week, up to $5000 will be spent by the council to develop a “report-it” smartphone app that allows people to take photos of damage and beam it to the council, along with GPS coordinates.

MORE rubbish bins will be installed at Riverside Gardens. Cr Martin Toldo said 19 bins weren’t enough and there were “rodents and flies”.

THE council will tell residents it spent $1 million on Colin Barnett’s ill-fated council mergers. The council voted to include the information in the 2015-16 budget bulletin being sent to residents.

AS flagged in the Voice last week, mobile food trucks will be stationed for three months in Bert Wright Park. The vendors are Comida Do Sul Brazilian Food Truck, Miam Miam (A bite of France), Rancho Sombrero, Uncle Chops Smokehouse, Bootlegger Coffee Co, and Greek Street Grill. The trucks are part of the council’s 12-month food van trial.

THE woman behind the popular Maylands and Mt Hawthorn markets is challenging Bayswater mayor Sylvan Albert at October’s council elections.

Catherine Ehrhardt, who owns Blackcurrant Clothing on Railway Parade, has announced she’s contesting south ward.

In her statement she takes aim at the council’s support for premier Colin Barnett’s ill-fated local government amalgamations.

“My vision for the city of Bayswater is to reconnect our community by creating public spaces where people want to spend time, supporting growing local businesses and encouraging inclusive community events,” she says.

“We need a council that focuses less on individual ambitions and more on the community.

“We also need a council that puts money in to improving services and keeping rates low, not bankrolling failed amalgamations.”

Cr Albert says he’s looking forward to a “hard and energetic campaign”.

“I’ve known Catherine for years and we both worked together in the Maylands Business Association,” he says.

“There will be no animosity from my side.”

Cr Albert doesn’t yet have any new initiatives to take to announce for the election, saying he’s focusing on the current budget.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

A COLLECTION of vintage posters from the New Orleans Jazz Festival is amongst the donations to the WA Youth Jazz Orchestra since its move into the historic Maylands Town Hall.

WAYJO moved in at the end of last month and has been inundated with gifts including a drum kit, a fridge and a mass of posters, depicting famous jazz musicians from 1975-1996.

The festival posters were donated by the mysterious “Edward”, who didn’t want to be interviewed, and will be framed and hung around the hall.

WAYJO coordinator Adam Livingston say the organisation’s “moving-in” budget was quickly swallowed by the charming but rustic building.

“We had to network the whole office and then fit out the hall with soundproof materials: plus there were lots of other unexpected jobs,” he says.

“The building is fantastic and it’s great to have a permanent home but it needs a bit of TLC.

“So we really appreciate people donating items that can be used in the office, kitchen and rehearsal space—keep them coming!”

Prior to the move, WAYJO shared a temporary rehearsal space at Scotch College in Swanbourne.

It now has three full-time and two part-time staff at the town hall, which includes rehearsal and office space and a kitchen.

WAYJO saxophonist Tim Newhouse says the new home has energised the orchestra.

“It’s much closer to WAAPA in Mt Lawley and cuts down on travel time for a lots of us,” says the 20-year-old.

“Having a permanent space means we can leave bigger instruments like drums and keyboards there, which cuts down on setup time.

“A lot of WAAPA students are from interstate and don’t have a car, so it can be hard for them to transport double basses and drums around.”

Bayswater city council approved a five-year lease for the young jazzers, at $6000 per annum, in September.

Staff estimated bringing the hall up to the standard of a bona fide public arena would cost ratepayers around $2.5 million.

“In principal, I’m in support of making the hall a performance venue,” says mayor Sylvan Albert. “It’s a good fit with the the Maylands ballet already there and the planned music venue Lyric Lane nearby.”

WAYJO is hoping to raise $5000 to get the town hall rehearsal-ready.

To donate visit http://www.pozible.com/project/197072

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

TERRY KENYON wants to halve councillors’ travel and function allowances.

If successful the Bayswater city councillor’s move will see the mayor’s two-year allowance cut to $15,000 and each councillor’s to $7500.

Cr Kenyon is the former mayor and did not propose cuts when he was wearing the chain, but he says things have changed.

“Now that councillors are paid sitting fees of $30,000-plus, and the mayor receives $140,000-plus, there is no need for such a large a travel and function allowance,” he says.
Over 2013-15 the top three spenders for attending conferences and functions were councillors Mike Anderton ($12,229), Sylvan Albert ($10,694) and Alan Radford ($9463). The allowance includes interstate trips. Cr Kenyon’s motion will come before council next month.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK