Perth Voice Interactive

FORTY-THREE years ago Mark Kraljevich lost his precious watch on a Swan River cruise during a brawl between arts and architecture uni students.

Bayswater local Greg Smith was on board and had such a good time he only remembers one thing about the quarrelsome night: “I remember it was the arts students’ fault,” the town planner bitterly recalls. “That’s the only thing I can remember clearly.”
Mr Kraljevich survived the brawl but lost the Longine watch, a fine timepiece and one of the few items he had to remember his grandmother by.

These days he runs the Jila Gallery Cafe in Derby but is in Perth for medical treatment for non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Understandably he’s been feeling down in the dumps.

While here he got to chatting with old friends about the good old days and rowdy river cruises. Although they weren’t acquaintances at the time, when he mentioned the lost watch, a distant and hazy memory dawned on Mr Smith. He rifled through his drawers and pulled out the timepiece, still ticking, and returned it to Mr Kraljevich.

“It still worked when I got it, 43 years later,” Mr Kraljevich beams. “It’d be a good ad for Longine.” He’s taken it as a good omen and is feeling a million bucks. “This really was such an inspiring thing.” Friends say he’s been smiling the whole week: “If only we took a photo before of your face, the change was wonderful.”

by DAVID BELL

THE Barnett government is being blamed for another year of soaring costs for Perth city ratepayers.

Since January the state government’s landfill tax has rocketed 96 per cent, and the premier is slugging the council another $3.1 million for its city carpark tax (taking it to $17m).

The tax hikes have led the council to raise rubbish collection fees 12.5 per cent, and it’s bracing itself for further demands from the cash-strapped state government in the second half of next year. According to the council’s budget document, state government tax now accounts for a whopping 40 per cent of tonnage fees at the tip gate.

Rate revenue across the city rises well above inflation next financial year, averaging at about 4.7 per cent.

The council’s also looking at jacking up reserve hire fees by 60 per cent, going from 50 cents per person per hour to 80 cents. Staff predict organisers will come begging for sponsorship to cover the hike.

Investment income has virtually flatlined, with $89m in cash-backed reserves expected to generate just $2m in interest (a smidge over two per cent).

It’ll also be a year of big capital works, with $60m slated for projects like:

• $4.8m for the Barrack Street upgrade and two way-traffic project;

• $3.5m for Perth concert hall;

• $2.8m to make Museum Street better for pedestrians;

• $2.5m to redevelop the supreme court gardens;

• $2.5m to fix cycling and pedestrian routes on Roe and Railway Streets;

• $2m to further improve St Georges Terrace and the new cathedral square precinct.

• $1.7m to convert a chunk of Murray Street to two-way.

Lord mayor Lisa Scaffidi’s pay and allowances rise to $199,000, deputy lord mayor Rob Butler goes to $80,000 and the other seven councillors $45,187.

Ms Scaffidi says “the city’s finances are in a sound state with reserve funds available to cover any future urgent needs”.

by DAVID BELL

SOMEONE’S nicked an umpire’s chair from Mt Lawley Tennis Club.

President Les Peirce says the chair, valued at around $700, vanished a few weeks ago.

“We’ve asked around at the club, but nobody knows where it’s gone,” he says.

“I can only assume that someone has climbed over the fence and stolen it.

“The chair is around two metres high, so it would have probably taken two people to get it over the three-metre high fence.”

The club, at the corner of Central Avenue and Hamer Parade, stores its umpires’ chairs beside a gardener’s shed and they can be seen from the street.

Mt Lawley MP and club member Michael Sutherland ponders the chair may have been on-sold as a high chair.

“Why would anyone steal an umpire’s chair?” he asks. “It’s only of value to a tennis club and not for everyday use. The whole incident is very bizarre.”

Mr Peirce says if the chair isn’t returned the cops will be called. If you know anything, call the club on 9370 1922.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

AN 80-year-old man says he’s been charged $1400 for a dodgy tree-lopping job.

The company that did the job was West Coast Trees—a new company owned by the same people behind WA Tree Services (which has also registered West Coast Tree Professionals).

The flyer and services offered by the new companies are almost identical to those offered by the former company, which WA consumer protection has issued warnings against and taken various legal actions in response to complaints about the company’s business practices (Voice, June 5, 2015).

“It appears this business is deliberately targeting elderly people and scam them out of their meagre resources,” says Amrik Pala of Morley.

“The way things seem to be, there must be more elderly people in the area who have been victims of this kind of scam by these ruthless tree trimmers.”

In May 2014 an enforceable undertaking required WA Tree Services and its employees to provide consumers with an itemised, written quotation which described in detail work agreed to be carried out, the cost for each item listed and a total cost, including taxes and other charges.

WA commerce department officer Alan Hynd says the enforceable undertakings do not apply to the new companies.

Mr Pala has lodged a complaint with WA consumer protection.

South of the river, Melville city council has also warned residents about the company.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

WITH fuel thieves frequently nicking number plates to hide their crimes from cameras, Bayswater police are fitting anti-theft numberplate screws for free on Saturday June 20. You can also meet your local policing team to yammer about what they’re up to in the area. It’s on 9am to 1pm at Masters Home Improvement, corner Collier Road and Tonkin Hwy.

DID anyone know we had quendas in East Perth? Easily mistaken for rats, the little native marsupials hang around the greenery in Arden Street Reserve and Victoria Gardens. Perth city council’s put up some signs around the place letting people know how to keep the critters safe: dogs ought be on leads and cats kept inside at night, since they’ll both gladly chew on quendas for fun. Locals are also warned not to feed them (our food makes them sick) but if they look parched you can leave out a saucer of water when the weather’s warm.

ESSENTIAL repairs to the water labyrinth and the Earth, Fire and Water ball in Forrest Place are complete. The slippery metal grates on the labyrinth were replaced with slip-resistant versions (safer, but less fun to watch), while a crane was brought in to suspend the EFW ball while copper piping was fixed (the bugger weighs 1.3 tonnes).

GROG barns are so on the nose in Bayswater the local council is planning to amend its town planning scheme to limit where they can go.

Cr Terry Kenyon, the city’s former mayor, has tabled a motion to amend the scheme so new liquor outlets 300sqm and above are banned from residential zones.

Also, planning applications for any liquor outlet would have to go to the council for a vote.

The move is backed by Maylands Labor MP Lisa Baker, who is fighting to stop a 1000sqm Dan Murphy’s being built as part of the $3.5 million facelift of the Peninsula Tavern on Railway Parade.

“The town of Victoria Park and city of Subiaco have recognised the problem of allowing warehouse-style liquor developments in residential areas, and have acted to stop the community from bearing of the cost of campaigns,” she says.

“The city of South Perth is also following this pathway.

“Warehouse-style liquor stores exacerbate the problems of street drinking and anti-social behaviour in Maylands.”

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

Ms Baker says a liquor commission hearing on the Woolworths’ owned Dan Murphy’s application is likely within three months. In 2010 the MP spearheaded a campaign that stopped Coles building a 1250sqm outlet on Guildford Rd.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

A FLYER grumbling about North Perth primary school’s plans to fence its oval is doing the rounds of the neighbourhood.

Principal Karen Lockyer told parents in a newsletter a fence was needed around most of the oval and the school carpark, since “we have a continuing issue with people walking, cycling or riding motor-bikes through the school site during the school day”.

Gates are planned to keep interlopers out and the fence is needed to keep balls—and the children who chase them—away from traffic. The fence around the oval’s planned because people walk their dogs across it while kids are in the middle of sports lessons.

“I understand these measures may be unpopular with some members of our community but it is essential we know who is on the school site and our students are able to move around the school safely at all times” Ms Lockyer wrote.

The anonymous flyer complains “what’s next?”. “Residents not notified, users of the oval not notified” it says, inviting locals to contact the principal, local MP Eleni Evangel and education minister Peter Collier.

The fence plan has the backing of the P&C says president Andrea King, calling the current situation “a terrible accident waiting to happen”.

The public can still use the oval after hours and there’ll be parts unfenced to get into—handy since the German-engineered climbing dome the community raised $40,000 to install was intended for everyone to use outside school hours.

by DAVID BELL

MORE than 400 locals are opposing plans to install new floodlights and upgrade De Lacey reserve in Maylands.

The site is used by cricket and soccer clubs and includes changing rooms and a children’s playground.

Gareth Davies says locals are concerned about increased traffic and parking on Richard Street, which runs along the side of the reserve, and loss of privacy: “There are safety concerns for children attending the after-school care centre on Richard Street due to the increased traffic,” he says. “The height of the new floodlights is also inappropriate to the reserve: three are 26m high and one is 31m. We feel the upgrade would have a negative impact on the privacy of houses around and on the park.”

In September Bayswater council voted to upgrade the reserve’s corroding lights because they no longer conform to Australian Standards. Following the unexpected public backlash the works have been put on hold.

“The city has written to 150 properties immediately adjacent/facing and surrounding De Lacey reserve, as well as current users of the reserve including sports clubs,” says mayor Sylvan Albert.

“In addition the city is pursuing a public meeting to address any possible community concerns. Following completion of community consultation, and subject to approvals, work is intended to progress in the coming months.”

The reserve is a designated dog exercise area when sport is not played.

Mr Davies says Gibbney Reserve, where towering lights would be further from homes, would be better for evening training. “That reserve is almost double the size of De Lacey,” he says. “It is also large enough to accommodate more than one code of sport at anyone time.”

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

BUSINESSES suffering at Barrack Square may get rent relief from the WA government, as traders struggle to make a buck amidst the dust, noise and hostile terrain of the Elizabeth Quay works.

Back in April the Voice revealed Annalakshmi restaurant was suffering because of the works. That’s led to a flurry of other local traders reporting their own drastic downturns, and the Perth media jumping on the story.

One business has shut and the owners of two others sold their homes to keep theirs going as works drag on into a third year.

Joyce and Bryan Molnar run Riverside Cafe and are seeking compensation from their landlord—the WA  transport department. When transport minister Dean Nalder dropped by, the pair confronted him. After telling them to be polite, Mr Nalder said if anyone can prove a financial impact, rent will be waived (that’s the first the Molnars had heard of such an offer).

Lord mayor Lisa Scaffidi had already called on the Barnett government to compensate the businesses, describing the area as “a warzone” and “truly tragic”.

WA Labor leader Mark McGowan is scathing, saying “the Barnett government and Mr Nalder have mishandled the whole situation at Barrack Square”.

“The minister has treated these people with no respect, it has been a disgrace,” he says. “I can only hope that now since he has been embarrassed publicly he will give the small business owners a fair hearing and be true to his word by compensating the businesses for loss of revenue throughout this whole disaster.”

by DAVID BELL

OVER six months, the Leederville Employment Law Centre received 10,000 calls from people worried about their rights at work. It could only handle 2000, and deep funding cuts from the federal and state governments means it’ll be even harder this year.”

Young gun city lawyer Nicholas van Hattem reckons he has a solution to the crisis: free labour from law graduates.

Mr van Hatten, who founded the Piddington Society as “a fun alternative to the Law Society” says graduates are crying out for placements to complete their practical legal training and legal community centres provide the ideal environment for them to cut their teeth.

Placement opportunities elsewhere are shrinking (next year legal aid isn’t taking any graduates). Mr van Hattem’s Piddington Justice Project will place graduates with community law centres instead.

While graduates do a lot of muscle work for nix, it’s not entirely cost-free for the centres: graduates need to be formally supervised and that takes staff away from other work.

To help cover placement costs Mr van Hattem’s asking Perth’s well-heeled lawyers to put their hands in their silk-lined pockets. In return he’s offering cheaper ongoing professional development (a requirement for practising certificates).

“There are definitely unmet legal needs,” Leederville centre manager Sara Kane says, adding graduates would be warmly welcomed.

Her funding’s gone down from $440,000 a year to a one-off grant that’s less than one-third of that.

She notes that for every dollar a government invests in a community legal centre, $18 is given back to the economy.

ELC research shows the social impacts of unfairly losing a job can have devastating impacts, leading to family breakdowns, depression and poverty. It can take generations to recover. Centres can also divert cases away from clogging up the courts.

“Taking away from community law centres when we’re at the coalface of preventative work is going to cost us long-term,” Ms Kane says.

“If there’s an economic argument they’re looking for, it is cheaper long-term to fund us to do that prevention work.”

Mr van Hattem is formally launching his plan at Government House Ballroom June 19. Information at http://www.pjp.org.au

by DAVID BELL