Perth Voice Interactive

A NEW heritage policy that could see non-owners nominate a building for heritage assessment input has won a lukewarm response at Perth city council.

Currently the council only assesses places for heritage value if the owner asks, and very few do.

Lord mayor Lisa Scaffidi had to step out of the room for the debate, as she part-owns the renowned tourist destination the Grand Central backpackers, which could be affected by the policy.

Cr James Limnios suggested the PCC send the idea back to the planning committee to further consult with people who’d be affected.

The policy was still in very early stages, but would have meant a member of the public could nominate a building to then be assessed by the council for heritage value. Buildings would also be assessed before they were allowed to be demolished.

Even if assessed as valuable, it’d still have to go to full council for a final decision, with the owner able to give their input at each stage.

Cr Reece Harley voted against putting it off, saying “I think it’s been discussed at length” already.

by DAVID BELL

BEFORE the last state election North Perth voters were promised cutting-edge light rail. After the election that was downgraded to a you-beaut rapid transit bus system.

Now—given state revenues have fallen through the floor and debt is crippling the Barnett government—the latest offer is for a bog-standard bus lane up Fitzgerald Street.

Vincent city council is fuming and has unanimously told the WA public transit authority to shove its offer where the sun doesn’t shine.

Mayor John Carey is demanding that a rock-solid long-term plan be put on the table.

“The option that’s being presented is the cheapest, nastiest option, and I think it’s incredibly disappointing to the North Perth community,” he says.

The corridor is constantly clogged because a cluster of suburbs to the north are serviced by neither freeway nor train line.

He says the community has been let down time and time again and there’s no clear answer from the government on its long-term public transport plans for the increasingly busy corridor.

His fear is an “interim” bus lane could easily become a “good enough” solution and result in a long-term solution being delayed even further.

“Given that this government has flip-flopped and deferred light rail, is that this is going to be it?” he asks.

“We think it is a reasonable proposition from the council to say to the government, give us a clear definitive plan… if they’re not going to do the light rail, which is disappointing, at least give us a concrete plan for the rapid bus system.”

The PTA’s letter to the council stresses its interim bus lane “should not preclude the introduction of a light rail system”.

by DAVID BELL

PERTH city council CEO Gary Stevenson has been hounded with phone calls, texts and emails from activists after an image of him arguing wth an Aboriginal activist on Heirisson Island was circulated online, accompanied by defamatory text.

The text included defamatory allegations about Mr Stevenson’s handling of the Heirisson Island campers and his phone number. It was shared hundreds of times.

The Global Freedom Movement website posted the image, taken at Heirisson Island, which features Mr Stevenson and elder Herbert Bropho in a dispute.

The CEO contacted GFM asking for the image’s  removal, and the Voice understands he’s considering further action.

GFM, which also hosts articles such as “True adventures of a psychic warrior” along with conspiracy theories about vaccines, fluoride and ancient aliens visiting Earth, said it took down the image “as a measure of goodwill”.

“We operate purely out of compassion, love, and the need for the truth to be shared,” it said.

“We never intended for our actions to result in inconvenient phone calls or lost sleep. We apologise unequivocally.”

It went on to implore readers to “please donate generously to the Gary Stevenson Tiny Violin CEO Sleep Enhancement Campaign”.

When the first group of campers moved onto Heirisson Island—as a protest of forced removals from remote communities—early communications with the council were relatively constructive. Mr Stevenson met with the first group and asked what its members needed, and organised for homelessness agencies to come to the island to help them.

But communications broke down as a second and then third wave of campers—including the Brophos—moved in, who refused to move. Complaints from the public intensified and the council moved to confiscate equipment to prevent camping.

Mr Bropho’s sister Bella has engaged barrister Stephen Walker to challenge the PCC’s confiscations and is asking the council to let the campers stay.

In a letter to Mr Stevenson, Mr Walker cites federal court rulings arguing Noongar people have the right to “occupy, use and enjoy lands in the Perth metropolitan area for a number of purposes,” including maintaining and protecting sites, passing on knowledge and customs, and using natural resources for “social, cultural, religious, spiritual, customary and traditional purposes”.

The PCC is also facing a public question time query about whether the state’s Aboriginal Heritage Act of 1972 overrides its own by-laws, a question to be addressed at the next council meeting.

by DAVID BELL

IS there an oblong turtle thief on the loose in Bayswater?

The local council is sticking its neck out and alleging more than 30 of the reptiles have been stolen from a “secure” enclosure at the Eric Singleton Bird Sanctuary. Ironically, around 70 had been moved to the enclosure for protection while the wetlands undergo a $2.9 million restoration.

Bayswater mayor Sylvan Albert was astonished to learn so many had vanished and said the population would take a long time to recover.

“It would appear someone has gone to great lengths to get to, and illegally capture, the wetland turtles,” he says.

“Notwithstanding this, we are also looking into the possibility of predation.

“Extra on-site measures to prevent theft and predation have now been implemented.”

The oblong turtle is a shy fellow and, suffering from stress-related illnesses, doesn’t tend to make a good pet. Regardless, it has recently been making inroads into the pet market.

In the wild it eats small fish, tadpoles, insects, frogs, small crayfish, freshwater prawns and carrion.

It can be commonly found in permanent waterways in the far south-west of WA and has the ability to aestivate—a form of mild hibernation—during long periods of drought.

Cr Albert says the suspected theft has been reported to the WA parks and wildlife department.

“If you have seen or do see anything suspicious around the bird sanctuary, please contact our ranger and security service on 9272 0972,” he urges.

“We especially would like to hear from people who believe they have information about who allegedly took the turtles.”

But don’t pick up one, as it often emits a foul odour from its scent glands when handled.

The sanctuary upgrade should prevent around 40 tonnes of general rubbish, 1.3 tonnes of nitrogen and 200kg of phosphorous from entering the Swan River every year.

The Voice contacted the police but they said they were unaware of any missing turtles.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

BEWARE the wee swans around Mounts Bay Road.

Perth city council has had reports of swans being injured or causing traffic accidents trying to waddle across the street.

We hear one family has been making a regular trip through the roundabout at the Narrows bridge every day between 5.30 and 6pm.

It’s currently breeding season for black swans: their cygnets and eggs are particularly vulnerable to dog and cat attacks.

Black swan breeding season ends in a few weeks but the juveniles will need to be given a wide berth for a few months yet till they learn their street smarts.

by DAVID BELL

A MT LAWLEY man is literally sacré bleu with P’tite Ardoise Bistro following its failure to offer him either apology or compensation for the theft of his suit jacket.

Phil Westbrook had been enjoying a meal with his daughter at their favourite French restaurant when the maître d’ offered to hang his suit jacket on the coat rack. It was the last Mr Westbrook saw of the $400 garment: the owner later told him he suspected a customer had pinched it and he would investigate and get back to him.

No responsibility

“I didn’t hear anything for two weeks so I contacted P’tite Ardoise and they said that despite their staff having taken charge of my jacket I had not been obliged to hand it over and that they had no responsibility for its safe-keeping,” Mr Westbrook told the Voice.

“I suggested that they might like to give me a credit note for a free meal, but they had no intention of making amends and basically it was my hard luck.

“I find it really disappointing that a small family-run restaurant, which we have been to four times over the past year, didn’t even apologise or even offer us a free lunch, nor any kind of gesture.”

P’tite Ardoise owner Xavier Pique says he’d called everyone who’d booked a table that night, to no avail: “There was only one booking that we couldn’t get hold of and we tried really hard to track down the jacket,” he says. “This kind of incident has never happened to us before, it’s a first. We can’t be responsible for every personal item in the restaurant—I don’t see why I should offer a free meal as compensation.”

Perth lawyer John Hammond says he believes the restaurant is liable and the owner should shout a “few generous dinners”.

“The owner of a restaurant who takes care of a person’s clothing or other goods is known as a bailee,” he says. “The person who deposits the goods with the restaurant owner is known as a bailor. The bailee is obliged to hold the goods safe for the bailor to reclaim.

“If the goods are stolen the bailee is, in my view, liable.”

Mr Westbrook, an immigrant from England, says he loves P’tite Ardoise and doesn’t want to restage the Battle of Agincourt.

“We actually started learning French last year and our tutor recommend we go to a French restaurant to hone our conversational skills,” he says.

“Traditionally the English and French haven’t got on, but there’s no historical malice in this one—just poor service.”

by STEPHEN POLLOCK