Perth Voice Interactive

IT was the biggest Light Up Leederville Carnival yet, with 80,000 people lining the streets on Sunday December 7.

To keep people from having to pack in like sardines the event expanded up through Oxford and Newcastle Streets to cater for the eight stages and 250 stalls.

The day kicked off with hundreds of Santas taking part in a run for charity (artfully pinched from Fremantle) and wrapped up with fireworks and the switching on of the Christmas lights. Photos by Jarrad Seng

CHRISTMAS is cancelled at the Central Institute of Technology, amid fears an ostentatious display of cheer at the publicly funded school would be “inappropriate” in times of austerity.

Managing director Neil Fernandes issued the missive to staff informing them that “after much thought, executive has made the difficult decision to cancel the staff Christmas party scheduled for Friday 5th December 2014”.

He asked for staff understanding, saying “in recent years community expectations around public sector spending have changed and it has become increasingly unacceptable to fund hospitality that does not have a direct business benefit”.

“This is the reason we have levied a staff cover charge in recent years to pay for any alcohol consumed.

“However, as you are no doubt aware, WA currently faces very difficult budget circumstances. It is executive’s judgement that, in the current situation, hospitality on the scale required by the Christmas party is not appropriate and would not be considered so by the community we serve or the state government.”

‘it has become increasingly unacceptable to fund hospitality that does not have a direct business benefit’

Mr Fernandes says “next year, we will look at options for getting together to celebrate without the need for public funds”.

Staff had contacted him and had “overwhelmingly respected and understood” the decision.

Staff who’ve already paid their tenner will be refunded.
One staffer says he isn’t too fussed as it means he won’t have to deal with half-drunk colleagues.

by DAVID BELL

IF you’re wondering if you missed the Maylands Street Festival originally scheduled for last month the answer is no: it was scrapped because the organisers, MBA, failed to get enough funding and were too busy to sort it out.

They’ve asked Bayswater council for permission to stage it in March instead. In April the council voted to give MBA $12,500 to host the festival.

“The city is disappointed that the festival did not occur in November, but understands that organising a big event requires a lot of attention, commitment and time from all volunteers involved,” mayor Sylvan Albert said.

Cr Terry Kenyon wants the funds taken back and allocated to someone else to run the street party: “The funds were granted on the proviso that the festival was held in November,” he says.

“That has not happened and we need to look at other organisations who can deliver. There are elections next year—it is not appropriate to hold the festival in March, it should be November.”

The group Local Arts and Community Events—which also runs the successful Maylands Markets—is keen to help the MBA run the festival, or take over completely.

LACE chairperson Catherine Ehrhardt says residents and businesses were disappointed and confused when the 2014 festival didn’t happen.

“The festival is a good economic boost for businesses on Eighth Avenue and Whatley Crescent, so traders were disappointed,” she says.

“Nobody was informed that the festival wasn’t going to happen and we we’re left scratching our heads at the end of November—it was poor communication.

“Since July, LACE has contacted the MBA asking if they needed assistance, but they didn’t get back to us.”

The popular biennial festival attracts around 10,000 people and has been running for six years. In 2012 the council appointed an economic development officer, whose duties include liaising with business to gauge opportunities for holding street fiestas.

Maylands Labor MP Lisa Baker is also disappointed the festival was scrapped and says the council should more closely scrutinise groups allocated money to complete tasks.

The Voice contacted MBA president Dominic Cuscuna but he didn’t get back to us.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

THE Origin New Year’s Eve party rejected by Perth city councillors has found a home in Subiaco.

The PCC was split over the decision, with councillors Rob Butler and Reece Harley voting to let the party go ahead but the rest of the gang worrying over the impact on neighbours.

Festival organiser Saran Bajaj says the rejection was puzzling since “the City of Perth is usually quite easy to deal with”. “This is the first time the event has been approved by officers but turned down by councillors.It’s their loss. We’re not bitter about it, we don’t have anything against them and we’d love to work with them in the future. The City of Perth is usually quite negotiable.”

Mr Bajaj had agreed to lower the bass, add extra security, organise buses for punters to leave at the end of the night, and include a variety of acts so it wasn’t wall-to-wall bass. But that wasn’t enough for lord mayor Lisa Scaffidi and councillors Jim Adamos, Janet Davidson and Judy McEvoy who said due to the impact on neighbours and “the egress of attendees at the conclusion of the event, it would be unacceptable for the event to go ahead”.

Other councils, including Victoria Park, Swan, Vincent and Subiaco, reached out to Origin to try to make the event happen, and organisers settled on Subiaco.

by DAVID BELL

A FIRE at a medical centre on Beaufort Street has caused at least $1 million of damage to a local radiology firm.

The fire broke out in InSight Clinical Imaging on Sunday night at around 11.45pm, and was put out by fire services at 2 am.

InSight CEO Josh Zucal says the fire was started by an electrical fault in the roof and the cause was not suspicious.

“The fire caused extensive damage to our expensive ultrasound and scanning equipment,” he says.

“Our intention is to re-open, as we are a locally owned and run company that has been in Mt Lawley for the past four years.

“In the meantime we have other practices for clients to use, including one in Midland.”

Mt Lawley Liberal MP Michael Sutherland says his electoral office is a stone’s throw from the centre, which includes a doctor’s surgery, chemist and other services.

“I was shocked by the extent of the damage: large sections of the roof had come in and the whole place had been gutted by fire,” he says.

“I go to the dentist and the pharmacy in there, so I know it very well.

“Locals rely on these services, so hopefully the company can re-open soon.”

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

PLANS to erect a council-funded memorial to former Bayswater mayor John D’Orazio (Voice, November 29, 2014) have upset the local residents and ratepayers association.

BRRA president Tony Green says the late Mr D’Orazio already has a park named after him, an oil painting in the council foyer and he’d been honoured as a freeman of the city.

“He was a fine mayor and did some great work, but we already have a number of tributes to him,” he says.

“Surely it would be more meaningful if his family supplied and paid for it.”

Mr Green questions the timing of the suggestion for a “fitting tribute”, which the council voted should be installed at Riverside Gardens.

Imminent

“Why has this suddenly come up three years after he passed away?” Mr Green asks. “Is it anything to do with the imminent council mergers?

During Mr D’Orazio’s 17-year reign, Bayswater introduced WA’s first security watch, Morley Galleria was redeveloped and green bin recycling introduced.

Cr Barry McKenna, who served on council with Mr D’Orazio, says he was respected by everyone.

“He was incredibly passionate about the city of Bayswater. We wouldn’t have the Galleria in Morley if it wasn’t for John’s tireless work.”

Mr D’Orazio later was elected to state parliament and became a Labor cabinet minister. Corruption allegations derailed his political career and he was thrown out of the ALP.

Mr D’Orazio died unexpectedly in 2011 aged 55 during surgery.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

NORTH PERTH primary school kids will get their space-age climbing dome (Voice, October 17, 2014) after the public dug deep and crowd-funded the state-of-the-art gear.

The German-engineered explorer dome is on the cutting edge of play equipment, encouraging children to develop both brain power and motor skills, but the price tag weighs in at a hefty $85,000.

With $10,000 cash already on hand from the school and another $10,000 from Vincent city council, the P&C set out to raise the rest.

Over a two-month campaign tins were shaken, stalls set up, businesses beseeched and word spread amongst friends and families.

Three weeks earlier than the deadline, the $40,000 needed was raised, and the dome is now on order with fingers crossed it can be up by the start of first term next year.

The other big crowdfunder the Voice was following—Lucky Chans noodle bar planned for William Street—also hit its $100,000 asking sum, though the overall cost to open will be a long way north of that.

by DAVID BELL

RENOVATIONS at Luna Palace cinemas in Leederville have uncovered a lost history of the art deco building.

Workers recently stripped back red paint on the awning to reveal a faded sign reading “library,” a forgotten use of the interwar-era shops just to the north of the main Luna corner buildings.

Luna’s Tony Bective said he’d never heard of a library being in that spot and put out a call for information.

Vincent’s local history centre soon got on the case, and senior librarian Julie Davidson uncovered early records showing the place used to be known as a “Universal Library”.

Records are scarce as they weren’t advertising in newspapers of the day, but they operated from at least 1940 to 1949, when the directory stopped publishing.

The privately owned library was apparently a predecessor to the video rental store, charging customers a fee to borrow books.

Interviews with town elders suggest the shop was later called the “Clark’s Paperback Library” in the early 1950s.

Bill Smith lived on Carr Street for a spell starting in 1945, and his oral account recalls “a lending library… I’m not sure whether it was open in the day time because me and my mother used to go there sort of six o’clock at night.

“That’s how I learnt… when I learnt to read a book. And I would presume that you had to pay. Would have been only six pence or four pence or something like that perhaps.”

Both Mr Bective and Ms Davidson are keen to find more information or hear memories of the old libraries, so if you have any info give the Voice a call on 9430 7727 and we’ll put you in touch.

by DAVID BELL