Perth Voice Interactive

SIXTY-EIGHT people have signed a petition calling for pedestrian crossings on dangerous sections of Beaufort Street.

Locals want crossings at the intersections of Wood Street, and Third and Central Avenues.

Janelle Marshall, 43, was partially paralysed and suffered brain damage after a car accident when she was nine.

Now confined to a gopher, it’s difficult to travel from her house on Third Avenue to the chemist on the other side of Beaufort Street: “A few years ago a truck driver, on his mobile phone, came out a side street and drove into me while I was crossing Beaufort Street,” she says

“He dragged me along the road and did a fair bit of damage to my gopher.

“There are a lot of old people who need to cross the road to go to the chemist and the IGA, but the only pedestrian crossing is miles away, up at Ninth Avenue.”

Margaret Thompson, who helped Janelle organise the petition, says there have been several accidents and countless near misses involving pedestrians over the years.

“The physio, chemist and the medical surgery are all places elderly people visit regularly,” she says.

“We really need a pedestrian crossing there to make it safer.”

Stirling city council manager Paul Giamov says safety has improved at the three intersections, including a school crossing at Third Avenue, a pedestrian crossing phase at Central Avenue and improved crossing points at Wood Street.

He says facilities “meet all required standards and provide sufficient opportunities for pedestrians to cross the road safely”.

“In fact, the facilities in place along Beaufort Street could be considered safer than many in comparable metropolitan locations.”

Mr Giamov says the council will examine whether speed should be reduced.

Maylands Labor MP Lisa Baker says locals have been lobbying for improved safety for years.

“I have submitted multiple petitions on behalf of the community on this issue in the past five years, so clearly more can be done to improve the liveability and safety of this area.

“The City of Stirling is proactive in moving to improve pedestrian safety on Beaufort Street by undertaking traffic calming measures, and I support them fully in approaching the state government for assistance on this issue.

“If we want to improve the vibrancy of the Inglewood shopping strip, we need to look at providing further infrastructure to link safe pedestrian zones.”

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

BAYSWATER residents have petitioned the council about smells and noises from a waste transfer station on Collier Road.

Residents living in Shalford Street 150m behind the station have lost patience with Transpacific Cleanaway, which manages the plant.

Lead petitioner Kevin Buckley wants a 5m concrete wall built at the rear of the site to block noises and smells.

“When the wind carries the smell it’s like putting a bin beside your bedroom window,” he says.

“These problems have been on-going for years: for a while it got better and the rear doors were closed on the facility, but recently new management has taken over and the doors have been left open causing the smell to drift over.

“The lease on the plant is up for renewal soon and I want Bayswater council to put strict conditions on any new agreement.”

Transpacific manager Paul Tomkinson says it erected a 2.1m high fence to address residents’ concerns.

“I can assure you that not only do we operate within all prescribed limits for noise and odour, we also go above and beyond to ensure we minimise impacts for nearby residents,” he says.

“Just as we have in the past, we are confident that we will continue to meet all licensing requirements and will continue to cooperate with all parties to ensure any concerns are appropriately addressed.

“We have been managing recyclables and waste from the site for approximately 25 years and work closely with council.”

Local Labor MP Lisa Baker wants strict conditions put on any new lease.

“In the past two years, agreements Cleanaway took on to keep rear doors closed and loading to the front of the premises have dropped off, and residents have noticed an increase in uncomfortable noise,” she says.

“In my opinion, the residents’ requests are reasonable, and would not unnecessarily curtail the facility’s operation.

“The environment minister has acknowledged complaints of noise and smell coming from the facilities, but as yet has failed to act to enforce Cleanaway’s licence regulations which stipulate that noise and smell should not affect the comfort of people offsite.”

The issue will come before council later this month.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

VOLUNTEERING WA is looking for food and clothing to give to the homeless.

Every year the organisation holds Homeless Connect, a community event where the homeless can pick up free food, clothing and goods.

The event also offers pro bono services, including health and dental checks, accommodation assistance and legal counselling.

Homeless Connect manager Marija Jelavic says they don’t have enough food, nor clothes for women and children.

“We need people to donate canned foods, packs of cereals—basically any food that’s non-perishable,” she says.

“Food is the most popular items in our donations shop.

“We need children’s and women’s clothes as well—unfortunately we get more and more families attending the event every year.”

The first Homeless Connect in 2007 was attended by around 300 people; last year 900 came along.

“The lack of affordable housing is pushing a lot of people onto the streets,” Ms Jelavic says.

“Sadly we get a lot of families coming in who are on the bread line.”

In preparation for this year’s event, around 370 volunteers have been sifting through piles of donated goods in the Old Perth Gas Works on Wellington Street.

On the day, volunteers “buddy” with homeless people and help them choose donated items and free services.

Morning tea and lunch is provided.

Donations can be dropped off at 339 Wellington Street on Tuesday, Wednesdays and Thursdays until October 30.

Homeless Connect will be held mid-November.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

A NOT-FOR-PROFIT organisation teaching Italian to 22,215 students in WA schools is worried a WA government review could jeopardise its language program.

For 35 years the Italo-Australian Welfare & Cultural Centre has been teaching italian in WA schools.

It now employs teachers in 81 schools, including Kyilla primary (North Perth), Our Lady’s Assumption (Dianella) and Noranda primary.

WA multicultural interests minister Mike Nahan says his review into community language programs will include “principles of reallocation”.

IAWCC director Sarina Sirna is concerned: “Any cuts would be absolutely detrimental to the survival of our program,” she says. “We have been informed that the review report is now with the minister, but we are very worried about cuts to our program, which has been running since 1978.

“Essentially, we offer the classes free-of-charge to schools and students throughout WA.”

The IAWCC receives from the Barnett government $65 for every student in WA government and after-hour classes, and $35 per student attending Catholic and private schools.

The vast majority of its students (20,474) are in Catholic and private schools.

“The $35 state government portion has not increased since 1992, in comparison with other states that may contribute up to $190 per capita annually,” Ms Sirna notes.

Dr Nahan’s spokesperson Graham Mason says “A review has recently been presented to the minister” but “no decision has been made on funding levels”.

Labor MP Rita Saffioti says the government needs to do better to keep stakeholders informed.

The language program also receives funding from the federal and Italian governments.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

AS summer beckons, Stirling city council is warning people not to attempt to catch or kill snakes.

Rangers are busy erecting “snakes on this reserve” signs, before they emerge from hibernation in search of food and a mate.

Stirling parks manager Ian Hunter says residents should be like Indiana Jones and stay clear, especially of dugites and tiger snakes.

“The majority of snake bites occur when people or pets try to aggravate, catch or kill the snake,” he says.

“Dog owners need to be particularly careful that their pets are kept on a leash in areas where native snakes are likely to be active.

“This greatly avoids the potential for contact between the animals.”

Mr Hunter adds that residents can reduce the risk of snakes entering their garden by ensuring they are free of tall weeds, rubbish, building materials, and uneaten pet food that attract mice.  “We would advise anyone who is concerned about a snake on their property to contact the city of Stirling department of parks and wildlife, and not to attempt to catch or kill the snake,” he says.

Native snakes are protected under the Wildlife Conservation Act and may be killed only if you are feeling “immediately threatened”. Most snakes sighted in public parks and other areas are often only passing through.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

BACK when he was a private citizen trying to get the Beaufort Street Festival off the ground, John Carey says he walked into Vincent city council and staff told him “you won’t be able to do it”.

Shortly after, a suspicious councillor walked the streets trying to find out who exactly these Beaufort Street Network young turks were.

Four-odd years later, David Doy is the guy the council brought in to make things easier for town centre groups to get things off the ground with a “facilitate, not regulate” attitude.

“People are always looking to improve their area, and rather than complicating it, it’s ‘how can do we do this?’” he says.

Called a “place manager”, he’s part-researcher, part-fixer, and solves little problems for traders or locals living around the town centres. When restaurants complain of red tape on alfresco laws, he gets the council to slash it.

When he sees Vincent has a clumsy busker licence system but no buskers, he gets it scrapped. When Bayswater umms and ahhs over new markets, he pounces, to let them set up in Mount Hawthorn.

He’s also helped set up trader and residents’ groups for town centres that don’t already have them (eg, North Perth Local and the Mount Hawthorn Hub), providing an avenue for locals to get involved in their community.

That town centre group model’s now being copied in Stirling and Victoria Park.

Highlights from the second 100 days of place management:

• Beaufort Street trees, furniture, the Mary Street Piazza, the big artistic pavement project,  getting the art market going;

• Leederville planter boxes, new olive trees, lighting and murals in dingy alleyways, with new seating and bins on the way;

• North Perth has 49 plane trees on the way (allergics prepare to cower), the big robot artwork’s been approved this week, and new old-timey markets are on the way for the Rosemount

• Mount Hawthorn’s got new trees, banners, entertainers and a makers’ market is on the way.

The yearly budget for the program is $94,511.

by DAVID BELL

“THIS land is ours” is emblazoned across a rusty ute at FORM gallery. “Always was, always will be,” a fender says.

It sums up artist Reko Rennie’s feelings on an issue close to his art.

“I painted [that] because the land was stolen, pastoralists are squatters on Aboriginal land.”

With WA’s 99-year pastoral leases expiring in 2015 it’s a timely reflection, and Marlbatharndu Wanggagu, or Once Upon a Time in the West (apologies to Sergio Leone) is an exploration of the untold stories of Aboriginal workers of the land. Until 1966 they were mostly unpaid: “It was tough and many worked as slaves, not paid and doing 12 to 15 hours days,” Rennie says.

The image of the heroic solitary rider herding cattle is part of imagery of settlement—but the fact is the figure was most likely Aboriginal.

Men and women herded cattle or were farm hands, and mission raised girls were sent north, by Native Welfare, as domestic servants.

Rennie, a Kamilaroi/Gamilaraay/Gummaroi man, spent weeks in WA’s far north west as part of the project.

“[Camping] with one of the elders, who took me out bush to Roy Hill Station where he worked for a long time.”

Rennie’s bold neon works explore issues of identity, race, law and justice, land rights and the stolen generation, from the perspective of an urban Aboriginal. He’s exhibited in Paris, Berlin, Italy, Jakarta, Shanghai and the US.

Once Upon a Time in the West, a collaboration between the IBN Aboriginal Corporation and FORM Gallery, is part art/part oral history. Curator Sharmila Wood and anthropologist Andrew Dowding interviewed indigenous people from Tom Price, Paraburdoo and Karajini National Park about their time working on stations.

Aboriginal workers were forced off the land once owners had to pay them: “Everyone had to move…there was no more work left,” Adrian Condon says.

Now 49, as a kid he watched the men go mustering: “Then it was up to my mum and her sisters to take over the horse riding, to keep the station running. They used to love riding horses.”

Claire Martin’s powerful images and portraits will also be on display. The multi-award winning Perth photographer uses her camera to focus on marginalised communities in prosperous countries such as Australia, including a recent series on people choosing a life of poverty in Nimbin’s forest communes.

The third artist is US national Jetsonorama, who came to art late in life and has won a slew of awards for his massive wheat paste art/graffiti, stuck to walls, silos, and just about anything large he can find around his Navajo dessert home, with flour, sugar and water.

Like Rennie and Martin the African/American spent time in WA’s far north creating images from photos taken during his weeks there.

Once Upon a Time in the West is on at FORM Gallery, Murray Street, Perth, November 6 to January 2015. Reko Rennie will give an art talk at the opening Thursday Nov 6, 5–6pm.

You’ll need to RSVP to belinda@form.net.au 

by JENNY D’ANGER

Parents crowdfund for playground

AFTER getting knocked back for two state government grants the parents from North Perth primary school are taking fundraising into their own hands.

They want to buy a high-end German climbing frame designed for unstructured “free play”. An embodiment of teutonic engineering, the “Explorer Dome” is built to challenge kids’ mental and physical development instead of letting them languish on the usual safe and boring plastic slide set up.

For the past two years they’ve tried to get a playground equipment grant but even with local MP Eleni Evangel onside and lobbying for them they’ve been knocked back each time, despite their play equipment looking pretty stark next to Mt Hawthorn primary school.

They’ve previously raised a bit of cash for their nature playground by pressing and selling olive oil but this one will need a hefty $40,000, the equivalent of 5000kg of olives collected over five years.

Instead they’ve gone high-tech and hopped on the crowdfunding bandwagon.

The platform they’ve gone with—Chuffed—only does social causes, so movie stars looking for millions for their next flick (like Dax Shepard and Zach Braff) are out.

But Chuffed also doesn’t skim the usual five per cent from the top, and doesn’t use the usual “all or nothing” model: most crowdfunders return all money to donors if the target isn’t met, but the school will grab what’s offered.

P&C mum Kirstyn Johnson says the frame will go in at the school oval, which is actually in a public area across from the school where any member of the public can play.

It went live on Chuffed on Wednesday at http://www.chuffed.org/project/free-climb-dome and the usual initial crowdfund rush has seen $2350 raised in about three hours, and Vincent council’s pitching in $10,000.

by DAVID BELL