BAYSWATER calls itself “the garden city”. Cr Chris Cornish wants his council to live up to its moniker by increasing the municipality’s tree canopy.
A recent study showed Bayswater council had the fourth worst coverage of trees in Perth, with just 13.2 per cent of the area boasting green canopies.
Cr Cornish wants that improved to 20 per cent by 2025, basing the figures on targets from eastern states councils.
He says having more trees cools the streets a few degrees and having them near your house boosts prices about $16,000.
It’s an uphill battle as half the city’s trees are cut back for power lines, but Cr Cornish is hoping for more undergrounding of powerlines to let them thrive.
Cr Cornish concedes it’ll cost to plant more trees but he reckons that’s outweighed by the savings, from lower airconditioning bills for green-laden streets to protecting the roads (Melbourne uni research shows hot sun can evaporate solvents in bitumen, and shading extends life two to three times).
Research out of New York shows a buck invested in trees returns $5 in benefits.
The plan’s up for debate at Baysy council’s meeting on September 23.
Over at Vincent council they’re taking a more measured pace, hoping to increase the canopy to 20 per cent by 2050.
POLICE have busted a suspected suburban drugs den in Bayswater.
Suspicious residents contacted police after seeing vehicles visit a neighbour’s house at all hours of the day and night.
Following surveillance, a 26-year old woman, two 29-year old men and a 33-year old man were charged with offences associated with the sale and supply of methylamphetamine and cannabis.
Police seized property including controlled and prohibited weapons. They wouldn’t reveal the address but said it was in a short street “quite close to the Bayswater CBD”.
One of those charged was on bail for drug-related offences.
“This is a fantastic result for police and the community and just goes to show how reporting suspicious behaviour can make all the difference,” says Bayswater station officer Dave Whitnell.
• Hilary Palmer, Charlene Freedman, Michael Sutherland and a student at Sir David Brand School. Photo by Matthew Dwyer
A COOLBINIA principal and the president of the WA school teachers’ union disagree over the merits of independent public schools.
Next year another 178 schools in WA will become IPS, including Sir David Brand School, which caters for students with disabilities aged 4 to 18.
Independence allows principals more autonomy, including control over recruitment and the spending of school budgets. Sir David Brand principal Hilary Palmer says it will allow her to cut red tape: “We are going to cut out as much of the bureaucracy as we can and maximise teacher-student learning time,” she says.
“Research shows that if a teacher is really engaged with their program it makes a huge difference to the learning progress of a child with a disability or learning difficulty.
“It will allow us to expand our partnerships with our agencies, particularly the Centre for Cerebral Palsy which is located next door, and various other therapists.”
But union president Pat Byrne says her members have mixed views.
But ‘try before you buy’ worries union
“Some teachers report that IPS schools put more teachers on fixed-term contracts—a sort of ‘try before you buy‘ approach,” she says.
“These teachers feel a lot of pressure to toe the line in order to retain their contracts into the next year.
“Principals also complain that while the department says schools can make independent decisions, reductions in funding to schools means that there is little scope within the budget to make any independent decisions.”
Ms Byrne says the workload for IPS principals increases significantly and there is no distinction in learning between IPS and non-IPS students.
From next year there will be 300 IPS across Perth and 442 across WA, accounting for around 70 per cent of public school students.
Mt Lawley Liberal MP Michael Sutherland says the four local schools becoming independent (West Morley and Sutherland Dianella primaries, Sir David Brand and North East Metro Language Development) will reap rewards.
“The initiative began slowly with 34 schools granted independent status in 2010,” he says.
“From 2015, more than half of all WA public schools will be operating as independent public schools.
“Research has found that schools given greater independence have experienced a noticeable lift in energy, motivation, innovation and engagement by students, staff and the extended school community.”
STIRLING city council will remove 40 “non-compliant” crash barriers without consulting the public.
Affected residents will receive prior notification in the post, but there will be no consultation where residents can comment on the proposal.
Barriers to be removed include those in Mt Lawley (Alexander Drive, North Street, Astor Lane), Dianella (Dianella Drive, Lotus Lane, Morley Drive, Walter Road, Yirrigan Drive) and Yokine (Lonsdale Street, McDonald Street) .
An independent audit, commissioned by the council, recommended removal of barriers it had identified as non-compliant with Australian standards and with no justifiable crash-history.
Where to begin?
As a resident near Hyde Park, where do I begin regarding the new bicycle chicanes?
Since its first development in 1897, Hyde Park has endured multiple facelifts to keep up with changing social use and conventions.
I praise the council for the 2012 lakes redevelopment, but I fail to see how these unnecessary installations add to the benefit of park users. Did someone get brushed by a cyclist once? I would have thought John Carey would be pro-cycling. I am not a cyclist but can say just having walked through them they are too close together to be used (with most simply riding around, the brown tyre treads on the lawns are proof).
More so, they substantially encroach on the vistas and overall amenity of a great example of Arcadian landscape design. William Bold would be spinning in his grave (spinning an angle grinder). JC Chelmsford Rd, Mt Lawley
Premature boycott
I SEE the Voice was able to assemble four of the Friends of Palestine to advertise they were going to boycott the opening of the Israeli Film Festival (Voice, August 30, 2014). Maybe the protesters should have stayed for the film as they would have found out it was about an Arab woman and an Israeli women who shared many similarities. A bit like asking a book to be banned without even reading it. Lezly Herbert Pennant St, North Perth
Obliteration inaccuracy
IN your article “Palestine Friends boycott Israeli film festival” (Voice, August 30, 2014), Bob Kucera, president of Friends of Israel, says, “arts and politics shouldn’t mix”, objecting to the boycott of the Israeli film festival.
He forgets Picasso’s famous painting Guernica, a protest of the bombing of the city of the same name during the Spanish civil war, or the Billie Holiday song “Strange Fruit” which focused attention on the lynching of Afro-Americans in the US’s southern states.
In any case, the protest was not against film-makers. It centred on the Australia-Israel Cultural Exchange, the host of the Israeli Film Festival which functions as a PR instrument promoting a white-washed view of the Israeli state and by extension the legitimisation of its colonial occupation of Palestine and its cruel treatment of its bombed out inhabitants.
It is inaccurate to say Hamas’ ”stated aim is to “obliterate Israel and kill all Jews”. What is your source for this claim? If it is the Hamas Charter think again. This is an antiquated and irrelevant document written in 1988 without consultation, consensus or correction by one person who unannounced made it public. In Article Seven there are three sentences written in an obscure and ostensibly poetic form which discuss killing Jews. It is not a categorical order “to kill all Jews”.
Conversely, Moshe Feiglin, Deputy Speaker of the Israeli Knesset and member of the ruling Likud party has recently proposed that all of Gaza be destroyed and any survivors be put in tents until they agree to leave, a clear policy of genocide.
The Hamas Charter of 1988 is misleading and unrepresentative of current Hamas thinking as evidenced by Hamas’ acceptance of a Palestinian state limited to 1967 borders. Hamas has sent numerous signals it could begin taking measures toward co-existing with Israel, including joining the Palestinian Authority in a unity government that accepts all previous PA agreements with Israel. These are facts.
Neither is it true that “Israel launched its military offensive following a series of rocket launches from Gaza…”. Israel, pretending it was searching for three kidnapped Israeli teenagers, (while it already knew they were dead) used this as an excuse to launch a massive roundup of hundreds of so-called Hamas suspects and killed six. This broke a 19-month long ceasefire which Hamas had observed. It was then, in retaliation, that Hamas fired its rockets. This also is fact. In view of the number of inacuracies in your article, could you publish an amended version or this letter. Vincent Sammut Franklin St, Leederville The Ed says: We’ve published your letter in the interests of freedom of expression. We do not accept there were inaccuracies.
Impressive length
MARGARET THOMPSON’S opening sentence of more than 80 words served at least to reflect her obvious and genuine fury (Voice Mail, August 30, 2014). The other day I came upon a sentence that occupied a whole page, part of the preceding page and part of the following page. This is in James Joyce’s classic, Finnegans Wake, the sequel to Ulysses. Impressions of Dublin—and Perth?—by day and night. You’re in great company, Margaret. Ron Willis First Ave, Mt Lawley
Israel like old South Africa
I REFER to your article “Palestine friends boycott Israeli film festival” (Voice, August 30, 2014) in which Friends of Israel President Bob Kucera asserts, “Like in sport, arts and politics shouldn’t mix”.
In 1971, protests during the Australian tour of the Springboks brought worldwide attention to apartheid South Africa’s racist policies. Today a new anti-apartheid movement has emerged in response to the racist policies of the Israeli state, which in two months has bombed Gaza, killing more than 2000 mostly civilian Palestinians.
Just like racist South Africa before it, Israel has two sets of laws: one for its Jewish citizens and another for Palestinians. Palestinians living under occupation, like their black and coloured South African cousins before them, are denied freedom of movement by military check points, road blocks and curfews. They are subject to laws that define who they can marry, where they can live, where they can work and what roads they can drive on, simply because they are born Palestinian.
Palestinian homes are regularly bulldozed by Israel and Palestinian residents are denied the right to rebuild. In response, Palestinians have called for an international campaign of boycotts, divestments and sanctions (BDS) to force Israel to comply with international law by ending its occupation of the Palestinian territories and dismantling its apartheid policies.
The protest held last week outside the opening of the Israeli Film Festival was not a call to censor filmmakers and artists for the actions of their government, as asserted by Luna Palace Cinemas manager Tony Bective, but rather a call on the cinema chain not to enter into a sponsorship deal with an Israeli-government funded institution. It’s a small price to pay for justice for the Palestinians. Nick Everett Convenor, Friends of Palestine WA Wilson St, Bassendean
Warm marinated olives…bread straight out of the wood fired oven…slow cooked lamb ragu…chicken cacciatora…For the Trequattrini family, food is a consuming passion. Originally from Umbria in central Italy, this foodie family of five moved to Perth with the plan to realise their dream of opening their own restaurant. The result is Three Coins, which is a literal translation of the family’s surname. Offering a truly memorable dining experience, Three Coins serves the most delicious fare in a warm, homestyle atmosphere. It’s regional Italian food as it should be – rustic, flavourful, expertly cooked and totally satisfying…bellissimo!
They say the family that cooks together, stays together. At Three Coins, this certainly holds true. Owners Fabio and Sabrina are joined by daughter Annalisa (manager) and sons Luca and Francesco (chefs). Being a family owned and operated restaurant, there’s a focus on traditional values and a desire to look after every guest as if they were part of the family – it’s the Italian way!
“We want our customers to experience and share in our love for food, which is driven by quality, freshness and home made products,” explains Annalisa.
The menu is compact, carefully considered and changes according to what’s in season. It’s all about quality rather than quantity. Starters include fresh mussels in a garlic and chilli tomato sauce, served with house made ciabatta bread, or San Daniele proscuitto with buffalo mozzarella. All pasta is hand made on the premises daily using free range eggs and semolina flour. The pumpkin and taleggio filled ravioli is tossed with butter, parmesan and sage & finished with a drizzle of white truffle oil…Amazing! Mains are just as impressive, with pistachio encrusted grilled lamb cutlet or slow cooked beef cheeks in red wine gravy vying for your attention.
The eclectic wine list is a good mix of local and imported. It’s been created by Fabio, an experienced sommelier, with the aim of providing guests with interesting choices. There are Italian beers to try and the house wines are from Margaret River.
Come and experience the real taste of Italy at Three Coins.
A crushing loss to Hawthorn in last year’s grand final wasn’t enough to sink the Dockers in 2014. After a roller coaster season, the Dockers finished 4th on the AFL ladder, behind Sydney, Hawthorn and Geelong, giving them a good chance to earn this year’s premiership cup.
As part of our finals coverage we’re inviting you to share with us your favourite Fremantle Dockers memory to publish in a special wraparound edition of your Perth Voice.*
(Comments will be published at the Herald’s discretion. Be sensible folks.)
In 50 words or less, tell us your favourite Fremantle Dockers memory below.
CHICKEN poo will help Coolbinia primary school kids raise funds for their new playground.
The school’s P&C is selling off a load of their secret formula fertiliser Fabfert for the “interactive playground” at the school.
School parent Charlie Stephens says the idea came about last year when they heard Wanneroo had a huge problem with leftover chicken poo from plants up that way.
• Coolbinia primary year 1 students Matilda, Chloe and Christopher help move some super-poo! Photo by Matthew Dwyer
They mixed it up to minimise odour and the stuff’s won a tick of approval from the WA health department.
Mr Stephens says it’s crazy effective on lawns or trees: “We had a mandarin tree that had never fruited before. We chucked some of this on and it went absolutely berserk.”
Last year the school sold 25,000 litres of the stuff, so it’s hoping people pre-order on http://www.coolschool.org.au by September 7.
“DEFERRED, not deleted” is the message from Vincent’s new CEO Len Kosova as he tries to patch up a $6.4 million budget hole left by the previous administration.
Already identified for deferring is $3.6 million of capital works including footpath upgrades, the Cheriton Street cottage refurbishment, the $100,000 skate park, the Anzac Cottage spend, and a $140,000 CCTV for Oxford Street.
“Deferring does not mean deleting,” Mr Kosova reminded councillors at this week’s meeting.
He says the city has so much on the go it wouldn’t have been able to get to all of the deferred projects in 10 months anyway.
Mr Kosova’s also managed to find $314,000 savings in the council’s operating budget.
Mayor John Carey says some of those savings are surprisingly easy to make.
“It wasn’t as hard to identify savings in the operational budget and capital works,” he says, crediting the discovery to bringing “a new set of eyes” into the organisation to take a look at how things were done and find “where the fat is, where the waste is”.
“We have delivered these savings with far less pain than anticipated.
“The organisation is going to be better off for this process because it is a total review for all our operations and services.
“Just because something has always been done a particular way doesn’t justify that we keep on doing it that way.”
The council will also look at selling off the entirety of the old police station on Angove Street instead of just half, raking in at least an extra $770,000. But it’ll need to sell it for a higher price if it wants to recover the $374,704 paid in interest since 2009.
The building is currently inhabited by the community organisation Grow, a mental health group.
The savings plans will go to a special budget meeting for approval.
Mr Kosova says it’s important to note the city’s not in deficit—yet: That’s the projection for the next financial year if the shortfall isn’t addressed.
SHOULD art and politics be mutually exclusive? Can they ever be?
Friends of Palestine WA will protest outside Cinema Paradiso at the opening night of the AICE Israeli Film Festival, calling on the Abbott government to expel Israel’s ambassador and enforce an arms embargo on Israel.
The Israeli embassy is partially funding the festival and it is supported by the Australian Israel Cultural Exchange, which FOP claims is a front for Israel’s ruling Likud party.
Friends of Israel WA president Bob Kucera is fuming the Friends of Palestine WA is exploiting a cultural event for political gain.
“The Friends of Israel prefer not to bring the troubles of the middle-east to the streets of Perth—the greatest response we can have is to fill the theatre,” he says.
“This is a cultural program and many of the people involved in the film-making industry in Israel are Arabs and people from all denominations.
“It’s a bit sad because the only country in the middle-east that respects the rights of every individual, regardless of their race, origin and sexual preferences, is Israel.”
“Like in sport, arts and politics shouldn’t mix—this is a cultural event.”
Mr Kucera adds only around 200 of the 1200-strong group’s members are Jewish and most joined to learn more about the long-running enmity in the middle-east.
• Members of the Friends of Palestine WA warm-up for their Israeli protest. Photo by Matthew Dwyer
At the time of going to print, FOP convener Nick Everett was marshalling volunteers for the protest at Thursday night’s festival launch.
“Since the start of the current Israeli military offensive in Gaza, on July 8, Israeli airstrikes have killed 2133 Palestinians and wounded 10,890 more,” he says.
“The vast majority of Palestinian killed have ben civilians, hundreds of them children, in one of the most brutal attacks by the Israeli apartheid state in recent decades.
“FOP WA calls on the State of Israel to cease its attacks on Palestinians in both Gaza and the West Bank, to end its siege of Gaza and to recognise the rights of Palestinians to live in peace within their own state.”
Gaza is ruled by Hamas, a declared terrorist organisation whose stated aim is to “obliterate” Israel and to kill all Jews. Israel launched its military offensive following a series of rocket launches from Gaza, most of which caused minor damage (one this week killed an Israeli child).
Luna Palace Cinemas manager Tony Bective says he has “planned accordingly” for the protest outside his Northbridge cinema.
“We at Luna have hosted many festivals over the years including the Palestinian Film festival and we believe that filmmakers and artists should not be censored for the actions of their government,” he says.
“[We] share the voices of storytellers from all around the world; we do not really discriminate against them according to race or religion.
“The AICE Israeli Film Festival 2014 represents a range of voices and perspectives, from both Israeli and Palestinian, Jewish and Arab.”
Mr Kucera will attend the opening and Israeli Ambassador Shmuel Ben Shmuel has been invited. Other sponsors of the Israeli film festival include The West Australian newspaper.
Perth Voice Interactive 