Perth Voice Interactive

LOCALS with an interest in wetlands are being urged to turn out for a Baigup wetlands planting and weeding day this Sunday August 24.

The Bayswater wetland is coming back to life after decades as a site for market gardens, and then a weed-infested wasteland.

“Once the land was no longer used privately, that led to weeds and they have driven out vegetation,” says Baigup wetlands interest group coordinator Penny Lee. “We need to preserve the wetland if we want to see wildlife continue to thrive.”

Like many wetlands in the network along the Swan coastal plain, Baigup has important cultural significance to Aboriginal people.

Those remaining face numerous stresses, as outlined in a report just released by the WA auditor-general.

The report says the Swan and Canning river systems and wetlands are failing to cope with Perth’s growing population and development pressures.

by CAMILLE VISSER

PLANS for a multi-million dollar wine bar in Maylands are generating plenty of interest both for and against.

A 103-signature petition opposing the venue has been submitted to Bayswater city council but supporters have taken to Facebook in their droves, excited about the one-of-a-kind live music venue. Applicant Michiel de Ruyter says around 100 letters of support have been sent to the council.

If approved, the three-storey “Lyric Lane” will feature a licensed function room in the basement— earmarked for live music and comedy—and a cafe-bar on the ground floor.

The De Ruyter family plans to build the venue on the site of the old Speedlite bike shop, near Rifo’s on Guildford Road

The opposing petition and seven letters of objection raised concerns about car-parking, vehicle safety, noise, and anti-social behaviour.

Mr de Ruyter says he has consulted extensively with public and made an effort to be transparent at every stage of the process.

“Lyrics will not be a beer barn or a low-cost liquor outlet as feared by some and it definitely will not have a bottle shop,” he says.

“We are spending over half-a-million dollars to ensure we won’t be causing noise issues and we will be activating the laneways to reduce anti-social behaviour.

“The parking issues suggested are mainly a technicality and the solution we propose is an excellent community-minded alternative which will benefit those nearby.”

The bar area would hold 100 people and the sound-proofed basement 150.

The top two floors would be for office space and limited accommodation with a rooftop-garden.

The council refused to reveal the name of the lead petitioner opposing the plan.

The Voice understands at least one of the petitioners is a local concerned her elderly mother living nearby could be affected.

Mr de Ruyter is disappointed the lead petitioner declined his offer to sit down and discuss concerns.

“If anyone would like to understand better what we are doing, then I remain happy to discuss our plans at any time and listen to any constructive concerns and suggestions they may have.”

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

BAYSWATER mayor Sylvan Albert says the council has no plans to sell its Mertome retirement village ahead of a special council meeting about its redevelopment.

The Winifred Road home was established in 1972 and accommodates 213 people in 200 units. It was the first of its kind to be constructed by a council and pioneered councils’ involvement in aged care. Many councils are now getting out of the sector, labelling the assets financial white elephants.

Mertome’s tired facilities and pressing demand have forced the council to consider expensive redevelopment.

“The city has not considered any plans to sell Mertome,” Cr Albert says.

“The meeting will consider options for the proposed re-development of Mertome Village that take into account affordability, as well as the current and future demand from those looking for aged care accommodation.

“The city also performed a market/risk analysis to provide detailed information on competitors that provide similar services, pricing, and the current and future demand for retirement and aged care accommodation.”

An option being considered is a $170 million, 20-year redevelopment of the aged care complex, with 316 apartments in two- to seven-storey buildings. Some $22 million is required to fund the first stage. The council has $9m from the aged persons home and is looking to fund the $13m shortfall.

“We should redevelop the site as the aged care monies have never come from council,” Cr Terry Kenyon says, making clear his opposition to any talk of selling. “All their reserves is money accrued from the aged care facilities in the city of Bayswater.” In June 2006 the council entered into an agreement with Juniper—formerly Uniting Church Homes—to operate its retirement villages, including Mertome, and its residential aged care facilities.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

SCIENCE is coming to the Perth cultural centre this weekend.

The free Perth Science Festival kicks off national science week, our first since the Abbott government deleted the science portfolio last year.

There’ll be 35 sciencey (and free) activities like the petting zoo, reptile display, science poetry and Tim Jarvis’ tales of recreating Shackleton’s Antarctic voyage.

Culinary Science chef Emma Donnelly will brew up some evidence-based dishes and bust a few old myths about cooking (salt in boiling water? Doesn’t affect the temperature, just makes the water a bit salty. Perfect egg whites? Use copper, baby! Mouldy food? Don’t just slice the fungus off, the whole lot’s ruined—urk!).

Ms Donnelly says cooking’s an area difficult to penetrate with evidence-based methods, since it’s so often based on tradition and the way things used to be done. If grandpa cooked his eggs a certain way, people assume it must be the best way and methods don’t get re-examined.

It’s changing though: “Since Heston Blumenthal’s become more popular, I think people are working up to that idea that there is a better way to do it.”

Ms Donnelly’s Culinary Science show is at 12.45pm, but there are events all Saturday from 10am to 7pm.

by DAVID BELL

VINCENT city council’s financials are in deep trouble after $3.2 million listed as a surplus was found to be a deficit. If not tackled, the council deficit could blow out to $6.4 million.

The discovery means “potentially nothing is off limits” says new CEO Len Kosova in his first tumultuous week in the job.

“There will have to be across-the-board considerations to reducing expenditure… it may be we need to defer, split, or no longer proceed with certain initiatives.”

Mayor John Carey says it’ll be up to the council to decide how to tackle the problem but he’s already flagging that “wishlist” programs like North Perth underground power are likely to be shelved.

The WA local government department wrote to Mr Carey on July 31 to warn him of the error, requiring a response by August 31 on how the council intends to balance its books.

The deficit appeared as a late item towards the end of the last council meeting. Councillors were told, “if not addressed, this transposing error could result in an estimated deficit of $6,399,558” by next June.

The department notes in its letter it had “raised questions regarding the City’s financial position and reporting discrepancies” in January 2014, April 2013, and January 2013.

Mr Kosova pored over the books to discover the previous administration had predicted balanced budgets for the past five years, but ended up between $2.2m and $3.6m in the red.

He says he wants to “work out if this was just a one-off thing that has arisen, or if there is a deeper, more systemic issue that has been occurring here”.

“Unfortunately there was a trend since 2009 that in every budget presented to council by administration, it was intended to be a balanced budget.

“At the close of the financial year it wasn’t a balanced budget, and not by an insignificant amount.”

Finance director Mike Rootsey is overseas, but Mr Kosova says he’ll be having a chat when he gets back.

“The city needs to be much more accurate and reliable in how we manage our spending,” he says.

by DAVID BELL

BEING regarded a place of “considerable cultural heritage” is something most churches might praise.

But Father John Anastasiou says it’s a headache he could do without.

His Greek Orthodox Parish of St Nektarios in Dianella is earmarked to appear on Stirling council’s heritage list and he says that might throw a spanner in redevelopment works.

Fr Anastasiou says the 22-year-old church is a “work in progress” and is in the midst of countless repairs and extensions which could fall victim to council red tape.

“I don’t want to be in a position where we have to ask a third party every time we want to make a change to the church,” he says.

“It would be different if the building was finished but we are in a state of flux and making countless changes.

“The church was consecrated in 2000—this is a religious building for the community and is different from countless other properties that have been lumped together on the list.”

Fr Anastasiou says the parish is also planning an on-site aged day care facility and creche.

The council voted to defer listing for a month following his appearance at its Tuesday meeting.

Other properties in Voiceland earmarked for addition to Stirling’s heritage list include Marsala House (Dianella), WA Golf Club (Yokine) and 386 Walcott Street (Coolbinia).

Mount Lawley Society patron Barrie Baker, 73, is happy more heritage properties will be better protected.

“In the same week that the state government made it easier for developers to get applications rubber-stamped, it is good that Stirling council are trying to safeguard more heritage properties,” he says.

“The church should have no problems if it is added to the heritage list and abides by the guidelines, which I’m sure it will.”

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

PERTH city councillors granted the Pride Parade $45,000 for this year’s festival.

Pride faced insolvency three times in the past 10 years, but management’s completed a review to tighten things up.

Last year’s daytime parade was a bit of a quiet affair, with the streets only sparsely populated, but this year they’re heading back to the night.

They’ve also switched from event managers JumpClimb (who handle the Beaufort Street Festival) to Event Agency, and are in talks with Fringe World to look at collaborating.