Perth Voice Interactive

CHILDREN at a Jewish school have been labelled “Zionist scum”.

A vandal scrawled the term at the entry gates of the Carmel school in Yokine, which promotes iself as providing a “Zionist, Modern Orthodox education”.

The vandalism follows Israel’s military offensive in Gaza, which has so far claimed 1200 lives, many of them women and children. The offensive was launched in response to rocket attacks from Hamas-led Gaza.

In Britain there’s been a sharp rise in anti-semitic incidents since the offensive. The Daily Mail reports 100 hate crimes recorded by police and community groups this month, a doubling of usual rates.

Here in Perth, Ros Weatherall from police media says “WA police has not received any further complaints related to anti-semitic vandalism”.

The school did not respond to the Voice’s request for comment.

by DAVID BELL

HE’S American, he lives in Dianella and he’s in love with Scotland’s national drink.

Nathan DeTienne isn’t your typical whisky connoisseur.

In fact, he fell in love with the good stuff when he went through a bout of toothache and used whisky as an analgesic.

“My dentist was quoting me around US $2500 to fix my teeth, but I was on minimum wage and couldn’t afford it,” he laughs.

“So I used some whisky to numb the pain.”

Since that inauspicious introduction, DeTienne has come on leaps and bounds and now has his own “whisky fiend” blog and club in Perth.

“I started doing the blog as a bit of fun: just reviewing whiskies and telling people what I thought, but it started to get a lot of followers,” he said.

“I knew it was popular when after announcing I was going to Scotland on my blog, several distilleries contacted me and wanted me to visit and try out their product.”

DeTienne started up his own whisky club on Facebook nine months ago and now has around 550 members.

He says most are men, age around 30, dispelling the myth that single-malts are drunk only by the wealthy elite or weather-beaten old fishermen who lean on Scottish bars.

“I find that a lot of young men who are into craft beers are also into whisky, because they like strong, bold flavours,” says the 33-year-old.

“A lot of craft beers are from American breweries so you find that a lot of people then migrate to American whiskies, which are quite popular at the moment.

“We also have some female members as well, so whisky is definitely starting to appeal to a new generation and audience.”

DeTienne, who works for a Perth beer importer, says his favourite tipple at the moment is the scotch Talisker.

“I would say that Glenfiddich, Glenlivet or Glenmorangie or good introductory whiskies,” he says.

“But it’s hard to tell, some people like something peaty and bold like a Laphroaig—it’s all down to personal taste.”

As part of his club he holds free educational seminars on whisky. You can check out DeTienne’s blog at http://www.squidgyashwhiskyfiend.blogspot.com.au/.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

BAYSWATER city council is in danger of losing the Maylands Hawkers markets to a neighbouring council after putting off approval.

The market had completed a successful six-month trial next to The Rise but the council voted to put it on ice pending a traffic management report.

Exasperated organiser Catherine Ehrhardt says that leaves her no time to attract sponsors or ready the markets for a lucrative pre-Christmas.

Immediately following the vote she was approached by Swan city council. She has also organised a meeting with Vincent city council and has requested a sit-down with Stirling. “I need to keep my options open and have a back-up plan,” she says.

“I also want to look at expanding the markets in the future and operating on different days in different shires.

“I was really shocked the council brought up all these issues at the last minute; I did a deputation shortly before the meeting and none of these issues were broached at all.”

A Maylands Markets Facebook post on the decision reached 13,000 people and a petition calls on the council to approve the markets without a review.  Cr Martin Toldo has heeded the call, lodging a motion to rescind the decision to delay. That will go before the council next month.

Meanwhile, Mayor Sylvan Albert says several groups expressed concerns about parking: “We have to try and come-up with a long-term solution,” he says.

Maylands Park manager Dominic Cuscuna complained about people parking at his shopping centre when The Rise was busy, and requested a traffic report: “Why is the city proposing to subsidise the markets to the detriment of all of the small businesses at the shopping centre who pay more than $40,000 in rates and charges?”

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

THERE were a few soaked cycling shoes in West Perth this week, with the bike tunnels near Old Aberdeen Road lapping with water.

The tunnels were flooded with about 8cm of water all weekend, enough to make it a tough slog even in low gear when the Monday morning commuter rush rolled round.

The underpass was soggy for three days before finally subsiding.

Main Roads says it doesn’t flood every time it rains so it’s most likely from the recent torrential rains.

Annamarie Mathews says “we have investigated why this happens and believe it occurs when there is heavy rain and debris cover[ing] the top of the pit. This blocks the water from getting away as designed. We have arranged to have this location cleaned out every second day to prevent further issues.”

by DAVID BELL

PROTEST signs on Oxford Street’s cafe strip have been ordered removed after Vincent council took umbrage at the remarks.

In the past the council’s taken a hands-off approach whenever Debbie Saunders or Stuart Lofthouse erected their anti-council statements above Greens & Co—our personal favourite is a reference to “MacTiernanmen Square—but following last week’s council meeting, and a series of offensive emails, the gloves have come off.

Mr Lofthouse’s constant interjecting resulted in him being ordered to leave, which he didn’t, so he was wrestled to the ground. He later accompanied police to give a statement, but was not charged.

“Vincent council use violence to silence critics,” the sign on Ms Saunders’ 50ml cafe reads.

“Vincent council assault ratepayer at council meeting,” the one above Greens & Co blurts.

The day after the signs went up, the banner-painting pair received stern letters from the council citing chapter-and-verse the signs and advertising policy.

With the letter threatening fines of $500 a day and further prosecution (with the fine being up to $200,000 and another $25,000 a day), the signs were removed.

by DAVID BELL

PLANS to allow non-family members to rent out granny flats in Coolbinia, Menora and Mt Lawley have locals up in arms.

The suburbs are covered by covenants allowing just one dwelling per 1000sqm: granny flats up to 70sqm were exempted, as long as family members lived in them.

Now, the WA government has changed planning rules allowing granny flats in the covenant areas to be rented out.

Long-time Coolbinia resident Arthur and Pam Mistilis say it’s effectively bulldozing covenants that have been in place for more than 80 years.

“We are fighting to have the covenants upheld and stop infill,” Mr Mistilis says.

“It is unfair for residents who bought specifically into this area because of the covenant and are now being steamrolled by the state government.”

Local resident Paul Collins, a former Stirling councillor, says it is, “very disappointing that the Barnett Government has once again during its tenure effectively removed the single dwelling covenant protection”.

Stirling city council is fighting a rear-guard action by proposing that future granny flats in covenant areas must be attached to the main dwelling: effectively ensuring the areas remain “single dwelling”.

Mr Collins says that is a good compromise, as does Mt Lawley Society president Bruce Wooldridge who wants suburban gardens protected.

“The amendment maintains the integrity of the existing restrictive covenants which were put in place in the 1930s to ensure that garden principles were maintained and would not be impacted by future changes in ownership,” he says.

A survey reveals just 38 per cent of locals support the amendment.

It goes before council next month.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

FORMER Vincent councillor Dudley Maier has criticised his colleagues’ $3500 telecommunications allowance as too generous.

“I think that’s excessive and in some ways could be a rort,” he told them from the public gallery at the last meeting.

Telstra’s top plan with unlimited talk, text, and 3GB of data a month runs to $1608.

The allowance includes faxes and a scattering of other IT paraphernalia.

If someone goes above the $3500 they can claim with receipts. The salaries and allowances tribunal which determines pay rates opposes allowances being used as a de facto “top up” pay.

The councillors also voted to bump up their salary three per cent to the new maximum cap ($22,660 each). The deputy mayor will now get 25 per cent of the mayor’s wage, instead of 20 per cent, meaning another $3090 a year.

Mayor John Carey says Cr Ros Harley has attended the vast majority of civic events with him and the increase is justified.

Cr Josh Topelberg recorded the sole vote against the item.

Across the border at Perth city council, there was almost an air of fatalism as councillors voted themselves a similar pay increase. The words “it’s SAT determined,” were murmured, as if they were reluctant to be paid more but, sadly, didn’t have a choice.

by DAVID BELL

A WHOPPER new 125-unit development is set to replace what has been a bare patch of sand on Palmerston Street ever since Alan Bond’s old bottle yard was torn down.

While 6.5m too high and with 48 more units than it’s supposed to have, the developers hope “design excellence” and “sustainable design features” will win it the nod from the largely unelected local development assessment panel.

The owner is so confident he’s already started selling off the plan—before a decision has even been made.

McDonalds Jones Architects’ five-storey design—with an open-interior “campus” splitting different sections—resembles a mini-city.

With a 260kw solar array, it’s one of the largest solar setups in the southern hemisphere.

Designers give a nod to the site’s history, incorporating the colours of historic bottles found there into its windows.

But neighbours aren’t happy with the height, arguing three storeys fit the neighbourhood better. Peter Holcz from the Palmerston Precinct Group says, “I recognise that the area in question does need to be developed and that it will be a multi-dwelling development”.

He says the appearance of this one “does look attractive with respect to finish and design…however, it is the massive scale that is of major concern.”

Neighbours cite traffic concerns as Palmerston Street is “already under stress” with two traffic-calming measures in place to slow people down. Neighbours would also like the rooftop terrace moved park-side to cut down noise and privacy concerns.

Mr Bond sold the yard—at that stage still bottling milk, medicine, cola and booze—to Perth city council in 1987. It was knocked down two years later.

The block was transferred to Vincent town council ownership, which then sold it at auction. Apart from an archeological dig in 2001 that uncovered hundreds of historic bottles, little has happened on the site.

by DAVID BELL

A LOCAL development assessment panel has approved redevelopment of the Liquorland site in Mt Lawley, despite concerns over a parking shortfall.

The site, at the corner of Beaufort Street and Second Avenue, will be a three-storey mixed-use development and include a small bar, two offices and eight multiple dwellings.

Stirling city council staff reported the development had a 20-bay shortfall in non-residential parking spaces.

DAP presiding member Karen Hyde says a condition of approval was the applicant providing funds for the city to improve parking.

“The conditional approval included payment by the applicant to the city of cash-in-lieu sum for the parking shortfall,” she wrote.

“The monies paid will be kept in a special city fund and then used by the city to provide and maintain public parking in the immediate area.”

The site is opposite the Rock Inn music shop. A staffer said there was sufficient bays around the shop for customers.

He didn’t want to comment until he had time to look at more detailed plans of the development.

Ms Hyde said conditions were also placed on the small bar element of the proposal.

“…the panel required an additional advice notice on the conditional approval to encourage the applicant to provide signage in the small bar to remind customers to respect the amenity of the neighbourhood.”

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

PERTH Messiah or union propaganda?

The jury is out on a new poll which reveals a glowing 30 per cent net approval rating for Alannah MacTiernan.

A massive poll—commissioned by the National Tertiary Education Union and conducted by the research company UMR over June 14-29—covered 23,176 voters in 23 marginal electorates.

The survey for Perth reckons Ms MacTiernan is 14 per cent more popular than she was at the September 2013 election—the highest of the marginal electorates polled.

Chris Graham, a Walkley and human rights award-winning journalist, wrote the Abbott government should take heed.

“The sample size of Newspoll is 1159 people,” he wrote on newmatilda.com. The sample size of the NTEU poll is around 2000 per cent larger “And it’s the ‘marginal’ bit that will be spooking Liberal backbenchers this morning… and at least one frontbencher,” Graham wrote.

“Christopher Pyne—architect of the higher education cuts that will make a degree cost more like a mortgage—may be perennially unpopular as the minister for education, but it turns out he’s also unpopular as the member for Sturt.”

But perennial pollwatchers including Kevin Bonham note the poll was a robopoll and run by a company that often runs polls for the Labor party.

“The NTEU is not a slavish supporter of the ALP but it is obviously an opponent of the current government’s education proposals,” he wrote in his blog.

“The poll was conducted by UMR, which is best known as the Labor party’s standard pollster for internals, as part of a large series of national seat robopolls.

“That the poll is commissioned by a non-neutral source provides an added reason to be wary, especially given that it is a robopoll and that there is not much on the public record from which to assess the quality of UMR robopolling.”

Tasmanian Liberal MP Andrew Nikolic (the poll reckons he’s for the jump in marginal Bass) disputes the poll findings and claims they are based on misleading questions.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK