Perth Voice Interactive

WA transport minister Dean Nalder has opened the door to a ride-share service setting up in Perth, in direct competition to traditional taxi operators.

Last month he met with Uber, the Google-backed company behind the ride-share service, and is receptive to changing regulations to ensure the service can operate legally.

“There are three broad concerns I have with the taxi industry at this point,” the minister says.

“I don’t believe consumers are getting the level of service they require from the taxi industry, I don’t believe drivers are sufficiently supported, and the organisations that make the biggest profits from the taxi industry are not sufficiently accountable.

“We would like to see the broader reform within the taxi industry and will work with the industry closely to improve the service standard to the community.

“Safety for passengers is of course our primary concern, so we need to look at what regulations will protect passengers, and support a more diverse taxi industry.”

His supportive comments are in direct contrast to the attitudes of eastern states governments, which have conducted sting operations and fined ride-share drivers.

Launching in Sydney in 2012 and since expanding into Melbourne and Brisbane, Uber is essentially an app that allows private motorists who are over 23 with a clean driver’s licence, to offer strangers a lift and charge them a fee.

Uber vets motorists and their cars for safety and offers a range of services, including an Uber Black limousine booking service. Passengers can rate their drivers’ performance on the app.

Traditional taxi services and taxi owners cry foul, saying they’re charged hundreds of thousands of dollars in registration and licence fees, which Uber and similar services escape.

“Ride-share would shake up the industry and I fear it would put a lot of us cabbies out of a job.”

Veteran cabbie Stephen Satchell says this year’s WA taxi conference was dominated by discussion about the apps and he fears ride-share sounds the death knell for traditional taxi drivers.

“Ride-share would shake up the industry and I fear it would put a lot of us cabbies out of a job.”

Swan Taxis boss Kevin Foley hopes to meet with Mr Nalder or his officials to stop the service taking off here.

WA transport department spokesperson Kate Phillips says the DOT is open to the idea of ride-share but notes it’s currently against the law to charge more than $7.40 for a 10km journey in a typical four-cylinder car and anyone wanting to charge more requires a special licence.

“A person driving for hire or reward or operating a vehicle for hire or reward without an appropriate licence is committing an offence,” she says.

“A vehicle operating for hire or reward must also carry the appropriate insurance.”

Uber raised $US258 million last year in funding from Google Ventures and TPG Investments.

The San Francisco-based company operates in 60 cities across the world.

Rival Backseat has delayed its launch into the Sydney market because of a NSW government ruling that ride-sharing apps require licensed vehicles and drivers.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

AS the rest of us count our coppers following the federal Budget, Stirling city council is spending $25,000 to send two councillors to California for a three-day conference on sustainable infrastructure.

While there, councillors Joe Ferrante and David Lagan—both of them former Liberal candidates—will meet with LA mayor Eric Garcetti (or his representative) to talk about waste diversion (Stirling has recycled virtually none in nine months).

Last year the pair attended an audit conference in Orlando, Florida costing $32,750, despite Cr Lagan not being on the council’s audit committee.

Meanwhile, the council has agreed to spend $6545 flying mayor Giovanni Italiano and CEO Stuart Jardine business class to Canberra, where they’ll no doubt lobby for funding.

The total cost for their three-day stay will come to at least $8651, including two nights at a $360 per night hotel.

The bill could rise even further with Stirling planning to organise and host a joint function for Coalition ministers and MPs while in Canberra.

Business class is the norm, even for four-hour domestic flights.

When the Voice checked a flight comparison website, we found flights on November 25 and 27 for around $750 economy return—a full $5000 less than what ratepayers coughed up.

But Mr Jardine says business class is the norm, even for four-hour domestic flights.

“…the costs of air travel to and from conferences is to be booked business class on the most economical flight or economy class if business class is not available,” he says.

“However, a lobbying delegation is not covered under this policy and hence must go to council for approval.”

Representatives from Joondalup and Wanneroo city councils will join Cr Italiano on the trip, which will include joint and individual meetings with Coalition MPs.

“Lobbying trips to Canberra are an important way for the City of Stirling to actively build upon relationships with federal government representatives,” wrote council staff.

“Such trips help foster economically beneficial outcomes for the community.” Not to mention the airlines.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

BEDFORD residents want Beaufort Street made safer for children and elderly pedestrians.

Alana Culverhouse is lobbying Bayswater city council to install a central median island at the Bedford end of the street and a dedicated pedestrian phase at the Grand Promenade lights. She also wants speed reduced to either 50 or 40kph.

“As a parent, trying to teach children about road safety without dedicated pedestrian lights is extremely difficult…”

“There are a number of young children who will be attending Inglewood primary school in the coming years and the lack of appropriate pedestrian signals make it very dangerous for children to understand when it is safe to cross,” she says.

“As a parent, trying to teach children about road safety without dedicated pedestrian lights is extremely difficult when all learning materials feature the green crossing man.”

Ms Culverhouse says long-time locals have noticed an increase in both the number of cars and the speed they travel.

She’s submitted a petition to council asking for the safety measures. Council staff are opposed, telling councillors pedestrian phasing is “considered sufficient” and median islands are impractical. They’re backing minor modifications to improve visibility costing about $2500 and will ask WA police to consider installing a red light camera. “We need to address these concerns as a priority and as a matter of public safety,” Ms Culverhouse says. The safety issues go before council later this month.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

BAYSWATER Soccer Club wants the council to invest in Frank Drago Reserve so it becomes the home of WA football.

Football West has for the past few years been kicking around for a site where it can build a state-of-the-art $25 million HQ, including a 5000-seat stadium, three pitches, offices and an accommodation block.

It would also serve as a training and administrative base for Perth Glory, now training at McGillivray Oval, and be a home ground for a local state league team.

Football West’s been hampered at previous sites it’s looked at by locals kicking up a fuss at the idea of losing parks and putting up with match-day traffic.

Vasto Reserve and Macedonia Park in Balcatta were seen as an early front-runners but Bayswater’s Greg D’Orazio says Frank Drago Reserve is a better choice: “We are in a great central location and very close to arterial roads and the railway line,” he says.

“I think this gives us the edge over Stirling, which has more space, but has poor public transport.

“Space could be an issue here, but there is council land nearby which could be become available if the Bayswater bowling club amalgamates with the club at Grand Promenade.”

Bayswater has 500 junior members and feeds five senior teams in various competition, including the national premier league WA.

The large membership forces the club to juggle training sessions at various overflow sites, including De Lacy Reserve, Beaufort Park and Wotton Reserve.

Mr D’Orazio is keen to build new pitches and facilities, including extra parking at the site. Frank Drago Reserve is also home to the Bayswater tennis, bowling and croquet clubs.

Council staff have recommended allocating $60,000 in the 2014/15 budget to devise a masterplan. Council will consider the request at this month’s council meeting.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

STIRLING mayor Giovanni Italiano says he “very disappointed” the WA government has backtracked on its commitment to relocate the WA commerce department in Stirling.

The department will instead be relocated to existing offices in Cannington: “The city is very disappointed with the decision as an investment of this scale would greatly stimulate the economic and social activity of the Stirling city centre,” Cr Italiano says.

Labor leader Mark McGowan says the Barnett government is reneging on a pre-election commitment to decentralise and relocate 80,000sqm of government offices and is “now trying to find excuses in an attempt to walk away”.

But WA transport minister Dean Nalder says the government remains committed to dislodging mandarins and civil servants from their plush CBD eyries into cheaper digs in the ‘burbs.

“Part of the department of transport is moving to 6500sqm of new office space in Stirling this year,” he says.

Cr Italiano says the cancelled commerce move will not de-rail a plan to turn Stirling into Perth’s second CBD.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

WITH three-quarters of Perth’s GP services bulk-billed, Labor MP Alannah MacTiernan says locals will be hit hard by the Abbott government’s $7 GP fee.

“Particularly with the elderly, the management that the GPs engage in really keeps people out of hospital,” she says.

A “tsunami of babies” in the electorate may also see young families struggle to cope.

“A lot of them are living fairly close to the wind,” she says. “It is going to make it hard for a number of people. People are really pissed off about this, they’re pissed off with the betrayal.

“This is undermining the principle of universal care, that your health should not be contingent on your wealth.”

On the ABC’s Bickerfest (aka Q&A), Treasurer Joe Hockey said $2 of the $7 fee was going straight to GPs and they could choose not to pass that cost onto struggling patients if they wished.

“What the GPs are telling me is they don’t reckon the $2 is going to cover their extra costs from having to collect the money,” Ms MacTiernan scoffed.

She says the clinic she visits on Beaufort Street appears absolutely flat tack and may need to hire a staffer just to manage collecting the fee and passing most of it back to the government.

“Now suddenly 74 per cent of presentations are going to involve a cash exchange. The idea that they’re going to have a windfall is nonsense.”

Ms MacTiernan likes the idea of the $20 billion medical research fund, but says “you don’t fund it by an unequal tax where the sicker you are the more you pay”.

by DAVID BELL

AFTER six-and-a-half years in North Perth, it’s hasta la vista for Mexican eatery the Flying Taco.

Its spot on Angove Street is going great guns these days but after nearly seven years doing the same thing owner Anna Heifetz is feeling the need to move on.

“It’s bittersweet but as we get older we have fewer and fewer opportunities to jump off the cliff, to just leap and trust that whatever’s next will be amazing,” the ever-bubbly Ms Heifetz says.

“I’m going to miss a lot of it, and there are other bits I’m ready to move on from.”

“I want to say thank you to North Perth, the community, and everyone who’s supported us.”

When she arrived in Angove Street it was a very different place, with just one coffee shop, a pub, the bike shop and not too many other drawcards.

“The neighbourhood was real slow,” she says, “its changed a lot.” These days it’s pumping with trendy cafes, indy homeware stores and a dose of fashion joints.

“I want to say thank you to North Perth, the community, and everyone who’s supported us.”

Originally from California, Ms Heifetz stumbled upon the restaurant’s quirky name and logo in a tattoo.

“We just thought it was funny,” she says, peering at the cartoony winged taco emblazoned on her forearm.

Ms Heifetz originally wanted to open a food van (hence the “flying” part) but after seeing how tangled the legislation was she decided to settle for a stationary restaurant.

And while Perth today is swarming with places serving quesadillas and guacamole, there used to be a dearth of good Mexicans before Taco flew into town: “It’s crazy… 10 years ago in this country a lot of Australians didn’t have a clue what Mexican food was beyond an Old El Paso kit—not that there’s anything wrong with that.”

With Taco’s last day on May 31, Ms Heifetz isn’t sure what she’ll do next, beyond having a month off: “I think I’ll always have something to do with food. I love cooking and I love feeding people.”

by DAVID BELL