Perth Voice Interactive

STIRLING city council cannot say when it will return to recycling domestic kerbside waste.

The council has recycled virtually none since August, dumping nearly 7000 tonnes of rubbish in landfill every month (Voice, May 3, 2014).

The council’s recycling system collapsed when the Atlas recycling facility in Mirrabooka unexpectedly ceased operations last August. The council didn’t tell ratepayers till March.

The facility had achieved a 65 per cent recycling rate over 10 years, from just one kerbside bin.

The council is now hastily looking into moving to a three-bin system.

Council director Geoff Eves says there will be a better idea of timing when a three-bin report comes before the council in “coming weeks”.

“Stirling city council is looking at a range of options including the state government’s preferred choice of three bins which will enable the highest levels of recycling,” he says.

“A report recommending the preferred option of a three-bin system will be presented to council in the coming weeks.

“If approved, a timeline for rolling out the new three-bin system will be developed.”

WA environment minister Albert Jacob says he is “disappointed to learn that all kerbside waste collected by the City of Stirling is being sent to landfill.”

But he is pleased the council is considering a three-bin system.

“The state government is committed to improving recycling rates and working with local governments to do this.”

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

CBD worker Jason Miller spends his lunch breaks documenting local people for his Humans of Perth project.

The 35-year-old IT administrator came here from New Mexico seven years ago and started taking pictures of Perth people soon after his arrival.

“I was walking through downtown and I was taken by the variety, the diverse culture of people,” he says. “I saw stories in peoples’ faces and their expressions, and I thought this was very beautiful.”

In those early days he says “I felt like a creep! I felt strange going up to them”.

Recently his wife gave him the book Humans of New York, by out-of-work stockbroker turxned photographer Brandon Stanton.

When he saw the pictures and the stories he realised it aligned with his own work, and it inspired him to start a local version.

“It was very captivating, I just had this strong feeling that I needed to create the Humans of Perth page after that.”

Since starting in January, his Humans of Perth page has attracted 2700 followers.

Mr Miller approaches strangers, starting up conversations and asking them about themselves. Within a couple of minutes people can reveal a lot about themselves.

“I want that feeling of being connected to other people, and Humans of Perth fulfills that.”

One 65-year-old homeless man told Mr Miller: “I have had four wishes and none of them have come true.”

“What were they?” Mr Miller asked. “I don’t remember anymore,” the man said. “I just live day by day.”

Other people talk about troubled home lives, and about relying on their grandad. One young couple, when asked about their future, differed wildly: The woman said she wanted to open an animal shelter, the man—studying law and commerce—said: “I’m interested in the process of law and love wearing a suit. Ultimately I want to be rich.”

The number of “noes” Mr Miller gets “depends on the day. If it’s a really hot day I get four out of 15.

“Sometimes I may go a couple of weeks without anybody saying no.”

Hailing from a techy family, the artistically-inclined IT man says “there’s been some research done about how we in western society are becoming more lonely because of our technology.

“Because we have the convenience of hiding behind our phones, our screens, so we don’t connect. I think there’s some loneliness to it, and I identified with that. That’s how I feel as well.

“I want that feeling of being connected to other people, and Humans of Perth fulfills that.”

Long-term he’s not certain where he wants to take it, but if it ever gets big enough to make money from he would only ever do it for charity. One of his first subjects was a 21-year-old woman going blind: she needed to raise money for surgery to halt her degenerative disease. After posting her image the fundraising target was met in a flash. If the project progresses, he wants to use it to help people like that.

“I don’t need the money, I’m fortunate I can do this on my lunchbreak.”

Mr Miller’s photos and stories are at humansofperth.tumblr.com or look for it on Facebook.

by DAVID BELL

THE pedestrian bridge at Dog Swamp (the actual swamp) has been closed because the handrails are unsafe.

Stirling city council has earmarked $25,000 in the draft 2014/15 budget for repairs. Located off Wanneroo Road in Yokine, the wetland is a refuge for waterbirds and has a playground and grasslands. The bridge leads to the “Old King Cole’s castle”, the entrance to the now defunct “Land of make believe”. The mystical land once had small buildings based on fairy tales, including three little pigs houses and a stork carrying a baby.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

NORANDA and Maylands are set to host street festivals in November.

Bayswater councillors green-lit $25,000 in funding for the Noranda community market and Maylands street festival.

North ward councillor Michelle Sutherland says it will be the first time Noranda has hosted a major street festival.

“Since 2006 the city has held festivals in Bayswater, Morley and Maylands, but not Noranda,” she says.

“This will be great for the north ward and something for the community to get excited about.”

The Noranda market, earmarked for November 2, will include stalls, entertainers, children’s activities and amusement rides.

It is being spearheaded by the not-for-profit group community Connect, which has previously organised events for Rockingham city council, and the Hawaiian group, which manages the Noranda Palms Shopping Centre.

The festival will be held close to the centre, with Robert Thompson Reserve touted as most likely.

The Maylands street festival is being organised by the local business association, which has been involved with the 2008, 2010 and 2012 festivals. Plans for a “Maylands Maker’s fare,” did not make the council shortlist.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

STIRLING city council has decided to delay installing $150,000 of new signs in the city’s parks and reserves until it has a clearer picture of what’s happening with council mergers.

The council is mulling over the approval of updating its 2011 style guide, which will involve new signs.

As part of the 2011 style guide, signs have already been installed in more than 50 parks and reserves.

“The sign designs are timeless and durable and this professional and uniform approach to signage is portraying a much more positive image for the city compared to the ad-hoc signs of the past,” wrote council officers.

STIRLING city council has recycled virtually none of its domestic kerbside waste since August, dumping nearly 7000 tonnes of rubbish in landfill every month.

The council’s recycling system collapsed when the Atlas recycling facility in Mirrabooka unexpectedly ceased operations last August.

The facility had achieved a 65 per cent recycling rate over 10 years, from just one kerbside bin.

“There is no other operating alternative waste treatment facilities in WA with the capacity to take the city’s domestic waste,” Stirling council director Geoff Eves said.

Since August Stirling has investigated moving from a one- to a three-bin system and is consulting ratepayers.

Meantime it will continue to add to the 63,000-tonne mountain of rubbish it has sent to landfill since August.

Hilary Brad says residents have been left in the dark about the recycling collapse and are unaware their rubbish is going to landfill: “It only dawned on me after the reading the article in the Voice about Stirling moving to three bins and the Atlas plant shutting down,” she says.

“Residents should have been made aware of this so they can make alternative arrangements or have a choice in the matter.

“I’m surprised the biggest council in WA didn’t have a Plan B in place after the plant shut down.”

Mr Eves says the council is looking in the short term at expanding its agreement with the AnaeCo facility in Shenton Park, which processes around 20,000 tonnes of Stirling’s domestic waste every year.

He adds the council had been negotiating a contract extension with Atlas when the company’s Mirrabooka plant closed for repairs and all discussions were mysteriously suspended.

“The city has received no official notice of the reasons why the plant has not been recommissioned and has requested meetings with the contractor to discuss future developments without success,” he says.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK