Perth Voice Interactive

IN an extraordinary display of solidarity, 155 staff at Vincent city council—81 per cent of its workforce­—have signed a petition to save the job of their CEO, John Giorgi.

Last week the council voted 7–1 to not renew Mr Giorgi’s contract when it expires December 31 (Voice, February 22, 2014). Mayor John Carey was amongst those voting to let him go, and the petition is unlikely to change minds.

On Tuesday more than 30 dour-faced staff filed into the council meeting, headed by switchboard operator Pat Hegney who presented the petition with an emotional plea.

“We stand united in support of our CEO,”

Getting off to a shaky start, strength gradually crept into her voice: “We stand united in support of our CEO,” she told the council with resolution.

“For 20 years the CEO has worked tirelessly and devoted his life to Vincent, and he’s always placed the best interests of the staff, and the city’s residents and the ratepayers above all else.

“John’s proven leadership and experience is paramount in providing a stable work environment as we move forward with the changes required with local government reform,” she finished, to applause from staffers.

Then Leederville publican and former councillor John Little—a long-time ally of former mayor Nick Catania—got to his feet.

“Mr Giorgi has been a faithful servant of this town/city for the past 20 years,” he said.

“Your decision has totally demoralised the staff. You’re not going to be here in two years’ time, what possible reason would you guys have to make that decision other than political pique? This is a political decision, and it is wrong and it should be rescinded, or you should resign.”

Former councillor Dudley Maier then weighed in to say the council had made the right decision.

“I feel I need to speak in support of council, because the council cannot speak,” he said.

“The process defines what councillors can and cannot say: they cannot speak about that process because it deals with an employee.

“It’s not some decision made by a capricious pack of rabble, it seems to be due process that has been followed.”

He said the last time Mr Giorgi’s five-year contract was renewed was four days before an election, without any discussion and with two years left on it. Mr Maier and Cr Sally Lake were the only dissenters then.

Mr Maier said this time around four meetings were held where the issue was properly discussed.

Mr Maier said he understood why Mr Little might support the CEO so avidly, given the speed with which his most recent application was dealt with.

“June the 7th Mr Little put in a development application,” Mr Maier said. “That was a Friday… on the Tuesday councillors voted on it.

“That is a fantastic response and I have no problems with that: every member of the community should be able to expect that response [but] most people have to wait months.”

Mr Maier said: “the other thing that concerned me was this petition from staff.

“A staff member expressed some concern because they felt intimidated by the petition.

“Their names would be on a list, their supervisor would see it, and potentially the CEO would see it. The CEO would also know who’s not on the list.

“I think it is really touching that 138 staff members support the [CEO], but we as the community vote for council members to make decisions and sometimes they’re hard decisions, and they’re made with a lot more information than maybe the council staff can see.

“So I think it’s not a popularity process, you’re elected to represent us.”

Mayor John Carey told the meeting he couldn’t comment on a staff member, but he could say, “this council has considered this matter with honesty, sincerity, and integrity, in accordance with the code of conduct and the local government act”.

“The deliberations on this matter around this table have been significant, extensive, and some may actually say, exhausting.

“We considered this as agenda items on October 15, November 19, December 19, considered it over the summer months, with a final decision made in February.

“And I understand there will be some critics in this community who will use this as an opportunity to attack the City of Vincent.”

He said the council had a big agenda to get through between now and amalgamations, including town centre upgrades, a $2.5million spend on the bike plan, the greening project, and more community forums this year than ever before.

“I want to ensure the group here that I will work my guts out with this council to deliver despite the many changes that may happen over the next year and a half.”

by DAVID BELL

ELBOW and knee smashes are all fair game in the brutal kickboxing sport Muay Thai.

For her second fight Inglewood’s Alana Neal travelled to Darwin to fight in front of a 2000-strong crowd overwhelmingly backing her opponent.

Neal went on to break the poor bugger’s sternum with a knee to the chest, putting her out of action for eight weeks.

Two more victories followed and Neal now has a shot at the super lightweight state title on Saturday night.

“It’s fear that drives me in the ring,”

Outside the ring Neal, 27—a recruitment consultant for a mining company—is well-spoken and intelligent.

“It’s fear that drives me in the ring,” she says. “I wouldn’t say I’m particularly aggressive in real life, but when I get in there something takes over and I know it’s hurt them or be hurt.”

In her short three-year fighting career Neal has amassed a litany of injuries, including twice breaking her foot and a back problem that forced her out of the ring for a year.

“I had a bulging disc and was in bed for two months,” she says.

“One physio said I shouldn’t fight again, but I had a second opinion and the pain is now manageable.”

Unlike many women who compete in Thai kickboxing, Neal is not and has never been a personal trainer.

She did play netball and basketball at state level and claims her six-foot height gives her an edge.

“Because I have long legs I am good at kneeing—that’s probably my trademark move,” she says.

“I got interested in Muay Thai after watching several UFC fights.”

In preparation for Saturday’s title decider, Neal—nicknamed Avatar—has been training at a gym in Thailand for six weeks.

“My mum isn’t so keen on me fighting,” she says. “But luckily two of my four fights have been KOs in my favour, so she hasn’t had to watch me get battered too much.

“I’m hoping Saturday will be the same outcome.”

Neal will fight at the Mike Barnett Sports Complex in Rockingham on March 1.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

VINCENT council has a problem with crabs and it could cost thousands due to a one-sided contract.

Last year NSW artists Gillie and Marc offered the council a trio of sculptures featuring dog and rabbit people riding giant river crabs. The same artists did the popular nude bike buddy sculpture on Beaufort Street.

The crab riders is for sale for $90,000 but the artists offered to lend it to Vincent long-term and it voted to stick the work at Birdwood Square.

Last year the council voted to spend $10,500 to ship over the free art and install it—all save Cr Ros Harley who warned colleagues “nothing is for free”.

The council entered a contract with the artists, but the staff who wrote it badly disadvantaged the council, agreeing to all the costs. Now the artists are saying an extra $8000 is needed for installation and, according to the contract, Vincent must pay.

Vincent CEO John Giorgi had wanted the item to be heard confidentially, banning the press and public from the room, but Cr Harley moved it be heard publicly.

“I think the use of confidential agendas should be limited,” she said.

“In this case I can’t see anything in here that’s confidential.

“People need to know the true cost of a free offer to the City of Vincent and understand that we never get anything for free… and I don’t support any more money being spent on this as I didn’t support the original item.”

Cr Josh Topelberg reminded colleagues that last time the council bought art from Gillie and Marc it had had to dig deeper to stabilise the wobbly work.

“Given that history I’m flabbergasted… if the artist’s estimate is out by $8000, why should we as the city be bearing 100 per cent responsibility?

“We’ve spent $3025 on a legal agreement which essentially says ‘whatever you guys say, we’ll pay for.

“I haven’t seen the contract so I can’t comment on it, but it seems to me that it’s heavily weighted against the city.”

He moved the item be deferred so the council could write to the artists and express concern about the cost explosion. Cr Harley also asked that councillors be provided a copy of the contract.

by DAVID BELL

AROUND 300 gathered in Perth last weekend to protest the death of an Iranian asylum seeker at the Manus Island detention centre.

Organised by the Refugee Rights Action Network, the crowd called on the Abbott government to be transparent about the circumstances surrounding the death of Reza Berati, 23, who died a week ago in the camp.

Immigration minister Scott Morrison had initially claimed Berati died outside the fence. Late Saturday the minister issued a statement saying he’d been wrongly advised, and that Berati had died inside the camp.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

BAYSWATER councillors are frothing with anger after neighbouring Stirling appeared to mock them in a cartoon shown at an anti-amalgamation rally.

The animated video shown at the Stay in Stirling rally refers to an “irresponsible neighbour” that gets to enjoy its more prudent neighbour’s riches: it’s been taken to be a thinly disguised reference to plans to carve Inglewood out of Stirling and hand it to Bayswater.

“They bought what they wanted and they lived extravagantly,” says the video.

“They didn’t save their money, they used credit. They didn’t think about what may happen in the future.

“Then one day a decision was made to take away all the cautious neighbour’s savings and investments and share them with the irresponsible neighbour.

“Do you think that is fair? Well that is the reason we are here today.”

Bayswater councillor Chris Cornish attended the rally and filmed it. He was still steaming a few days later.

“Stirling doesn’t have the right to throw mud at another council!”

“This goes beyond the pale!” he fumed at Tuesday’s council meeting, whipping his colleagues into an anti-Stirling frenzy. They voted to complain to WA local government minister Tony Simpson and express “severe disappointment” at the implication they were financially irresponsible.

Veteran Cr Barry McKenna went on an epic rampage about Bayswater’s superiority to Stirling, referencing the neighbour’s recent problems with refuse collection and piles of rubbish on verges.

“Stirling doesn’t have the right to throw mud at another council!” he bellowed.

Mayor Sylvan Albert says so far his council has taken the moral high ground in the mergers process, despite having its heritage credentials brought into question by the Mount Lawley Society.

Stirling mayor Giovanni Italiano refuses to confirm Bayswater is the “neighbour” referred to.

“It is what it is and we make no apologies whatsoever.

“Some people might be over-sensitive.”

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

HELENA TAY has given the wheatbelt a funky makeover, transforming the long journey from Perth to Wave Rock into a feel-good YouTube hit.

Her tourism video Rock out on the Pathways to Wave Rock attracted 9000 hits in one week and featured on GWN7 and several other media outlets.

The video showcases tiny towns such as Narembeen and Kulin,  often overlooked by tourists on the four-hour drive.

“The locals were so friendly and they were great at doing all the funky dance moves,”

Tay, a graphic designer at the Voice, and filmmaker husband Richard Eames spent more than a year planning and painstakingly storyboarding the four-minute video, before shooting over four weekends in October and November.

Tay says their decision to use locals, rather than paid actors, lends the video authenticity.

“The locals were so friendly and they were great at doing all the funky dance moves,” she says.

“I think they really captured the essence of the tiny towns we shot in.

“It was quite funny because when we got there it kept raining and we had to go back around four times to get all the footage.”

Fremantle band San Cisco allowed their jaunty song Rocket Ship to be used as a feel-good backing track.

The video was commissioned by the Roe Tourism Association, a not-for-profit collaboration between shires in the region. Tay’s budget from the RTA covered the cost of filming. To see the video go here: www.pathwaystowaverock.com.au

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

HUMAN rights abuses in Venezuela have prompted the country’s ex-patriate community to hold a series of demonstrations to raise awareness in WA.

Venezolanos en Perth organised three protests last week: in South Perth, the CBD’s Forrest Place and Northbridge.

Their banners called for the right to protest peacefully without violence and justice for Venezuelan protestors who have been attacked.

Last Saturday’s protest, the most recent, involved 80 people from a range of nationalities.

“Venezuela used to be one of the most progressive countries in South America, 30 years ago,”

“We would like the people in Perth to understand there is violence on the streets, it’s not just people protesting without a good reason,” says Daniel Machado.

In Venezuela public sentiment towards the socialist government has worsened with inflation and crime at stratospheric levels.

On February 12 student and opposition-led protests turned violent with three protestors killed and more than 60 injured: fficials denied responsibility and censored media coverage.

“Venezuela used to be one of the most progressive countries in South America, 30 years ago,” Mr Machado says.

“It had one of the highest GDPs because of oil and natural resources. When we see statistics, and see how bad it has turned… then no-one feels happy about it.”

Demonstrations by the Perth community are part of an international campaign, SOSVenezuela, showing support for Venezuelan protestors on social media. Mr Machado’s group wants to rally politicians in Australia, “a very democratic country”, to denounce human rights abuses: “We don’t support violence, either from government or protestors… because that’s not the spirit of protest—protest should be peaceful,” he says. “We should work together.”

by ALICIA PERERA

A TOWN hall meeting will be held to help Vincent locals prepare merger submissions to the WA local government advisory board—but the late date leaves just four days to get the documents in.

Former councillor Ian Ker fronted the council this week to take aim at the tight timeframe.

“This gives an unrealistically short time for many people to write and send their submissions to the LGAB,” he said.

He reminded the council that mayor John Carey had said the meeting would be held early February, but it’s been delayed a month to March 9.

“Even now, advice of the meeting is buried at the foot of a long swag of text on the Vincent website rather than on the front page,” the stalwart anti-split campaigner said.

Mr Carey said it’d been moved to give the council time to get the word out.

“We’re getting flyers out this weekend,” he said, and it’ll also be sent around online. “We’re doing our best within a very tight timeframe.”

The meeting is at the North Perth town hall on Sunday March 9 at 1pm.

Locals will be shown five merger proposals and given user-friendly templates to help make their submission, which are due to the LGAB on March 13.

by DAVID BELL