Perth Voice Interactive

PERTH city council has been labelled “unromantic” after its painters cut padlocks symbolising unbreakable love from the Claisebrook Cove bridge .

Lord mayor Lisa Scafffidi promises the city will replace the locks.

Heartbroken Phil Harrison told the Voice, “I placed a professionally engraved padlock there for my wife some three years ago,” alongside locks from about a dozen other devoted couples. “It was a great reminder for us whenever we crossed the bridge and our grandkids used to love finding it along the railings.”

The bridge is being painted and the padlocks have been cut off.

“What a petty, unromantic thing for the City of Perth to do,” Mr Harrison said. “It would have been an easy matter for the dozen or so locks on the bridge to be painted around.”

Ms Scaffidi said via email that “upon hearing of their removal I was so very disappointed and I wish to offer those people who will realise their love lock is gone to arrange a replacement via the City”.

She’d said the locks’ whereabouts was unknown, but they likely couldn’t be reused since they’d been sheared in two. She says there are also locks on the Trafalgar Road Bridge and the Belltower wall and she’s enjoying the emerging tradition.

While the notion of lovelocks took off like wildfire in the early 2000s across Italy and France—with some municipal authorities regarding it as vandalism—its origins are thought to lie in pre-WWII Serbia, with young women writing their names and that of their soldier beaux on padlocks and affixing them to what is now known as Most Ljubavi (the Bridge of Love).

“While only a few locks were there I think it is lovely to see people embracing our infrastructure in this way,” Ms Scaffidi says. “It must mean a few moonlight walks are happening on this bridge and hopefully some marriage proposals.”

The lord mayor is asking anyone who suffered a severed padlock to contact Paul Anastas on 9461 3339 for a replacement.

by DAVID BELL

Four Bayswater councillors voted not to fast-track a $10,000 donation to the Philippines disaster fund, with two arguing the timing was unimportant.

In order to deal with the motion immediately the issue had to be deemed “urgent business”: Councillors Chris Cornish, Michelle Sutherland, Mike Sabatino and Mike Anderton believed it wasn’t.

“I’m not against the intent,” Cr Cornish said. “But there is no urgency, the Philippines will need aid and money for years going forward.”

He argued that technically, under local government guidelines, the item couldn’t be tabled as an urgent matter.

Cr Sabatino also argued the funds could be delayed.

Stunned, Cr Terry Kenyon said there was around 4500 Filipinos in Bayswater requesting help for relatives.

“People are starving, there is no food or water, this is pretty urgent,” he said.

“This council has been one of the the leaders in multiculturalism and Bayswater has become a bit of a centre for the Filipino community in Perth.

“We need to get humanitarian aid out there.”

After the item was approved as urgent business, all councillors voted to donate $10,000 to the Red Cross.

The council has previously donated money to help overseas disasters, including the Haiti Earthquake appeal, Pakistan floods and the Abruzzo Earthquake.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

TERRY KENYON is trying to force bankruptcy on council colleagues Mike Sabatino and Mike Anderton.

The former mayor—represented by Harold Paiker—says the pair owe him $84,000 from the settlement of a defamation case, so he’s taken them to the federal court to have them declared bankrupt.

Crs Sabatino and Anderton—represented by John Hammond—claim Cr Kenyon breached the terms of the settlement so they don’t have to pay. At a mayoral dinner he revealed details of the settlement they say were supposed to be secret.

The bankruptcy case will be heard in the federal court in February.

The question of whether Cr Kenyon breached the settlement and voided the bill is being heard concurrently in WA’s district court.

While none of the three councillors were in court for the directions hearing this week, the new council chamber seating plan has Crs Sabatino and Kenyon sitting next to each other.

by DAVID BELL

THE run-down Robertson Park AIDS memorial has been fixed following extensive lobbying by the Sisters of the Order of Perpetual Indulgence.

The order of queer nuns contacted the Voice in 2012 complaining the memorial had fallen into disrepair, the lights weren’t working, and it was unclear what the memorial was actually for.

It was also being used as a skateboarding park by blasphemous local kids.

Mother Gretta Amyletta of the order says after long lobbying and a few articles in the Voice, Vincent council responded.

Some $15,000 was spent on upgrades, including fixing up the pond, installing new lights, and a sign so people can actually tell it’s an AIDS memorial.

At the sisters’ request a rock garden was installed so visitors can engrave a stone with the names of loved ones who’ve died from the disease.

“The Perth sisters are absolutely delighted,” Mother Amyletta says.

“The Perth sisters have received [numerous] comments from people saying how proud they felt about the memorial again now the repairs have been completed.”

With two community figures dying due to HIV/AIDS in the past two weeks, Mother Amyletta says the memorial is still very relevant and important to the community.

Vincent mayor John Carey says “I think it’s a beautiful reflective area that’s now fitting for the memory of victims of AIDS”.

The sisters had hoped artist Rodney Glick would agree to putting a red ribbon on the monument but he’d said that wouldn’t work with the piece, so they compromised and instead installed a sign with the ribbon and an explanation of the work.

They’re still hoping Mr Glick will change his mind.

by DAVID BELL

Stirling residents are set to be hit with more paid parking spots at higher prices.

The council has voted to expand the amount of paid parking at “high demand locations” across the city, including Herdsman Business Park within Walters Drive, Hasler and Parkland Roads, and around Glendalough rail station.

Council staff stated “it is likely that paid parking will expand into other similar locations”.

The updating of 2008 parking laws will also see many $60 parking penalties increase to $80, including failure to pay at a metered bay and parking when the meter has expired.

Parking in a clearway will nearly double, from $80 to $150 and the council has closed a loophole that allowed residents to park on verges opposite their property.

“This is important as surveys of the city’s parking facilities have indicated that 70 per cent of users are not Stirling ratepayers.”

The council has budgeted $5.8 million to increase paid parking at the Herdsman and Glendalough areas.

Mayor Giovanni Italiano denied the move was a revenue raiser, insisting it was designed to encourage public transport and stop clogged streets.

“The benefit to ratepayers is that the expansion and maintenance of parking facilities will be funded from the proceeds of paid parking, rather than by ratepayers,” he says.

“This is important as surveys of the city’s parking facilities have indicated that 70 per cent of users are not Stirling ratepayers.”

City manager Laurie Crouch says extra paid parking spaces will also ease driver frustration.

“Longer trip times and traffic congestion, looking for a bay, add to drivers’ frustrations.”

The new laws will be go out for community consultation and come back to council for a final review.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

A HIGH-RISE apartment tower planned for Beaufort Street has attracted the ire of the nearby Court Hotel.

Court owner Bree Maddox wrote to the Perth development assessment panel, concerned complaints from new residents about noise and behaviour could spell doom for her iconic gay bar.

The Court has a closing time at 2am, which has never been the subject of a complaint, but the former Penthouse pet is concerned newcomers may tut and fuss.

“Bringing residents into the area creates the potential for objectors which, if the result is we are unable to renew these permits, would be financially devastating for our business,” Ms Maddox wrote.

Owned by Northbridge Centre Custodian Services, the trio of towers will feature two commercial buildings and a 27-storey block with 144 units and 88 serviced apartments.

The application was due to go in front of the DAP Thursday, where Perth councillors James Limnios and Rob Butler were to determine its fate along with unelected members Paul Kotsoglo, Brian Curtis and Terry Tyzack.

Planning staffers advised that to minimise complaints, all new residents should be warned about “noise and other adverse impacts” so they know what they’re getting into.

They also recommended the buildings be constructed to block the bulk of the noise from the 100-year-old pub.

by DAVID BELL

An attempt by the Abbott and Barnett governments to shift costs onto local councils has failed and could result in an exploding population of corellas and rainbow lorikeets throughout Perth.

Farmer consider the birds serious pests because of their impact on grain and fodder. They also damage phone and light towers, and aggressively compete (very successfully) with native birds for food and nesting sites.

Bayswater city council was gobsmacked when told funding for a control program had been axed and that for it to continue, the council would have to cough up $25,000 over five years.

“Under the current fiscal restraints issued to state government departments, the departments are restricting current program expenditure and are unlikely to take on emerging environmental problems,” Bayswater council staff told elected members.

“There is a risk that the city may see more requests for funding of programs that were traditionally run at a state level, however, fall into what is increasingly termed ‘shared governmental responsibility’.”

Bayswater councillors voted to approve the control program, on the proviso the government funded it.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

THE community bus plan is dead, with Vincent council balking at the cost of servicing the under-served east-west route.

The route had been served by the 401 bus until the WA public transport authority removed it in February due to lack of use. PTA media man David Hynes had told the Voice “we have an obligation to not waste taxpayer dollars on heavily-subsidised services that are grossly underutilised”.

Vincent council commissioned research into a community bus feasibility study, but has now stepped back from the plan conceding it’s too expensive. It had set aside $100,000 but the final cost was looking much higher.

The arrival of internet behemoth Amazon’s Australian online store has local bookshop owners screaming for a level playing field on GST.

Unlike books bought in local shops, items bought on Amazon’s Aussie portal are not subject to GST nor other importation restrictions that affect prices and delivery times.

In the US, Amazon sells one of every two books sold online, and is the number one online bookseller in most countries it operates in. Its dominance of the ebook market is even higher, accounting for between 70 and 80 per cent of all US sales.

Elizabeth’s Bookshop co-owner Harry Schmitz says customers may get a short-term buzz from lower prices but says there will be real long-term impacts on the Australian economy

“How many local Australian jobs will be generated by the launch of Amazon’s Australian website and how much money will the government miss out in non-levied GST,” he asks.

“This website is another impediment to people visiting local bricks and mortar shops.

“I believe it’s another nail in the coffin for high street book sellers in Australia.”

He wants the Abbott government to follow France’s lead: In October, French MPs passed a law to prevent Amazon from combining delivery with a five per cent discount on its books.

“This website is another impediment to people visiting local bricks and mortar shops.”

Since 1981 French law has fixed book prices so readers pay the same whether they buy online, from a high street chain, or from a small bookseller. Extensive discounting is banned.

Last year, Borders shut its doors in Australia and Angus & Robertson scaled back to a handful of outlets.

Dymocks managing director Steve Cox is also calling for the same GST rules to apply to both online and real world sellers.

“Australian stores can thrive and compete with the best of international competitors, but the playing field needs to be even for both sides,” he says.

“GST is levied on books in this country, but not collected on overseas purchases—this needs to change.

“Australian retailers are restricted by parallel importation restrictions that negatively impact on our ability to get books to customers in the fastest time and at the best possible price, and this needs to change also.”

Amazon’s Australian website currently only sells ebooks for its proprietary Kindle reader. Its European and US sites sell physical books for home delivery, as well as a plethora of goods, including DVDs, electronic equipment and CDs. In some countries, Amazon also sells groceries online with home deliveries.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK