Perth Voice Interactive

Vincent locals will be asked whether they want their city to be left alone, to amalgamate with Perth or to be split amongst Perth and Stirling.

The questions will be distributed with council election ballots. The plebiscite was unanimously endorsed by councillors Tuesday, earning the council the congratulations of former deputy mayor Ian Ker, who’s been resisting the council’s assumption most residents are happy to see the end of Vincent if it means joining Perth rather than being split with Stirling.

While some councillors say they’d like to see Vincent left alone, all say that simply isn’t an option under premier Colin Barnett. Mayor Alannah MacTiernan—a former Perth city councillor—supports amalgamation wholly into Perth.

“I’ve got a fairly high degree of confidence that the position we’re taking has broad support in the community,” she says.

She believes the plebiscite will show most locals are happy with joining the capital.

“It’s important to us in mounting our argument that we demonstrate that clarity.”

Cr Dudley Maier noted the plebiscite had limitations, such as not reaching people not on the electoral roll.

“Like Naomi Clark,” Ms MacTiernan quipped, referring to a non-existent letter writer who’d got stuck into Cr John Carey.

Elected last weekend as the federal Labor MP for Perth, she describes the management of the amalgamation process as a “dog’s breakfast”: “You could not have conceived a worse way of doing local government reform,” she told the council.

by DAVID BELL

Jazz hands are set to clap at the historic Maylands Hall.

Bayswater city council will negotiate a lease with the WA Youth Jazz Orchestra for the hall, which has been empty since the Maylands library relocated to the the Rise on Eighth Avenue.

The jazzers saw off competition from several other interested parties, including ARENAArts and WA Symphonic Wind Ensemble, to be selected as the council’s preferred occupant.

The heritage-listed hall would be used for WAYJO administration, rehearsals, community workshops and performances.

Cr Sonia Turkington says WAYJO has the support to make it a long-term success.

“They have a large number of staff and several corporate sponsors on-board,” she says.

“It ties in nicely with the WA Ballet in Maylands and will be a good fit for the building.”

Council voted that WAYJO be responsible for the management of the building and hiring the hall out to other interested organisations.

Staff estimated it would cost ratepayers around $219,000 to get the hall ready over the next two years for the jazz cats to move in.

WAYJO estimates it could hold 10 concerts a year at the Guildford Road venue, each with an audience of more than 1500.

“The hall has the potential to be a wonderful asset for the local community and we are excited to be in discussions with the city about its future use,” WAYJO manager Fiona Symonds says.

The hall was built in 1920 and used for silent film screenings.

Robert Hatfield had his first permanent picture show at the hall in 1928. A fire during a screening was allegedly caused by Hatfield’s chain-smoking pianist, Jack Jones.

WAYJO wants to pay $10,000 in rent per year.

A report on negotiations will be presented to council in September.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

The Barnett government has back-flipped again, deciding to honour after all its $1.25 million pre-election pledge to Mt Hawthorn primary school.

In the state budget the government cut the funding primise to $750,000, sparking claims of broken promises and leaving local Liberal MP Eleni Evangel—who’d secured and promoted the original promise—red-faced.

The $500,000 cut threatened the school’s plans for an undercover performance area and moveable stage.

P&C president Tim Swart and Ms Evangel refused to give in and marched to WA education minister Peter Collier to press the case for the promise to be honoured in full.

“When it’s all built and paid for, I’ll be happy,” Mr Swart says.

“We have a meeting on Friday to plan the layout of the area and hopefully we can get the project moving and get some momentum.

“I’m happy with Eleni Evangel, who fought in our corner with the state government.”

A relieved Ms Evangel says the reinstated funding will help the school continue to grow its music program.

“Mt Hawthorn primary is an outstanding school, for many reasons, one of them being their excellent school band and music program,” she says.

“Students from Churchlands and Kyilla primary are also part of the school band.

“The extra funding will allow for performance areas plus a movable stage within the undercover area.

“We are all aware of the space restraints our inner city schools are experiencing and this is an efficient way of making the most of the limited space available.”

Mt Hawthorn was a key battleground between then-Labor MP John Hyde and Ms Evangel. During the state campaign Ms Evangel heavily promoted her party’s promise to fund infrastructure upgrades, including undercover space and resurfacing the carpark and tennis and basketball courts.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

Stirling mayor David Boothman—normally a bashful, softly-spoken individual—is continuing his flamboyant media campaign against Colin Barnett’s council amalgamations.

This week he’s got his lightsabre out in full view, pretending to be Luke Skywalker in Star Wars.

The poster is the latest in a series of iconic images created by Stirling city council to protest its boundaries changing in the amalgamations. He’s already been Barack Obama and Braveheart.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

Locals are coming forward with stories of why they want Vincent to stay as one single community instead of being split between Perth and Stirling.

The stories are being collected as part of the campaign to keep the council together.

Highgate couple Sara Haddock and Joy Wilcox says Vincent is “perfect for our lifestyle”.

“It is vibrant, ever-changing. It is a melting pot of race, cultures, ages, sexuality and socio-economic groups.

“As gay women, it is comforting living here,” Ms Haddock says. “The people are very accepting and we can go out as a couple without fear of judgement or comment.

“The council recently introduced a relationship declaration register. This is the first time in 30 years that our relationship has been recognised and recorded. Thank you Town of Vincent, I can’t imagine living anywhere else in Perth.”

The nurses doubt any other council in the state is progressive enough to back such a policy.

Designer Aurelio Costarella grew up in North Perth, attending the local primary school and later opening his design studio on View Street: “North Perth is where I draw my creative breath,” he says.

“The relationship between North Perth and the City of Perth is an obvious one, and one that cannot be diluted.

“North Perth has absolutely no synergy with the city of Stirling and any shift will only be detrimental to the future of the area and to the broader future of our state.”

Mt Hawthorns Marisa Galvin and Mark Rust used to live in Stirling and say, “we really don’t want to live on the periphery of a massive suburban council that has made comment that they don’t really want us”.

If you want to share your story, head to http://www.vincent.wa.gov.au or get in touch with Cr Julia Wilcox on cr.wilcox@vincent.wa.gov.au

by DAVID BELL

Alannah MacTiernan bucked Australia, securing a 2.1 per cent lift in Labor’s primary vote in Perth at last weekend’s federal election.

When all preferences were distributed just 0.9 per cent had been shaved from Labor’s margin.

The Greens’ Jonathan Hallet didn’t fare nearly as well, shedding 5.85 per cent from his 2010 vote, nearly twice the national anti-Greens average, to come in with 10.3 per cent.

Liberal Darryl Moore—considered early in the campaign when Julia Gillard was PM to have a real chance at winning the seat—could only watch in envy as other Liberals across WA scored big swings.

His spotty campaign involved hanging up on the Voice mid-interview, telling us not to call his mobile, and refusing to state his position on equal marriage before getting the all-clear from his party director and campaign team. In the last week of the by-then doomed campaign his social media ancient history made the news in which he’d referred to tenants in disparaging terms.

Amongst the independents, Palmer United Party candidate Gabriel Harfouche grabbed 3.5 per cent, the Australian Christians’ 2.2 and pro-foreign aid campaigner Ant Clark 1.2 per cent. Islamophobic Rise Up Australia proved unpopular in the progressive inner-city suburbs with just 0.5 per cent.

The Voice asked Ms MacTiernan—who’s now been elected to five spheres of government (Perth city council, Legislative Council, Legislative Assembly, Vincent mayoralty, House of Representatives)—when she would be packing her bags for Canberra. She said she was in no hurry and would stick around until parliament resumes.

At what was likely her last meeting as Vincent mayor, staff and councillors presented her with flowers and thanked her for “a wild ride” over the past two years.

With deputy mayor Warren McGrath going on leave the council voted to elect a new acting mayor. Crs John Pintabona and John Carey put their hands up, with Cr Carey winning the secret ballot in what could be a boost to his mayoral campaign.

by DAVID BELL

Josh Topelberg will seek another term on Vincent council.

First elected in 2009 he says he only decided to run again when colleagues urged him to do so.

He says he’s really enjoyed his four years and reckons he’s done a good job making logical and consistent decisions.

He’s initiated projects like the local men’s shed (now rounding the final few hurdles for completion) and pushed for events like the Beaufort Street Festival to be run by the community, with council providing financial support instead of taking the reins and micro-managing.

Cr Topelberg says another tick in his favour is “I don’t have political aspirations”.

“I don’t see it as a stepping stone. It’s something I enjoy doing.

“My wife says to me when I’m knee-deep in page 22 of a 30-page policy: ‘You enjoy this, don’t you?’,” he chuckles.

He says with amalgamations looming, it’s critical to get Vincent’s long-term plans clearly set out so the community’s aspirations don’t disappear in any potential merger.

The general manager of his family’s business Decor Design on William Street, Cr Topelberg’s family has been in the area more than a hundred years, and he says his work, recreation, dog-walking and coffee drinking rarely take him outside Vincent’s borders.

by DAVID BELL

A $5000 custom mountain bike has been stolen from a secure lock-up in East Perth.

Crims smashed doors to get to Kurt Asplin’s prize bike at his Wellington Street home.

“It took me a year to save up for the bike and put it all together,” says the despondent 24-year-old bike mechanic.

“They jumped over the security gates on the complex and smashed the storage door open with a wrench.

“This was all in broad daylight, at midday, on a Monday afternoon.

“Hopefully someone will recognise it and I can get it back.”

Mr Asplin moved to WA from NZ a year ago and did not have the bike insured.

He has provided CCTV footage to police.

The customised Giant Trance had a rare paint job and 26” alloy frames, straight line bars and a fox rock shock fork.

Mr Asplin is offering a reward and can be contacted at kurtasplin@hotmail.co.nz.

Stirling Liberal MP Michael Keenan comfortably held onto his seat at last weekend’s federal election, with 51.2 per cent of the primary vote.

Now he has to wait to see whether he’s kept his spot on Tony Abbott’s front bench. The real estate scion enjoyed a 4.4 per cent swing to take his final margin to 9.8 per cent, trouncing Labor’s Dan Caddy. Labor’s primary vote in the seat it once held slumped to just 28.8 per cent.

Mr Keenan, 41, has held the once-swinging seat since 2004 after wresting it from Labor’s Jan MacFarlane.

The Greens’ Tim Clifford scored 11 per cent of the vote, a 1.9 per cent drop on the 2010 result. The Palmer United Party performed strongly on its first outing, taking 4 per cent.