Perth Voice Interactive

THE Maylands Brickworks is set to get some TLC.

Bayswater city council has adopted a conservation plan for the site—which has fallen into disrepair—and has pencilled in $80,000 on urgent maintenance in this year’s budget.

The site, which is on the National Trust and state heritage lists, has the only remaining Hoffman Kiln in WA.

The kiln operated from 1927-1982 but was shut down as new technology made it redundant.

During its lifetime the Maylands Brickworks was considered an innovative brick producer—churning out 7 million bricks a year in the late 1920s and early 1930s.

It employed over 130 people and became one of the major industries in the Maylands area.

Maylands Historical and Peninsula Association president Terry Gaunt says that along with the nearby Tranby House and boatyard on the peninsula, the brickworks forms an important part of Mayland’s social and economic history.

The conservation plan lists brickworks across Australia that have been re-adapted into residential apartments and markets, but Bayswater mayor Terry Kenyon says its too early to speculate on future uses of the site.

“Further investigation and research into potential options for the site need to be undertaken before council can give consideration to any proposed land uses,” he said.

“We are very keen to maintain the site, which has considerable cultural heritage significance and is a landmark to the local area.”

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

THE head of Bayswater’s ratepayers association is fuming public money is going towards a cocktail party organised by a council body.

Tony Green says the Eastern Metropolitan Regional Council’s biennial networking function at the WA Ballet centre this weekend is “meaningless”.

The EMRC, which provides waste and environmental services for six member councils including Bayswater, has invited councillors, MPs, community representatives and other “key stakeholders” to the cocktail party.

EMRC chairman Dr Alan Pilgrim wouldn’t disclose how much it would cost or how many people were invited.

“The event allows EMRC to engage with stakeholders who work collaboratively with the organisation to facilitate strategies and actions for the benefit and sustainability of Perth’s eastern region in areas such as waste management, environmental services and regional development,” he said.

“In addition to being a multi-award winning organisation, the EMRC has also been successful in securing in excess of $10 million in funding for various regional projects since 1996.”

Mr Green wants to know what results ratepayers can expect.

“What benefit is any of this to the ratepayers of the six councils that comprise the EMRC?” he fumed

“I understand that every councillor and their partner is invited from all six member councils.

“Why do they need a cocktail function?”

This year is the 30th anniversary of the EMRC.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

ALANNAH MACTIERNAN says she didn’t know most of the people selected for a working group a local trader claims was “handpicked” by the mayor.

Stuart Lofthouse, who runs Greens and Co on Oxford Street, made the claim at last week’s council meeting, where he also took a swipe at the council’s advertising of the group.

He says if business owner and friend Debbie Saunders—who runs a nearby cafe—had known about the group, she’d have put up her hand.

“The business and community reps all nominated in an open process,” Ms MacTiernan told the Voice.

“We considered ourselves very fortunate that three of the village’s most successful retailers nominated and were accepted by council as the business reps.”

They were Deanne Williams from Atlas Devine, Lidio Fiore from Camera House and Lisa Montgomery from Urban Records.

“The two residents that nominated were unknown to me and have also made a great contribution,” the mayor added.

“I’m just amazed at these conspiracy theories. I didn’t know most of these people before they nominated.

“I go down to the strip all the time, and from my discussions with a wide variety of business people, I confirm that Stuart’s attitude does not represent the view of the vast majority of people trading down there,” she said of the council’s advertising.

Mr Fiore said info was “easily available” and he’d posted about the planned upgrade of Oxford Street park on his Facebook which has 12,000 likers.

“I doubt Stuart missed all of these things. If he has, then maybe he should be more involved in the community,” Mr Fiore commented.

Mr Lofthouse is concerned the million dollar upgrade will mean the loss of 22 car bays and access to a carpark from Oxford Street.

He confirmed that he, Ms Saunders, and a third candidate would be standing in October’s elections.

by DAVID BELL

BAYSWATER Sports Club has been given three months to get its house in order or risk losing its lease on Uppercrest reserve.

Bayswater council says it’s sick of infighting between the local football and cricket clubs, which has paralysed the umbrella organisation.

The BSC has three months to create a new club constitution, hold an AGM and address “cleanliness issues” at the clubhouse on Coode Street.

Unruly

In 1999 the council appointed an external auditor because previous AGMs had become “unruly”.

From 2005 to 2010 nearby residents complained about yobs and excessive noise, then the clubrooms burned down after a fire in 2011.

BSC president Garry Snashall says relations between the two clubs have improved dramatically.

“I believe we are on the road to recovery now, things are a lot more harmonious,” he says.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

VINCENT city council will test out its employees’ underarm deodorants later this year when it turns off the air-conditioning mid-summer.

As part of a new high-tech energy saving program, energy management company EnerNOC will pay the city about $10,000 annually to switch off the air-con if the state’s electricity grid gets overwhelmed. EnerNOC recoups costs via the Independent Market Operator.

Vincent mayor Alannah MacTiernan doesn’t think employees will get too hot under the collar.

“It won’t be that uncomfortable; it’s only for 30 minutes at the most,” Ms MacTiernan said.

Ms MacTiernan acknowledges that under the deal, the city may be required to turn the system off for four hours, but says it’s very rare that happens.

Blackout prevention

EnerNOC’s business development manager Jeff Jumonville told the Voice 400 Perth companies had signed up to its DemandSMART blackout prevention program.

Having them on-call saved the state government from having to build a power station that would operate for about one day a year to ensure supply is maintained.

“In the last six years there have been six [blackout] events, so that’s about one every year; but there were three in 2011 and none in 2012 and none in 2013,” he said.

Ms MacTiernan said last year the city’s energy bill was $1.83 million.

“As electricity prices spiral we’re seizing new solutions like this to reduce our energy costs and carbon footprint,” she said.

“This is one way we can help the environment by relieving the grid of excess demand at critical times whilst receiving fiscal compensation for our energy efficiency.

“Team this with being able to view our energy use data in real time for better insights and management and it’s a real no-brainer—everyone benefits from this program,” said the mayor.”

Power for street lighting, irrigation pumps and bores for parks and gardens have contributed to the city’s escalating energy costs over the last five years.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

PERTH city council’s parking committee has been abolished.

The committee’s chair Lyndon Rodgers claims the move is designed to unseat him because of tensions with fellow committee members James Limnios and Lily Chen.

Cr Limnios says Cr Rodgers runs meetings inefficiently and cuts off dissenters, but along with Cr Chen he maintains it’s about resources and time-saving.

Crs Limnios and Chen want the committee rolled into the bigger finance and admin committee. 

Cr Rodgers says parking makes up more than 50 per cent of the city’s income and deserves special focus, but at Tuesday’s council meeting he was a lone voice to keep the committee.

Cr Rodgers will instead replace Cr Jim Adamos on the finance and admin committee, where Janet Davidson is chair.

by DAVID BELL

PERTH councillors have approved a 12-storey mixed development on Aberdeen Street.

The project drew criticism from the Deen Hotel and local entertainment venue advocate BIGN over concerns new residents would complain about noise and threaten the hotel’s existence.

Cr James Limnios said designers Baltinas Architecture had been diligent in consulting with local businesses, understood the noise issues, and had designed the building to keep sound out.

Cr Rob Butler said under the conditions imposed by council, prospective purchasers had to be advised of nearby late night venues before they bought in.

by DAVID BELL

THE Mary Street mural is gone.

The mural was painted on the Soto Espresso building by local artists Konfucius, Destroy and Idol, who donated their time and materials. Vincent city council kicked in $1000.

But Soto closed early this year and Cantina 663 owners Alex Cuccovia and Michael Forde along with Paul Aron and John Little from El Publico are planning to turn the building into a bakery.

Mr Aron said the mural was “not going to work with what we’re doing there” and it had to go. He said it was “a beautiful big piece of community art” but noted the landlord wasn’t consulted on the piece and didn’t want it.

Online some public art fans planned a boycott, while others predicted the wall would be vandalised once the mural went.

Mr Cuccovia was unhappy with the Voice’s coverage of the reaction, saying he would never advertise in the paper.

Konfucius, aka Ben Witherick, took to Facebook to eulogise the mural.

“The nature of street art, graff, whatever you want to call it, is that nothing lasts forever.

“You’ve got to be prepared to deal with whatever’s thrown at it, your work can get capped, buffed, destroyed, or in this case, removed all together.

“There has been a lot of public uproar about this, some on the other hand have supported its removal. Whatever the case, we can’t sit and dwell and get angry about it, we have to look at the positives that came of this mural and only aim for bigger and better things.”

“Even though it was only up for a short amount of time, I know it brought people together and made people happy.”

He said one of the artists who painted it is dealing with his mother’s recent death, and the mural had “made her proud that her son was making a positive impact in the community.

“So for that reason alone, the time and effort spent painting it was worth it for the happiness it brought to her.”

by DAVID BELL