POST Newspapers 16 August 2025 by POST Newspapers

How Toby saved lives

By JEN REWELL

A humble young Claremont man who stepped up and became a hero after a horriﬁc plane crash at Rottnest Island was recognised this week for his bravery.

His quick, inventive thinking saved lives.

Toby Webster, 20, was presented with a Gold Medallion for Exceptional Bravery by Surf Life Saving WA for his extraordinary efforts to rescue passengers from a sinking seaplane.

“I didn’t expect anything like this; I just saw people who needed help and did the best I could,” Toby said.

With a childhood spent mucking about on boats, and a love of ﬂying that led to him gaining his commercial pilot’s license in May 2024, Toby had found his dream job working as a coxswain with Swan River Seaplanes.

On January 7 he was in charge of ferrying passengers from the ﬂoating pontoon to the shore in Thomson Bay It was a rough and windy day, and tourist footage shows

kids on the beach pulling on wetsuits, and people trying out their snorkels in the shallows.

In the distance, the Cessna 208 Caravan skims across the water for 32 seconds as it begins its takeoff.

Just after the plane becomes airborne, one wing drops, the plane rolls, and the wingtip and fuselage hit the water in a catastrophic impact.

The aircraft sank immediately, nose ﬁrst, with its tail above water.

Toby called in the Mayday emergency and raced his boat from the pontoon to help.

In the few moments since the impact, the four surviving passengers had moved to an airpocket at the rear of the cabin.

Aviation fuel was leaking onto the surface of the choppy water and debris from the plane was all around.

By chance, the tender had a large spanner in it that was not usually there.

With desperate strength, Toby smashed the rear window of the plane with the spanner. Police said later it was an incredible effort.

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Squatters keep the peace

By LLOYD GORMAN

A family squatting rent free in a $2million Shenton Park house for about two years were “peaceful neighbours” compared with previous occupants of the property, according to a neighbour.

The POST revealed last week that 28 Keightley Road had been occupied by a young couple with a baby without the permission or knowledge of owner Marilyn

High-rise under intense scrutiny

By BEN DICKINSON

Controversial high-rise developments in the western suburbs will receive fresh scrutiny from a parliamentary inquiry after a rare defeat for the Cook government.

Opposition and crossbench MPs joined forces in the Legislative Council on Wednesday to establish a select committee into the WA planning system, a move described as a “breakthrough” by Nedlands MP Jonathan Huston.

“There have been too many examples of developments that have been approved seemingly

without regard for local planning schemes, strategies and frameworks,” Mr Huston said.

“I think residents of the Nedlands electorate will be overjoyed.”

The select committee is likely to investigate the state Government’s deal with Malaysian state developer UEM Sunrise, which saw a 36-storey apartment development approved for formerly governmentowned land next to Subiaco Oval.

UEM Sunrise paid $22.18million for the site, which it plans to spend $450million developing.

Mr Huston said he wanted the inquiry to investigate that deal,

particularly after the Auditor General detailed a litany of issues with land sales by state agency Development WA, including questionable valuations of government land.

“The minister just signed an agreement with the Malaysian developers,” Mr Huston said.

“Was that valuation correct?”

The inquiry’s terms of reference will include “the transparency and probity of land transactions by agencies such as Development WA and the WA Planning Commission” and “the alignment of decisions with local planning schemes, strategies

Watson ($2m squatters, POST, August 9).

Speaking to the POST, Ms Watson conﬁrmed she did not know Jeremy Hubbard and his wife Rachel Savage and did not want them in the house she called home for almost 40 years.

She left the 1918 cottage after it was damaged by the 2010 March hailstorm that pounded parts of Subiaco and Shenton Park.

Ms Watson was overwhelmed

by her own personal circumstances but without repairs or maintenance to the house, it deteriorated and attracted antisocial activity, according to the neighbours.

They said they did not condone squatting, but not all squatters were the same.

They were critical of the house being left vacant for more than a decade.

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The empty house in 2020.Renovated by squatters in 2025.

Toby Webster, inset, rushed to save passengers after a floatplane crash off Rottnest Island.

Cold and wet, or warm and dry

Who on Earth, other than a couple of politicians, would actually believe that in the current weather an as-yet-unknown number of UWA students from Perth’s southern suburbs would want to get off a nice warm train at Canning Bridge Station (only six minutes away from Elizabeth Quay Station), for a ﬁve-minute walk across Canning Bridge to the proposed jetty?

Would anyone do this and then ﬁnd out they have to wait on the new jetty up to 10 minutes for a ferry to take them the two nautical miles across the river to a new jetty at Matilda Bay which is still a considerable walking

distance from UWA?

Given that the speed limit in that part of the river is eight knots, it will take a ferry at least 15 minutes to make the trip (a few minutes more when a cold front is coming up the river).

Had these by now wet and cold students stayed on the train, they could have alighted at Elizabeth Quay Station, taken two escalators up into the Elizabeth Quay Bus Station and caught a bus for a ﬁve-minute trip to UWA, all without getting cold and wet.

If this is going to be the future of public transport under Labor, the mind boggles.

Dave Tierney Kalinda Drive, City Beach

Chilling warning about water

The article Icy water closes Christ Church pool (POST, August 9) reveals more than a broken geothermal heating system; it exposes a deep failure in how WA manages groundwater.

The Yarragadee aquifer, which feeds the school’s heating, is being drained faster than nature can replenish it.

Over-extraction for public supply and agriculture, combined with declining rainfall from climate change, has pushed water levels down across the region.

Yet our water laws – relics of more than a century ago –remain unchanged.

They fail to deal with today’s realities of climate change, population growth and the urgent need to protect our most precious resource.

Incredibly, in December 2023 the state’s water minister declared that these outdated

laws required no reform. If we don’t put genuine water reform back on the agenda, the consequences will go far beyond a cold swim – after all, what’s more important in our hot, dry state than a safe and secure water supply that sustains life?

Richard Yin

Commercial Road, Shenton Park

Recent substantial rainfall has unfortunately exposed deficiencies in the street drainage system implemented as part of the Subiaco “Safe Active Streets” program.

Elevated intersections have significantly impeded the runoff of rainwater, resulting in issues such as footpath ﬂooding at the corner of Derby and Keightley roads, and pool-

Caddy’s policies destroy gardens

What an extraordinary choice for chief commissioner of Nedlands council is David Caddy.

I too was on the council that was stood down in 1995 and was not one of the disgruntled members who resigned, thus making the council unworkable. I stood at the next election and was re-elected, going on to become deputy mayor under Colin Barns, on a well-functioning council.

Mr Caddy may well know a great deal about dysfunctional councils, but whether this qualiﬁes him to “bring trust and integrity back into the governance system” remains to be seen.

I sincerely hope that, for the long suffering residents, it does. During his time as chairman of the WA Planning Commission he did everything in his power to try to destroy the enviable garden suburb image we loved, and I wait with interest to see if this trend continues.

Susan

Watson Bovell Lane, Claremont

ing of water at the corners of Waverley Street and Keightley Road.

It appears these factors were not adequately considered during the planning or construction phases, and I am concerned about the duration required to rectify these problems.

Craig M. Gumley Waverley Street, Shenton Park

Caddy busts Neds fast-food ban

By BEN DICKINSON

Nedlands council’s longstanding ban on fast food outlets has been quietly dropped by the City’s governmentappointed commissioners.

A 2020 petition signed by 985 people urged the council to reinstate the 30-year-old ban, a year after it was omitted from a new state-imposed planning scheme.

Deposed mayor Fiona Argyle, then a private resident, told a meeting that year that it was the “will of the people” not to have fast food outlets in Nedlands.

“For kids it’s almost as addictive as crack cocaine,” she said, eight months before she was elected mayor.

The proposed scheme amendment was advertised for public feedback in 2021, but it was overshadowed by a wave of high-rise developments along Stirling Highway that kept council planners busy.

Fears that the ban would unintentionally shutter local kebab, pizza and ﬁsh-and-chip

shops prompted councillors to vote for a deferral, after which the amendment sat in a drawer for nearly four years.

That was until two weeks ago, when council staff submitted a report to the City’s three commissioners recommending the attempt to revive the ban be abandoned.

“Basing decisions on the type of products sold is considered arbitrary and not orderly and proper planning,” they wrote.

“The Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage has consistently advised that [the amendment] would not be supported for a range of reasons based in legality.”

Commissioners David Caddy, Bianca Sandri and Cath Hart voted to dump the ban without discussion on August 6.

The council ofﬁcers’ report noted that another amendment

Fan starts POST fund

An anonymous POST reader has started a piggy-bank to help save the printed POST from going the same way as the Australian Financial Review, which has stopped printing in WA.

We like the idea.

The POST this year imported a printing press and set up its printing arm to ensure that western suburb residents and those served by other independent media continue to receive a printed newspaper.

Since last month the POST has been printed on the new press.

It was printed previously by the company that publishes The West Australian newspaper, which proﬁted from its monopoly position after the closure of a commercial printing plant in Mandurah.

A genuine free press and diversity of voices are essential for an informed society to thrive.

The POST has stood on its own feet for 48 years, re-investing any proﬁts into its

Commissioning delays with the new press, and extra costs, meant the POST missed one printed edition for the ﬁrst time, in early July. On that day, we were told very quickly just how much tens of thousands of readers missed their POST.

Our rivals at The West Australian were quick to capitalise on misfortune, targeting our advertisers.

It is the advertisers who pay the bills and enable the POST, a local family business, to bring you a free newspaper each week.

These businesses have remained loyal and supportive, for which we and POST readers are very grateful.

The POST remains the go-to publication for its legion of readers, who are encouraged to support our advertisers.

The decision to go it alone with printing was a big one, prompted by disturbing signals that your POST could be left stranded without a printer if it did not take its future into its own hands.

But start-up has been challenging, as it always is. Unﬂagged costs ate our

contingency fund, creating a shortfall that needs to be ﬁlled, urgently.

Which is why we like the piggy-bank idea, inspired by a stranger who dropped off at our Shenton Park office a $50 note inside a transparent box decorated with a ﬂower.

currently being considered by the WA Planning Commission would rezone about 80% of properties on the Nedlands stretch of Stirling Highway from mixed-use to purely residential, preventing them being developed by fast food operators. When considering previous applications decades ago, councillors were told that fast food outlets preferred to be on the south side of the highway so that drivers could easily turn in to pick up dinner on the way home from the city.

Before leaving she said: “This is to help keep the POST going.”

Any further contributions from readers will go a long way to help ensure the POST’s newsroom can continue to deliver a quality newspaper to your homes and businesses each week – all for free.

If you would like to contribute to the piggy bank, please use the banking details below.

Donors who want their names published in the POST as acknowledgment, please use the banking description ﬁeld.

BSB 066-125 Account 1031 4277. Account Post Newspapers Pty Ltd.

Knives out for Galup

By JEN REWELL

A determined vandal has used a sharp blade to slice out the parts of a community sign promoting a busy bee at Galup.

The name “Galup” was removed from the title “Friends of Lake Monger” at the top of the sign, which detailed dates and times for a weeding and rubbish collection session.

Several signs were defaced, a volunteer said.

“Pretty disappointing to ﬁnd that a couple of our signs have been defaced,

Eat, Pray, Walk

by people in our community who can’t cope with seeing the name ‘Galup’ where it belongs,” she said.

The lake was recently renamed Galup by Cambridge council, after consultation with locals showed “overwhelming support” for the change.

It had been called Lake Monger since the 1830s, named after a settler who lived there for about three years.

The Friends group intends to update its name to reﬂect the change, but it is a slow process due to the group’s incorporated status.

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stranger who dropped in this gift.

Bianca Sandri Cath Hart

David Caddy

way to “This is to help the POST keep going” said the

A colourful crown for King Edward

This spectacular rainbow over King Edward Memorial Hospital touched a chord with staffer Melita Carstens.

listening

“I was walking out after my busy night-duty shift and it greeted me in all its splendour,” she said.

“I thought I’d share my captured crown of a rainbow in all its glory over good old KEMH.

“Made me feel proud to be part of this old girl for the past 40 years.”

Century-old King Eddies does not have long to go, with a new maternity hospital to be built at Murdoch and many of its functions transferring to Perth

Children’s Hospital in Nedlands.

“Cheers to WA’s ongoing women’s health care wherever it may be in the future,” Melita said.

“Its roots are deep in the soil off Bagot Road and its branches will forever reach out to care over our ever-growing Perth.”

• Melita’s photo was inspired by last week’s striking image of a Cottesloe beach rainbow (Sky show, POST, August 9).

Clive Addison, who submitted that fine photo, pointed out that it was taken not by him but by his nephew, Gavin MacKenzie, a Cottesloe Surf Club rower.

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move house, but one Subiaco resident needed a crane with an 80m boom, the closure of a road and most of a carpark, and crews working over two days to get into his new pad.

Senior Apple executive Michael Graham Albert bought the 1570sq.m penthouse at One Subiaco for $17.5million in 2020 (Room with a view and a pool, POST, December 9 2023).

Large flat-screen TVs, couches, a washing machine and panes of glass were just some of the many items hoisted to the top of the 23-storey building over two days by a 300-tonne mobile crane.

Part of Seddon Street and a large section of the Wilson Carpark it connects with was cordoned off for the special delivery.

Crews removed the furniture and appliances from removalist trucks and attached the cargo

put in a connecting staircase. A property search on RP Data reveals Mr Albert – who also owns four houses in Daglish – spent $27.6million to buy four units in the One Subiaco complex. One Subiaco already boasts a 2000sq.m rooftop area on the oor, with six-star resort facilities including a heated pool, sauna and fitness centre. The first of its 500 residents moved in in December 2022, with most reduced to hauling their personal belongings and possessions into their new home using the lifts and stairs.

DEAN HOME Dreams of the winding river,

Special delivery for sky-high pile

A 300-tonne crane hoists furniture up to the One Subiaco penthouse.

$170m rubbish converter is garbage

By LLOYD GORMAN

After almost two decades and $170million down the drain in project and court costs, the DiCom saga is over.

The large privately-owned DiCom waste facility attached to the Brockway Transfer Station in Shenton Park has stood idle for at least a decade and will now be broken down and removed from the site.

It comes after a legal ﬁght begun in the Supreme Court in 2017 was discontinued in re-

cent weeks following an out-of court-agreement reached by the parties last September.

“This resolution represents a turning point for the Western Metropolitan Regional Council and the communities we serve,” said WMRC chairman Paul Kelly.

“It eliminates a historical burden on our operations and allows us to move forward with conﬁdence.

“Importantly, it unlocks the ability to repurpose 40% of our holding for improved and expanded services to our ﬁve

member councils, seven customer councils and a growing number of commercial clients.

“By simplifying our operating environment and removing legacy constraints, we’re better placed to deliver affordable, reliable and environmentally responsible waste services.”

Based in Subiaco the WMRC, which owns and operates the Brockway Transfer Station in Lemnos Street, paid lawyers more than $3million to ﬁght the legal case.

The WMRC – made up of ﬁve

Doomed tuart not centuries old

By JEN REWELL

A doomed City Beach tuart that may change the fate of trees on private land was revealed to be about 60 years old when it was cut down.

Lisa Zorzi, who is building a large house on Branksome Gardens, said a preliminary scientific report had estimated the controversial tree was 61 years old when her workers cut it down.

It was in the prime of its life, given that tuarts can live for 350 to 400 years.

Ms Zorzi said she would like to clarify the tuart’s age.

“I have stipulated the correct age all along, yet the witch hunt and incorrect information continues to be published,” she said.

She provided the POST with

western suburbs member councils – signed a deal worth more than $100million with DiCom to provide 55,000 tonnes of rubbish over 20 years.

The experimental DiCom system promised to convert 75% of the contents of bins collected by WMRC councils into compost, bio-gas and recyclables and slash the amount of material going into landﬁll.

Plans for DiCom started in 2007 and following what were said to be successful trials of the system, a pilot plant at the

transfer station was expanded into a full-scale version by 2010.

As frequently reported by the POST, the industrial waste processing plant was dogged by setbacks, delays and other problems.

Investors pumped $165million into developing the pioneering but failed facility in Shenton Park, which was meant to showcase the technology to the world.

When DiCoM began invoicing its only two customers – the WMRC and Stirling Council –

Rings revealed the tuart’s age after it was cut down.

parts of a dendrochronology report she had commissioned, which included graphs with ring detection and enhanced photographs of the tree’s stop work.

“From the analysis, this tuart tree appears to be about 61 years old,” the report said.

When the Cambridge council stopped Ms Zorzi’s workers from cutting down the tree in

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Sunday 17 August

Looking for a free and fun family day out?

Dive into ocean science at the WA Maritime Museum in Fremantle for the Woodside Open Day. We’re celebrating National Science Week with free general admission and a host of hands-on activities to keep young minds engaged and entertained. It’s the perfect way to explore and learn!

Industrial action … WMRC CEO Stuart Devenish looks over a section of the $165million DiCom waste processing plant that is to be dismantled and removed.

Photo: Paul McGovern

TikToks and trolls – the Carey years

By JACK MADDERN

Mosman Park council was treated to some home truths when it farewelled departing deputy mayor Georgie Carey.

Ms Carey has stepped down from the role to study public policy at Harvard University.

Her parents and partner joined the near-full public gallery to watch her last meeting recently.

She was Mosman Park’s youngest councillor at 21 and, four years later, its youngest deputy mayor.

Mayor Paul Shaw said Ms Carey would be a big loss.

“I like to think the mayor and elected members are replaceable, but I don’t think Georgie really is,” he said.

“She brought something to the council, something a young person could offer, but always had maturity in her approach.”

Ms Carey had a mix of memories about her time on council.

“When I ran for councillor at 21, I didn’t feel ready,” she said.

“I overthought everything. My campaign materials were, let’s call them earnest, but I just kept showing up.

“What I didn’t expect was being harassed online by farright trolls.

“I was doxed, I received latenight phone calls with nothing but breathing on the other end, and I was called names I can’t

I’ve been treated differently at times because of my age, my gender, my appearance –sometimes a combination of all three.

“I’ve also been lucky to serve alongside colleagues who for the most part judged me on the strength of my contributions, not my birth year or my choice of shoes.”

After ﬁnishing her studies abroad, Ms Carey intends to return to WA and work on local solutions for “big issues”.

“Local government matters,” she said. “It’s not ﬂashy. It won’t trend on TikTok – trust me, I’ve tried – but it’s where democracy gets to work.

“Being part of this council has been one of the greatest honours of my life, so thank you.”

Councillor Andrew Maurice was the sole nominee to become the new deputy mayor and was elected unopposed.

Ben takes on the world

By JACK MADDERN

A Perth Modern School student has taken home a bronze medal for pitting his knowledge of geography and maps against 180 of the world’s brightest young minds.

Year 12 student Ben Bauer was the sole West Australian competing in the annual International Geography Olympiad held last week in Bangkok, Thailand.

Joined by three other young geographical whizzes from Australia, they faced off against teams from 46 other countries across a ﬁve-day competition.

Each earned an individual medal and, as a team, led Australia to ninth place.

“The year before, we came second, so we weren’t as good as last year, but it’s still a really good result,” Ben said.

“Everyone in Australia got a medal, not all the other countries can say the same.”

The competition awards multiple gold, silver, and bronze medals up to the top 90.

Ben was too preoccupied by the excitement of exploring a new city and meeting new people to be bothered by nerves heading into the competition.

“I wasn’t sure what the other people would be like, and how focused everyone was, and how smart they were going to be,” he said.

“Once I got there, I immediately met some people in the hotel, and they were really nice and very similar to me, and I felt in that moment that I am

supposed to be here.”

The competition was split into three assessments and started with a written test that shook Ben’s conﬁdence.

He improved for the ﬁeld work test that mapped and surveyed a Bangkok island.

Australia came third for creating a poster in the multimedia section.

Lithuania’s win and Kazakh-

stan’s second place was a surprise result though ben called it the experience of a lifetime.

“I was already so rapt about going there in general, and then everybody being so nice,” he said.

“I think that’s just the coolest way to experience a new city.”

“It’s always really interesting to see the way other countries approach regular things.”

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Georgie Carey is swapping Mosman Park council for Harvard University in the US.

Their million-dollar river views at risk

By JACK MADDERN

Lloyd Douglas hopes to use a new Mosman Park council rule to protect his breathtaking river view.

Mr Douglas, who is concerned that a Saunders Street neighbour plans to build a 15m wall that will block his view of the river, is one of several residents seeking council help.

Mosman Park has introduced a policy to protect “signiﬁcant views” with the deﬁnition including vistas of the Swan River, Indian Ocean and other landmarks.

It is still in the community consultation phase and will not have any practical effect as a local planning instrument until August 29.

Mr Douglas and his neighbour Gavin Argyle approached council ofﬁcers at the last council meeting after reading about the policy in the POST.

Mr Douglas said he moved into his Saunders Street house because of the spectacular views of the river and Blackwall Reach.

“This is the whole reason why you buy into a place like this, for the views,” he said.

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Ferry works start in Matilda Bay

By LLOYD GORMAN

Work has started on the Matilda Bay ferry terminal only two weeks after Transport Minister Rita Safﬁotti announced its controversial location.

A pontoon that can be used for piling and excavating has taken up position where the 140m jetty and large battery-charging station is planned.

Ten river groups – from Royal Perth Yacht Club to Sailability WA – opposed a terminal inside the bay, arguing that JoJo’s jetty in Nedlands was the best site.

Safety on Swan, which represents the 10 groups, said this was the beginning of what they feared would happen.

“We are starting to see the implications of having a large terminal in central Matilda Bay, for not just the clubs but also the young families who visit the area and have used Matilda Bay foreshore for generations,” SOS spokeswoman Megan Bagworth said.

“We are waiting to hear about the formation of the reference groups, which is a key measure needed

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to provide a collective overlay of all the on-water activity in the area.

“Controls need to be understood within that complexity of use to fully understand the impact to clubs and ongoing viability.”

Royal Perth Yacht Club commodore Janet Hornbuckle said the terminal and ferry service posed risks for other water users.

“We are concerned not only about the safety of on-water users in Matilda Bay, but also about the impact on the Matilda

Bay foreshore by surge waves from a ferry changing speed in such shallow waters,” she said.

“We are still seeking information on speed proﬁles and wave heights to determine the potential damage to the marina infrastructure and impact on sailing programs.”

The University of WA is also understood to prefer JoJo’s though a spokesperson said its masterplan had “long recognised” the potential for a river-based public transport option at Matilda Bay.

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A pontoon used for piling has taken up station in Matilda Bay. Photo: Paul McGovern

Lloyd Douglas hopes Mosman Park’s new policy might save his views from a 15m wall.

Celebrate 80 years of Book Week at Subiaco Library

Children’s Book Week runs from Saturday 16 August to Saturday 23 August 2025, and is turning 80 this year!

The week provides an opportunity for children to experience the joys of writing and learn tips and tricks direct from authors.

This year, Subiaco Library will run a series of events over two weeks to allow plenty of opportunities for school students and community members to celebrate. Highlights will include workshops with Narelle Wynter,

A quick monthly update from

It must be awards season. The prestigious Shaun Tan Awards for Young Artists are over for another year, and entries have just closed in the Craig Silvey Award for Young Writers (winners announced next month).

But right now, it is deﬁnitely worth a visit to the Subiaco (EH Parker) Library, where works from the ﬁnalists in our 2025 Photographic Awards are on display.

Each of these Awards is a celebration of creativity, and a celebration of community with a Subi focus (obviously) and beyond.

a paediatric speech pathologist and children’s book author, on Tuesday 19 August, Karen Blair, an author and illustrator, on Wednesday 20 August, and Campbell Whyte, a visual artist and comic maker, on Monday 25 August.

Barking Gecko Theatre will also drop in to the library for a special storytime on Friday 29 August at 10.30am for crafts, games, dress-ups and a story. Book your spot at Book Week events via www.subiaco.wa.gov.au/events.

EV charging via EasyPark

In a WA ﬁrst, electric vehicle (EV) charging in the City of Subiaco can be managed alongside parking sessions through the EasyPark app.

The app contains real-time information, so drivers are able to view charger availability and choose the most suitable location, power, and timing to charge up; making EV charging and parking in the City more convenient and efﬁcient.

Power surge shocks Brewer

By BEN DICKINSON

Cottesloe MP Sandra Brewer has asked Nedlands council to explain why some Mt Claremont residents have been billed up to 31% more than they were quoted for underground power.

“There’s a big variance between what was expected and what they’ve been billed,” Ms Brewer said this week.

“[But] I’ve been advised that the implementation costs haven’t materially changed.”

Work is under way to sink powerlines in Mt Claremont and Floreat, some of the last areas inside Nedlands council’s boundaries still with overhead power lines.

Residents have lobbied the council for decades to sink powerlines in their areas, but some in Mt Claremont were shocked when they received

bills for $1663 more than the ﬁnal estimate.

People who had already buried their home’s connection to the street – who have green domes outside their properties – were expected to pay $5438, according to 2024 costings that were supposed to have a 10% variance.

But those residents were instead billed $7101 – 31% more than quoted.

One of those residents, Andrew McDonald, said the cost to residents with green domes was supposed to account for what they had already paid to sink their street connections – between $3500 and $4500.

But those with green domes were billed just $903 less than those without.

Those without green domes were billed 7% more than the ﬁnal estimate.

Despite the increases, ﬁg-

ures reported to Nedlands’ audit committee show the overall project budget has hardly changed.

“There’s a fair bit of discontent in the community,” Mr McDonald said.

“The communication has been really poor.”

In an email to Mr McDonald, Nedlands CEO Keri Shannon said some of the costings provided to residents were “not accurate”.

“[They] were best estimations based on the available information,” she wrote.

“The Town of Mosman Park has charged their ratepayers the full amount whereas the City of Nedlands is charging its residents 50% of the cost.

“Reference to the individual cost for installation of a dome by Western Power is not useful in the context of the underground project for an entire area.”

‘Ronald McDonald mould made me sick’

By LLOYD GORMAN

Mould outbreaks at Ronald McDonald House in Nedlands are at the heart of a Supreme Court stoush.

Simon Link claims he became sick after being exposed to mould while working as a maintenance manager at the 47-bedroom facility in Monash Avenue.

Mr Link, who worked there from August 2020, sued Home

Away From Home Inc last September.

“He was regularly exposed to mould as a result of extensive water damage,” Justice Larissa Strk said in a summary of Mr Link’s claim.

“While performing his duties as a maintenance coordinator he inhaled or ingested quantities of mould particles, spores, mould fragments and mould containing dusts.”

But the McDonald’s charity denies it is responsible for Mr

Link’s condition and argued his own negligence was to blame. It also blamed Subiaco builder Doric for defects in the $27million building.

Justice Strk joined Doric to the action on August 1, a move requested by the McDonald’s charity.

“[Mr Link] alleges while at RMH the most prevalent building maintenance issues he had to deal with as part of his regular duties were leaks, water damage and the presence of mould…”

Justice Strk said in a 10-page summary this month.

“As a result … he developed chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis and psychiatric/psychological sequalae; the injuries were caused by the negligence and/or breach of statutory duties by the defendant.

“As a result of the injuries he has suffered pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of life expectancy, loss of earning capacity, loss of capacity to care for himself without assistance, and

will continue to incur medical, chemist and travelling expenses.

“He claims damages, interest and costs from the defendant.”

The charity denies it was negligent or breached its duty of care to its employee.

Teagan Rose Moore, from HWL Ebsworth Lawyers, represented Ronald McDonald House and lodged an afﬁdavit and other documents last month. It argued that “if [he] suffered

• Please turn to page 64

Mt Claremont residents vented their frustration about increased underground power costs at a meeting with Cottesloe MP Sandra Brewer at Deli Chicchi on Saturday.

River squatters’ rich neighbours

By JACK MADDERN

Unrivalled views. Prestigious location. Spacious grounds. Billionaire neighbour. Renovation potential.

A piece of prime real estate offering million-dollar river views could make this illegal cubby found in the bushlands of Point Resolution the most expensive bush hideout in WA.

The private nook is only a stone’s throw from the luxury houses of high society ﬁgures Kerry Stokes, Gina Rinehart and Malcolm McCusker.

Nedlands council workers who found the Point Resolution encampment believe the architects were kids in their teens.

Expensive shovels, milk crates and a lack of sleeping spaces

made the City conﬁdent it was not designed for homeless accommodation.

“A group of 12 to 15-year-olds were seen at the location on escooters,” a City spokesperson said.

“Observers said they were likely to be locals.

“The same group of juveniles were later seen exposing themselves to people at a carpark. This was reported.”

Wooden stakes dotting the sandy bunker were sourced from nearby banksia planting within the Point Resolution bushland.

Hub Residential real estate agent Jamie Harrington accepted the tongue-in-cheek challenge to market the property.

“Why settle for four walls when you can have nature’s

open plan?” he said.

“This newly built bushland retreat features industrialstyle seating, no strata fees, year-round alfresco dining, and uninterrupted water views!

“With just a few compromises, this would be a lifestyle hard to beat!”

The cubby has since been removed, stakes returned to their rightful positions and a sign has been erected to notify people the City had been there.

The clean-up to rehabilitate the cubby site was estimated at several thousand dollars.

“Lately there have been a number of such sites being created in the bushlands around the river,” Nedlands said.

“The City endeavours to clean each one up as soon as possible.”

Phone tower plonked in park

By JEN REWELL

City Beach neighbours’ fears about their quiet local park were realised when construction began on a communications tower.

The tower and its concrete infrastructure were surrounded by orange safety bunting and work vehicles when it was erected in Ocean Village Park this week.

Telstra informed the council in June it would be erecting the tower in the middle of the park, along with a 60sq.m equipment shelter.

A quirk of the Telecommunications Act means that the council cannot refuse the telco.

The area’s communications equipment has been situated on the nearby shopping centre for several years, but needs to be moved before the building is demolished.

The redevelopment of Ocean Village will see a 247-apartment block built on the site.

A second communications tower will be installed by Optus, but the council has asked for that one to be placed on the Hale Road verge, rather than in the park.

The council will not receive any rent or compensation for the towers being placed on its land.

Workers install the temporary Telstra tower in Ocean Village Park in City Beach. Photo: Paul McGovern

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‘Secret’ report gives hope to bush group

By JEN REWELL

Determined locals have secured the release of a secret report into trafﬁc in Churchlands.

Floreat resident Lee Katavatis, from the Save the Churchlands Bushland group, said a Freedom of Information request for Main Roads to release the report was initially refused, but an appeal against that decision was upheld.

The 12-page report makes for dry reading and its ﬁndings do not surprise Ms Katavatis.

“Why should this be kept a secret? It’s just facts,” she said.

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The report suggested the reserve between Pearson Street and West Coast Highway be removed from the Metropolitan Region Scheme and be considered for rezoning to “Other Regional Road”.

“This would provide … connectivity between Jon Sanders Drive and Hale Road, which are already both reserved as Other Regional Roads in the MRS,” the report said.

Ms Katavatis said supporters of the bushland reserve that links Pearson Street and Empire Avenue were waiting to see if the land would be handed over from Main Roads to the City of Stirling.

“When that happens, we need to move quickly,” she said.

“We’ll be calling for permanent protection, regeneration, and a future for this area as a thriving urban sanctuary.”

The Main Roads report said building the entire network would improve access to Stirling from the coast, but at a heavy environmental cost.

Building parts of the Stephenson Avenue road system would make little difference to congestion in the area, according to the report’s analysis of trafﬁc modelling.

“Traffic volumes across the local and broader regional road network are virtually the same,”

the report said.

The road would run through Bold Park and Wembley Golf Course, and “would have signiﬁcant environmental impacts and most likely result in a signiﬁcant level of community concern”.

The golf course was redeveloped in 2010 and is now a major breadwinner for Cambridge council.

The Main Roads report uses 1996 maps that show City Beach Senior High School (closed in 2005) and the Edith Cowan University campus closed in 2008.

Smorgasbord for cockies

By JEN REWELL

City Beach bird lovers were alarmed to see a huge ﬂock of carnaby’s cockatoos feasting dangerously close to West Coast Highway.

A ﬂock of about 100 of the endangered birds perched on pine trees, trooped in tuarts, and gathered on grass verges last week.

They foraged for seeds on the wide highway median strip, and called and whistled in nearby trees.

“I’ve never seen such a large ﬂock,” local Dawn Testrow said.

“Usually they are in a couple of the trees here, but not in these numbers.”

Some swooped onto the road, where cars and trucks were thundering past at 70kmh.

Two locals stood on the verge and median strip, waving their arms to warn drivers of the danger ahead.

“Most of them slowed down and said thank you and ﬂicked their lights,” a local said.

Dawn guessed that the birds were eating nuts and seeds from trees that were buffeted by the recent City Beach tornado, which touched down at that spot.

A tree was hit by lightning and split in two, and other trees had their limbs torn off.

“It missed the house, and went on up the hill,” she said.

The Cambridge ranger turned up to check on the welfare of the birds.

The Floreat Lions club is begin-

Save Churchlands Bushland member Lee Katavatis in the bushland she is trying to protect.

“carnaby gardens”

cockatoos.

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Courting at Herdsman Lake

I photographed these Australian pelicans performing a courtship dance at Herdsman Lake at sunrise last week.

The male is the larger bird on the left.

Pelicans can breed at any time of year but it can be triggered by rain events.

If you wonder why you’ve never seen a baby pelican, they are fully ﬂedged and full adult size within 10 to 12 weeks. The only difference is they have brown and white feathers, whereas the adult birds have black and white.

Ian Stewart Jarrah Lane, Mt Claremont

Carey’s boast fails to explain bias

WA Planning Minister John Carey gave an impressive speech to the Sydney Institute last week.

He trumpeted the many reforms WA has made to the planning system, which include eliminating the role of local councils in planning approvals.

What he did not explain is the bias and lack of balance in the WA planning system because of the way decisions are being made. The COVID emergency decision-making panel continues in existence and it has essentially unlimited powers. So does the minister.

Mr Carey explained how he was implementing a policy of high-density inﬁll around transport hubs such as train stations.

He did not explain that this inﬁll was ignoring the planning system that involved council and community input (other than the three minutes allowed for NIMBYs to complain to the WA Planning Commission and development assessment panels).

The decision-makers almost never ask questions of the NIMBYs. It is a wonder they bother any more.

The implicit bias exists because many of the government appointed decision-makers are from the development industry, some even still working as planning experts or even for developers. But there’s no way around this implicit bias. What is needed is stronger guidelines to restrain what is now unfettered discretion.

The decision-makers do not recognise that developer bonuses (of up to $30million) come at a cost to the community and therefore make the approved zoning meaningless. You cannot blame the developers; they are just seeking to maximise returns. It is the decision-making system that is unbalanced.

The minister can override the planning system at his whim. But he should not do this.

By his example, the very person responsible for the integrity of the planning system is actually responsible for the destruction of the integrity of the system.

Commissioner Caddy gets it wrong says former mayor Hipkins

Newly appointed Nedlands chief commissioner David Caddy has accused the council of sitting on its hands for 33 years and not reviewing its town planning scheme (TPS) as required by legislation (‘Caddy wrong choice’, POST, August 9).

His statement is misleading, because the TPS was reviewed during the period.

I led a review of the TPS in the late 1990s, when I was executive

manager of environmental services at the City, responsible for planning, health and building.

This concluded that, with progressive minor amendments to accommodate changing requirements, the scheme was ﬁt for purpose and should continue, which the council endorsed.

In 2004 the Government announced it wanted to increase residential densities in inner areas.

Before tackling Stirling Highway, the council was encouraged to focus on Waratah Avenue in Dalkeith, as a trial. There was strong community resistance to a ham-ﬁsted attempt to increase densities for 1.5km along both sides of Waratah Avenue.

When I joined the council as an elected member in 2008, there were already workshops to prepare a TPS to meet requirements speciﬁed in the new

Planning and Development Act 2005. This proved to be a long and complicated exercise, partly because regulations under the Act were not released until 2015.

In the meantime, the Council initiated an omnibus amendment to the old TPS, to allow medium density residential development in commercial zones along the highway (previously not permitted). This

• More letters pages 22, 30 • Please turn to page 64

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Fine but no fossil fuel preaching

Vallentine tried to hand a pamphlet about the fossil fuel industry to Chief Magistrate Steven Heath moments before she was sentenced for her role in an environmental protest.

Greens politician wore a pin of the Palestinian ﬂag and another that read “Green Granny” to her sentencing hearing in Perth Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

$300 in court costs after she pleaded guilty to trespassing in the lobby of WA’s ministerial ofﬁ building, Dumas House, on December 13.

Ms Vallentine and other protesters lay on the ﬂoor of the reception area and sang in protest at the Cook Government’s decision to support Woodside’s plans to drill for gas near Scott Reef, in the Timor Sea.

“I’d like to explain my behaviour to the court,”

Ms Vallentine told Mr Heath.

“I’m a Quaker and Quakers have for 370 years stood up for justice.

“There are often higher laws that we have to attend to rather than the laws of the state.”

She tried to hand up a booklet entitled Confronting State Cap-

Police Beat

ture by the Australian Democracy Network, but Mr Heath refused to take it.

“Go and make this statement out on the steps to the press,” he said.

“I’ve got to apply the law.

“It’s really pointless trying to preach to me.”

Ms Vallentine persisted, asking Mr Heath for “a few minutes of the court’s time” to explain her motivations.

“I think it’s important to get on record,” she said.

“I’m not going to give

nouncing the ﬁne.

“I request community service,” Ms Vallentine said.

“It’s too late,” replied Mr Heath.

Outside court, Ms Vallentine told the press she had brought several copies of the pamphlet that she had hoped to distribute to court staff.

“State capture occurs when powerful or wealthy interests interfere with decision making or have access to decision makers beyond that of ordinary citizens and assume a degree of control over the rule-making process itself,” she said.

“That is what we have on steroids in Western Australia.”

Copper thieves hang up on phone power

A mobile phone tower at a City Beach shopping centre is being run off a generator after copper thieves ripped out its power supply.

A telecommunications worker said it was lucky nobody was killed in the August 8 theft, which left live wires hanging from a conduit next to the centre’s car park.

“It’s absolutely psychotic,” Javier Diaz said.

“By sheer miracle nobody was hurt.”

Mr Diaz said the thieves ripped out a surge protector along with the wiring that connected the phone tower, operated by Optus and Vodafone, to the grid.

“If it was $10 worth of copper I’d be generous,” he said.

“It’s absolutely pointless and dangerous.”

The centre, owned by property developer Paul Blackburne, is due to be

Screw you, number plate thieves

A rash of number plate thefts has prompted Wembley police to urge western suburb residents to use anti-theft screws. Eight sets of plates were reported stolen in the Wembley police subdistrict in July.

“It is inconvenient for victims, who can’t drive their vehicle, and has wider implications for community safety, as stolen number plates can be used in further offences,” Sergeant Mark Mulé said.

Wembley police also ﬁelded 35 reports of property being stolen from parked cars, including wallets, laptops, bags and

bank cards.

“Of these, 11 vehicles were forcibly entered and damaged, and, alarmingly, 16 vehicles were simply left unlocked,” Sergeant Mulé said.

“Many of these crimes are preventable.

“We urge residents to lock their vehicles, remove valuables, and consider simple deterrents such as anti-theft screws for number plates, which cost the same as a cup of coffee and are easily available.”

Residents are also urged to notify police if they notice discarded wallets, bags or cards.

demolished to make way for a 22-storey apartment complex.

A police spokesperson the matter had been investigated but there were “no further lines of enquiry at this time”.

Arrest warrant for attacker

A woman who assaulted a retail worker in Subiaco in January is being sought by police after skipping bail.

Alvina Morrison, 54, was due to be sentenced in Perth Magistrates Court on Tuesday for 15 offences, including making an unlawful threat and assaulting a retail worker in Subiaco on January 29. Magistrate Donna Webb and court staff were left waiting when Morrison and another defendant failed to show up for their hearings. She issued arrest warrants after waiting an hour for the women to turn up.

Former Senator Jo Vallentine was arrested after staging a sit-in in the lobby of Dumas House.

A generator was installed at Ocean Village after thieves stole copper wiring.

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MARCH 2025

HARVEY FIELD PLAYGROUND OPEN!

We are excited to announce that the new playground at Harvey Field is complete and open! This lovely new playground, which was designed by Tim Davies Landscaping (TDL) and built by Nature Playgrounds, was funded through a combination of municipal funds and cash-in-lieu of public open space contributions.

The Town’s Deputy Mayor Melissa Harkins and CEO Mark Newman (pictured) opened the playground in early August. We look forward to celebrating this new space with our community at the official opening event on Saturday, 30 August at 10am to 12pm. See you there!

CITIZEN OF THE YEAR AWARDS

Nominations for the 2026 Community Citizen of the Year Awards are now open. Each year the Town acknowledges individuals and local organisations that have made an outstanding contribution during the year or contribute to the local community year after year.

The Town of Cottesloe is calling for nominations for Community Citizen of the Year, Young Community Citizen of the Year (16 – 30 years), Senior Citizen of the Year (over 65 years) and Active Citizenship – Group or Event.

We encourage you to nominate someone who makes our community a better place! Find out more and make a nomination at www.citizenshipawards.com.au.

Nominations close 31 October 2025.

JOHN BLACK DUNE PARK REVEGETATION

Joinustocelebratetheopeningofthe newplaygroundatHarveyField!

BroomeStreet,Cottesloe Saturday,30August 10amto12pm

Stage 2 of the revegetation work at John Black Dune Park has been successfully completed. This included the removal of the invasive Victorian tea tree, covering over 3,010m with mulch, and planting 3,800 native tube stock to support local wildlife habitats. In addition, 30 large trees were planted - made possible through an Urban Greening Grant Program, supported by the WA Local Government Association (WALGA) and funded by the Government of Western Australia.

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WINTER PLANTING COMPLETE

Over the past few months the Town’s Natural Areas crew have been busy with winter planting. Lots of waterwise and native plants have been added to the Civic Centre gardens and all around the Town. These include a number of acacia and eucalyptus species, Rhagodia baccata (Berry Saltbush), Scaevola crassifolia (Thick-leaved Fan Flower), Olearia axillaris and of course Anigozanthos (Kangaroo Paw) to name a few! Planting in the cooler months helps these new plants settle in before the warmer weather arrives.

The stage 1 plantings completed last year are thriving and looking great. With additional planting planned for next year, John Black Dune Park will be an inviting green space for the community to enjoy.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS

The Local government election will be held on 18 October 2025. We encourage our community to check and update enrolment details or join the electoral roll by 5pm on Friday, 22 August 2025. To check or update your enrolment, and to enrol to vote visit https://www.elections.wa.gov.au/enrol

If you’re considering nominating for the 2025 election, a Candidate Information Webinar is being held on Monday, 18 August at 6pm. Find out more and register at https://walga.asn.au/media-and-resources/upcoming-events.

COUNCIL MEETINGS

Council Agenda Forums are usually held on the third Tuesday of the month at 6pm and Council Meetings are usually held on the fourth Tuesday of the month at 6pm at Cottesloe Civic Centre, 109 Broome Street, Cottesloe.

Full details of Council Meetings are available on our website at www.cottesloe.wa.gov.au/council-meetings/ Agendas are available at the Civic Centre and on our website.

The next Council Meeting is on Tuesday, 26 August.

Let there be light – and then there was

By BEN DICKINSON

Girls from Claremont Junior Football Club have played their ﬁrst night home game at College Park thanks to four new light towers.

Club president Cardin Langer kept the completion of the $250,000 project a closelyguarded secret ahead of a club function at the Nedlands ground, when he delivered a 100-lux surprise to members.

“No-one knew they were working,” he said.

“I gave my speech … then the curtains opened, and the place was looking like daylight.”

The Tigers have spent years lobbying to add lights to the lower oval so it can be used for girls footy on Friday nights, as well as evening training.

“[The girls] all play under lights, and we’ve been bouncing them around,” Mr Langer said.

The Claremont girls’ teams have lived a nomadic existence, playing “home” games as far aﬁeld as Warwick due to the lack of lights at College Park.

“It’s not great messaging to boys or girls about equality,” committee member Mark Vonic told councillors in 2023.

The club had to fundraise the entire $250,000 cost of the lights and a new scoreboard after cash-strapped Nedlands council was unable to chip in towards a Community Sport and Recreation Facilities Fund grant. The program normally splits the cost of projects one third each between councils, clubs and the state government.

“The council couldn’t pay their third so the state government did not contribute their third,” Mr Langer said.

Club member Brendan Hazeldine, director of INOV8 Services, took on the job at a steep discount.

Cat control gains momentum

By JACK MADDERN

Permanent cat containment has overwhelming support from all WA local governments, according to a survey by the WA Feral Cat Working Group.

All but two metro local governments responded to the survey.

They found nearly 80% of local governments would introduce permanent cat containment local laws if the state government cleared barriers.

“The ball is now ﬁrmly in Local Government Minister Hannah Beazley’s court,” said the group’s Bruce Webber.

“Public sentiment from past petitions and this local government support clearly shows there is an appetite for these measures.”

“We already have the support of the crossbench.”

“A swift legislative amendment or direction to the committee is really all it will take.”

Only three of 26 local governments have been successful in trying to introduce permanent cat containment measures.

One-sixth of local governments reported high levels of cat desexing, with an even smaller 13.6% reporting a high level of cat registration.

It is illegal not to desex or register a cat.

Cottesloe councillor Chilla Bulbeck said that showed the Cat Act was failing.

“According to the data, one in three households has a cat, so hypothetically in Cottesloe

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we should have around 1000 cats registered, but on paper we only have around 216,” she said.

Hannah Beazley

“While they’re allowed to roam, we don’t really have the capacity to catch them and check.”

Ms Bulbeck’s motion to introduce permanent cat containment in Cottesloe failed to get up at a recent council meeting.

A potential WA Local Government Association template could pave the way for future motions, though she hoped the state government would remove itself from the process.

“Cottesloe is one of the local governments that would implement cat containment should the state clear the way,” she said.

“This survey is very exciting and reinforces that a clear majority of West Australians want this, Cottesloe sure does, from the petition by one of our residents.”

Greens MLC Brad Pettit backed local governments trying to introduce cat containment laws.

He said the recent survey provided additional weight to change the state government’s cautious approach.

“We are beyond the point of needing reviews, we are at the point of action,” he said.

He said the best result would be for the Labor government to allow councils to introduce permanent cat containment in the Cat Act.

Ava and Luca Hazeldine, with Claremont president Cardin Langer, centre, and their father Brendan, watch the lights go in at College Park Photo: Paul McGovern

Noongar pride in Galup heritage

I was deeply saddened to read of the offensive and inappropriate comments regarding the Cambridge Library post on Noongar families living at Galup during the 1920s, leading to the council removing a historic photo from its website (Racist posts spoil Galup tribute, POST, August 2).

Perhaps it could be reposted without the comments, and further comments disallowed – easy enough on any Facebook post.

It is important that the wider community know of the enduring significance, and use, of places like Galup to the Whadjuk Noongar people.

The interdunal system of ephemeral lakes was a valued and living resource across the sand plain, and made possible the unusually high density of the indigenous population there.

The image published with Jen Rewell’s August 2 article reminds me of a painting by the late Primus Ugle. He was inspired by the same photo, or a similar one held by the UWA Berndt Museum of Anthropology.

His work was included in the exhibition Aboriginal Artists of the South-West: Past and Present (2000) co-curated by Sandra Hill and me.

Both the late Ken Colbung and the late Clarrie Isaacs told me Noongar families continued to live at Galup as late as the early 1950s.

John E. Stanton Tate Street, West Leederville

Please email your letter to letters@postnewspapers.com.au, lodge online at postnewspapers.com.au or snail mail to: The Editor, 276 Onslow Rd, Shenton

All letters must include writer’s full name, address and daytime phone no. for veriﬁcation. Boring letters or those over 300 words will be cut. Deadline: Noon

Aboriginal artist Primus Ugle’s painting of a Noongar encampment at Galup in the 1920s, top, echoes the historic photograph removed from Cambridge council’s website in response to racist comments.

Rail patrons face a hard slog

There is an urgent need to improve accessibility to the North Freo train station from the western side.

The rail patronage from that side of the track comes from the high-rise apartments adjacent to the railway station. However, to get to it requires negotiating a maze of

zig-zag walkways approximating half a kilometre in length. There is no need for strategic plan or further study to correct what is an unnecessarily long approach and sometimes dangerous convergence of cyclists and pedestrians.

Geoff Totterdell Foundry Court, North Fremantle

Dangerous levels of roadwork

I was saddened to read (Bike crash sparks roadworks warning, POST, August 9) that an experienced cyclist has been seriously injured by a poor quality transition on the Victoria Avenue roadworks.

I drove over the exact spot recently and, even at 40kmh in a large car, there was a severe jolt.

My dad, a surveyor, would have termed the repair “rough as guts”.

If there are Main Roads workers in training, the quality of their workmanship should be better overseen.

It is unacceptable to leave such a dangerous height dif-

The sudden change of level that led to a cyclist’s serious injury recently.

ference between the new and old bitumen.

Ratepayers have to decide future

Having served as a councillor during the most crucial turning points of Nedlands’ history, it is with a sad sense of deja vu that I watch current events unfold as the blame game for the disarray that has befallen this beleaguered City continues.

The power to decide the future of the City lies not with the State Government, oor the council; it is in the hands of the ratepayers themselves.

Ratepayers decide who to trust in ensuring the City’s wellbeing. There will always be “not in my back yard” thinkers.

There will always be those who consider a children’s hospice a “commercial venture”.

There will always be lobby groups with narrow, shortsighted agendas who push for their own representatives to be elected on council.

When the City is small, and the turnout at local elections remains

at a shameful 20% or so, it is amazingly easy for this to happen.

When ratepayers fall prey to panic-mongering and wellorchestrated public campaigns, succumbing to hearsay without bothering to separate truth from rumour, we ourselves are to blame for Nedlands’ demise.

When ratepayers insist that short-term decisions based solely on what they want over-rides carefully-thought-out decisions for the City’s long-term future, this is the outcome.

Ratepayers had the power to decide on how the City would handle the inevitable inﬁll demanded by the State; and where it would happen. Ratepayers still have the power to ensure lobby groups would lose their ability to manipulate local elections.

Irene Tan Melvista Avenue, Nedlands • More letters page 30

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Something sticky in Underwood bush

Although my primary aim when wandering in the Underwood bushland is to discover what’s ﬂowering or ﬂying, the need to pull up dastardly gladiolus weeds can’t be ignored.

I had heard years ago that the pink ﬂowering gladiolus was introduced to Kings Park to put colour into the bush. Now it is widespread in bushland areas. That’s the nature of weeds.

The gladiolus has not begun ﬂowering yet and it is possible to slowly pull a plant and with luck the bulb comes out.

It was a rainy day. My hand moved to pull a gladiolus, when suddenly I saw legs. My goodness, there was a stick insect on the gladiolus leaf. I dropped into a puddle to take some photos of this rarely-seen insect.

To get a good photo in the overcast conditions, I was trying very hard to focus on the stickinsect’s eye. It was not until much later, when examining the photos, that I realised I had been focusing on the insect’s bottom, and it was in fact facing downward. What I had perceived to be an eye may have been a raindrop. His front two legs are pointing downwards, slotted tightly around his head, and indeed the legs have an indentation to allow for the shape of the head.

If this is a “Key’s stick-insect”, it was “originally described from Floreat Park” – The Complete Field Guide to Stick and Leaf Insects of Australia; by Paul D.

Brock

nedlands.wa.gov.au

PUBLIC NOTICE

Draft Amended Local Planning Policy 1.3 – Sustainable DesignResidential

The City of Nedlands is seeking comment on draft amendments to Local Planning Policy 1.3 – Sustainable Design - Residential. These amendments introduce a points-based assessment matrix to guide the installation of sustainable initiatives on new residential development. To achieve this, the policy will need to undergo an increase in choice of sustainable initiatives as well as the categorisation of initiatives based on development scale.

The Policy will be open for public comment until 5pm, Friday 26 September 2025.

For more details, and to comment, please visit yourvoice.nedlands.wa.gov.au.

postnewspapers.com.au or snail mail to: The Editor, 276 Onslow Rd, Shenton

6008. cation. Boring letters or those over 300 words will be

Good start towards a fresh start for troubled City of Nedlands

As someone who has strongly objected to a raft of recent inappropriate developments in Nedlands, I also had concerns about whether chief commissioner David Caddy was the right ﬁt.

Attending the ﬁrst special meeting of the commissioners at 5pm on Wednesday July 30 was encouraging.

The meeting was actionoriented, respectful among commissioners and towards the public.

It clearly established boundaries and took a forward-looking approach. Impressively, the meeting concluded by 5.40pm – a possible record.

Now is the moment for us all to draw a line under the past ﬁve years.

The path forward, as I see it, is for the community to elect all “new faces” so the council can have a fresh start in March next year.

I urge those who are serviceoriented, open-minded, adaptable,

conﬁdent in voicing their opinions, and respectful, to seriously consider running for councillor. Many say they are too busy or unfamiliar with council protocols, but we always ﬁnd time for the things we prioritise, and support is available for those willing to learn. Please consider whether you, a family member, neighbour or friend could represent Nedlands independently and work diligently on the council without seeking the spotlight.

It’s not rocket science: Nedlands is a small city council tasked with serving its community through managing rates, roads, rubbish, parks, and other assets.

A cohesive council, working collaboratively with its administration, is much better positioned to deliver positive results for the community it serves.

S.J. Stevens Melvista Avenue, Nedlands

and Jack W. Hasenpusch. Margaret Owen Daglish Street, Wembley POST editorial standards

Copies of the policy can also be viewed at the City’s Administration Building located at 71 Stirling Highway, Nedlands, WA 6009.

Keri Shannon

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Underground rail, and an essential new western suburb high school

Ah, Robert Taylor, I applaud you (What are train passengers looking at, really? Letters, August 9).

Sinking the rail line between Perth and Fremantle would be just the long-term project this prospective long-term Labor government needs.

WA has the only government in the country which isn’t a ﬁnancial drain on the world, so we should build some very important things while we can.

The state government should think in terms of decades or a century, rather than today and tomorrow.

In the same newspaper, I read that Bob Hawke College is already overcrowded with students.

What visionary thought up this school’s capacity?

Surely, when it was built, equating the surrounding area’s number of households in which 40-year-old and younger people head the clan would produce an estimate of how many teenagers would exist in 12 years’ time?

So let’s sink the rail line and reap the beneﬁts of defraying the costs with land sales, especially between south Cottesloe and Leighton. While on it, leave space for another high school because anywhere between Subiaco and Leighton is a pretty attractive place to live and will only get more popular in coming years.

Francis Wright Beach Street, Cottesloe

Verging on the ridiculous

As the owner of a rear strata property I read with interest recent reports about the use of front verges for parking in College Road, Claremont.

I really do not understand why a rear house occupant would need to park on the verge, which is probably maintained and directly in front of the other premises.

I certainly would not unless extenuating circumstances arose, and in that case I would seek permission from the front house owner.

the rear, so why would you assume ownership of the front verge?

The sooner Claremont council reviews this situation the better.

Robert King College Road, Claremont

The POST’s policy is to produce accurate and fair reports, and to correct any verified errors at the earliest opportunity, preferably in the next edition. For details of the policy please visit the editorial standards page at postnewspapers.com.au/feedback-policy/

If you live at the rear, you live at

David Caddy

WINTER SALE

Eagle kicks ks goals for mental health

By LEWIN BEDFORD-BROWN

Redeﬁning strength and masculinity were on the agenda when former West Coast player Brayden Ainsworth urged a change in men’s mental health.

Brayden, who played 15 games at the Eagles, spoke to an enthusiastic crowd at Claremont Football Club last Friday night.

“If I could meet my younger self, I would say strength and success is not what you look like or what you achieve,” he said.

“It’s about who you are.

“It’s both sides of the coin, embracing masculinity and femininity, being stoic, brave and courageous but also able to talk and share things.”

Brayden was the guest speaker at an event which looked at building self-conﬁdence and resilience – something with which he has had his own personal battles.

He said his idolisation of sporting heroes, and the pursuit of perceived perfection while he was playing in the AFL, had led to depression and anorexia nervosa.

“I was a country kid that had a little bit of puppy fat on him and the testing they were doing

– skin folds and that, I couldn’t shake it,” he said.

“You look up to the older boys that were playing, they were my role models and I just wanted to follow in their footsteps.”

His career ended in 2022 after ﬁve seasons at West Coast.

“There was resentment and anger, it was tough and all I wanted to do was get back on the list,” he said.

“I was doing personal training and nutrition speciﬁcally to help me with footy, anything that might help me get back into the system.”

But his pursuit of perfection led to a diagnosis of anorexia.

“It’s easy for a young man to use sports as an excuse –athletes exercise and weigh

“LUXURY MEETS LIFE STYLE”

their foods, which is what I did,” he said.

“It was all towards getting drafted again but I lost 10kg in one eight-week period, I was in the dark.”

Brayden credits his parents for their enduring support and ensuring he received medical treatment, and spoke highly of the AFL players association and its efforts to help players.

Two years on from hospital beds and regular medical appointments, he wants to normalise conversations about masculinity and vulnerability.

“A big lesson for me was how do I want to be remembered – as a kid that played AFL or a kid that had an eating disorder?” he said.

Gina’s top-notch St John’s wards

By BRET CHRISTIAN

Two new hospital suites that feel more like luxury hotel rooms, funded by Gina Rinehart and her medical foundation, have opened at St John of God Hospital Subiaco.

The premium suites are unrivalled in Australia, the hospital says.

Both suites feature a lounge area plus a luxury ensuite, temporary overnight accommodation for family and visitors, and a kitchenette which includes a stocked fridge.

Other hotel features, which emphasise privacy, include video conferencing facilities to allow patients to stay connected, robe and slippers, luxury toiletry package and allocated parking bay.

The suites are most suitable for patients undergoing orthopaedic, gynaecology, urology,

general surgery, or plastic surgery procedures, but not maternity or palliative care.

The introductory cost of $1000 a night, in addition to normal hospital expenses, are not covered by medical insurance.

“Patients are welcome to stay in a suite if it is deemed clinically appropriate by their admitting medical specialist and the hospital,” St John’s says. It expects the suites will attract overseas patients as well as locals.

Brayden Ainsworth in his playing days. Photo: West Coast Eagles

Top shelf … One of the luxury suites at St John of God Subiaco.

A big screen TV is part of the suite.

Poppy gives a hoot about owls

By JACK MADDERN

Mosman Park will become more owl-friendly after being swayed by a 15-year-old activist who persuaded the council to stop using deadly rat poison.

Poppy Mahon argued at the recent council meeting against the Town’s use of second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides.

“I’m constantly hearing about the avoidable deaths of all these non-target animals,” she said.

“This is why I spend my spare time trying to educate people on the dangers of these rat poisons.”

Mosman Park has now stopped using SGARs and encourages residents to do the same.

It will provide residents with two free bags a year of less harmful ﬁrst-generation rodenticides.

SGARs kill their primary targets but are so poisonous that birds, dogs and other wildlife often die from eating dead rodents.

Mosman Park has also committed to educating residents on rodent prevention measures.

“I commend you for taking this step of encouraging people to not use SGARs and for providing information on rodent prevention, on your website,” Poppy said.

“I’m asking you to do more, to go one step further.”

She has asked the council to restrict SGAR sales and spread awareness of their dangers.

It is not her ﬁrst time before a council.

She spoke at a Peppermint Grove meeting last December when president Karen Farley said they supported her message.

Nine local governments are considered owl-friendly with Mosman

Park hoping to make that 10. Regional lobby group Owl Friendly Margaret River Region is concerned that delays in a federal review have allowed SGARs to continue to be sold.

The group’s communications officer, Karen Majer, said: “Poppy is an absolute champion, talking to local governments and talking to Bunnings and doing everything that she can.”

She said delays in an Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority federal review had left rodenticide sales slip into a regulatory grey area.

According to her correspondence with pest control shops, this delay allowed stores like Bunnings to keep selling the products until the federal review told them otherwise.

“It’s been about a ﬁve-year process where it was meant to come out in November, but it didn’t,” Ms Majer said.

“It was meant to come out in May, and it didn’t.

“It was due in July, month, so we’re waiting with bated breath.”

Bunnings merchandise director Cam Rist conﬁrmed that its Claremont and Subiaco stores still sold the rodenticides, but would follow any changes made

DINE IN STYLE

INDOORS AND OUTDOORS

Poppy Mahon and

want the Town to become more owl friendly.

This owl died after eating a poisoned rodent.

by the APVMA review.

They would continue to sell these products but have included educational information on the packages and QR codes in their stores.

Ms Majer said that meant individual operators, community groups and councils had to tackle the issue.

She said rodenticides should be the last resort with other alternatives used to control rodents, including securing bins, maintaining garden hygiene, cleaning pet bowls and avoiding junk piles.

She hoped Claremont and Cottesloe would become owlfriendly and that locals received clarity on how to dispose of discarded rodenticides.

Relief for some addled parkers

Drivers confused by technology in Cambridge will ﬁnd it easier to get off ﬁnes.

Deputy mayor Ben Mayes told councillors that there had been a sharp increase in unsuccessful appeals against parking tickets since the rules changed in November 2024.

People who appealed their parking tickets on the grounds of user error with the EasyPark app or modern parking meters were being knocked back.

Appeals citing user error account for approximately 25% of

all appeals, with many people putting in the wrong licence plate number.

A restrictive deﬁnition of what constituted a medical emergency – which only applied to the driver – was also blamed for failed appeals.

Staff estimated that the Town would miss out on $20,000 a year by loosening the appeal grounds.

A special meeting was held to vote on the matter: seven councillors supported the changes but mayor Gary Mack voted against them.

Mosman Park ranger Rebecca Martin

INSET:

Photo: Paul McGovern

Solid oak and teak furniture

Floorball on a roll, needs space to meet demand

By JACK MADDERN

Thousands of children and adults are taking up ﬂoorball in the western suburbs.

The sport, a type of indoor hockey without the bulky equipment, hard ball and contact, originated in Scandinavia in the 1970s.

It has become so popular here that organisers are running out of space to accommodate everyone who wants to play.

Floorball coach and professional Hanna Adahl began playing when she was seven years old in Sweden. Now, 20 years on, she teaches kids and plays competitively in Perth.

She said that although handeye coordination would be a positive, the sport is really inclusive, which is part of the reason it has gained so much popularity.

“Everyone can get into it, you don’t need to be super athletic and it’s really good ﬁtness,” she said. “Also, you don’t need to turn out in the rain and get wet, it’s always inside.”

Ms Adahl runs holiday clinics for up to 300 people which she said are fully booked within two days, and more venues are needed if the sport is to grow further in Perth … “like schools and sports centres that can let us use their courts”.

Cottesloe mum Cathryn Schultz and her family took up ﬂoorball six years ago.

She credits ﬂoorball’s inclusivity with engaging less-sporty kids and making them feel they have a place in sport.

“We know they drop out of sports in their teen years if they don’t feel that there’s a place for them or a pathway, or they don’t feel included,” she said.

“My eldest, Zach, wasn’t necessarily seen as the most sporty.”

But ﬂoorball gave him the opportunity to show he could do something in sport and now he plays at state level.

Zach and her next eldest went to Singapore last year for an international ﬂoorball competition and both their teams won.

The men’s under-19 Australian ﬂoorball team that ﬁnished 10th at the World Cup in Sweden this year was composed almost entirely of West Australians.

“It’s mostly self-funded with a lot of volunteer hours behind the scenes,” Ms Schultz said.

She hoped to see more funds directed at capitalising on the sport’s growing momentum in Perth.

Excited girls rocking up early in the morning to play floorball at Revolution Sports, coached by floorball pro Hanna Adahl.

Photo: Paul McGovern

Big venues fall short in Subiaco

By LLOYD GORMAN

Subiaco council paid $26,500 to hire a conference centre at Perth Stadium because it could not ﬁnd a suitable venue in the local area.

The second Subiaco Student Leadership Connect seminar drew about 150 students from Shenton College, Bob Hawke College and Perth Modern School at the Burswood stadium last month.

The first seminar last

year was held at the Australian Institute of Management in Floreat.

The event aims to foster and create a valuable network among school leaders and included a Q&A with Subiaco mayor David McMullen.

David McMullen

He said the City was committed to its young people and emerging leaders in the community.

“Optus Stadium was chosen as the venue due to its capacity

and layout.

“I think it also added to the occasion, if you consider these are high school students – they were there for a conference in the Riverview room at Perth Stadium – it seemed like a pretty nice change of scenery

“The workshops themed around resilience conflict resolution, civic responsibility and how student leaders can make contributions to their

community and to the wider Subiaco community

“From what I could see it was a valuable networking opportunity for the students, who were able to meet some of their peers from the other schools and it was a day with a mix of presenters – from City of Subiaco – as well as others.”

Questions for the mayor in the Q&A ranged from how he became mayor to his favourite Taylor Swift song.

Perth Stadium opened in 2017 and replaced Subiaco Oval.

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Can Scott Reef be saved?

The Friends of Lake Claremont will screen the documentary Coral’s Last Stand at its meeting on August 19.

The documentary by WA ﬁlmmaker Jane Hammond follows a dozen marine scientists, conservationists and artists including novelist Tim Winton and musician John Butler as they visit Scott Reef.

The reef is 300km off the northwest coast of Western Australia and described as one of Australia’s most spectacular coral reefs.

It is home to about 1,500 species including endangered turtles, sea snakes and pygmy blue whales.

Woodside plans to drill up to 50 gas wells around Scott Reef, some as close as two kilometres from the reef ecosystem.

The documentary follows activists in their campaign to stop the gas proposal.

Tim Winton has described Scott Reef as the jewel in the crown of WA’s Kimberley coast and one of the last wild places left in this country.

“The world’s coral reefs are in desperate trouble, and Scott Reef is like a sentinel,” he said.

“If we lose Scott Reef, it’ll signal the end for all coral reefs. And when they cook and die, we’ll be left with a poorer, harsher world.

“The idea that your kids, and their kids and their kids’ kids, might never have the chance to see a place like Scott Reef - it disturbs me, it makes me angry. The injustice of it bewilders me.”

A discussion led by Greta Carroll from the Conservation Council of WA will follow the screening.

Night Chats, hosted by the Friends of Lake Claremont, will be on Tuesday August 19 at Claremont Lawn Tennis Club, Shenton Place, Claremont.

Doors open at 5.30pm for refreshments before the 6pm start.

No bookings are required, but a gold coin donation is appreciated. Everyone is welcome.

China’s navy a ‘potent force’

The extent of the Chinese Navy’s present-day blue water capabilities will be discussed at a meeting in Claremont on August 18.

Roy Stall will be guest speaker at the Naval Historical Society, giving a presentation titled “The Chinese Navy - a brief history, followed by current developments”.

A Naval Historical Society spokesman said the Australian defence establishment was taking a keen interest in the

Chinese Navy’s blue water capabilities after three Chinese warships recently circumnavigated Australia.

Roy’s presentation would “give an insight into the development of this potent new force in Australia’s back yard”, he said.

Roy joined the Royal Australian Navy at the age of 16 and served on a variety of ships.

He later taught maritime English to merchant marine cadets in China and Japan, and

taught on two training vessels.

He also taught ships’ engineers in Qinhuangdao and cadets at the Shanghai and Dalian maritime universities.

The NHS will meet at Claremont Tennis Club at 6pm. There is public parking off Davies Road. Entry $5 card or cash.

Scott Reef, pictured in Coral’s Last Stand to be shown in Claremont. Photo: Nush Freedman Photography

Guest speaker Roy Stall, right, and the Chinese Type 054A frigate Hengyang pictured in the Torres Strait in February.

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‘Always looking at the Bigger Picture’

Save the dates for Port to Pub ‘26

Keen swimmers are urged to mark March 21 in their 2026 diaries – the date of next year’s Port to Pub ultradistance swim race.

The other date to circle is November 6 – when registrations open at 8am for the 2026 Port to Pub – which will be the event’s tenth anniversary.

Race organisers said the 19.7km competitive swim from Leighton Beach to Wadjemup (Rottnest Island) would next year include two new race categories: for teams of three, and

teams of 10.

The Teams of 3 category would “bridge the gap” between swimming as a pair or as a member of a bigger team.

The Teams of 10 category is a one-off option in recognition of the event’s 10th anniversary and will be open to ﬁve teams only.

Families, school teams, swim clubs, and other groups that have a fun story or compelling mission to take part are invited to apply to be considered.

The event is expected to host 1,700 swimmers as well as hun-

dreds more as support crew, event staff, volunteers, friends, and family.

The event will beneﬁt Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation for the fourth year.

Port to Pub has raised more than $130,000 in funds so far for Move to Improve, a research program at Perth Children’s Hospital that aims to reconnect kids who have long-term health conditions with physical activity.

For more information go to porttopub.com.au.

Have a blast at Children’s Book Week in Subiaco

Young readers are invited to celebrate 80 years of exciting books for kids at Subiaco Library.

This week, August 15 to 23, will be the eightieth annual Children’s Book Week in Australia, and the library is hosting popular West Australian authors and illustrators at events for readers of all ages.

More than 1000 students are due to take part, learning about the joys of writing and tips and tricks direct from the creators themselves.

Enjoy jungle tales, snacks, a scavenger hunt, games, and crafts at the launch of Kev & Trev 2, the graphic novel by Kylie Howarth, on Saturday August at 10.30am.

to year 4 are invited to a workshop with Sharon Giltrow on Monday August 18. Sharon writes picture books, and

adventure-ﬁlled middle grade books.

Paediatric speech pathologist and author Narelle Wynter will feature at a workshop on Tuesday August 19. Narelle utilises language to help kids pre-primary to year 6 develop their own reading skills. Meet author and illustrator Karen Blair, on Wednesday August 20, and comic creator Campbell Whyte will offer sessions for students Years 2 to 6 on Monday August 25. Students from Subiaco, Rosalie, and Jolimont primary schools, and Bob Hawke College are due to attend Children’s Book Week sessions at Subiaco Library, and the City of Subiaco will offer workshops at Subicare early learning centre and Lords Sessions are free but book-

For more information go to www.subiaco.wa.gov.au/events.

The Subi Sports Massage Steam Team’s national, Commonwealth or Olympic swimmers Travis Nederpelt, left, Bobby Jovanovich, Adam Lucas, Tommaso D’Orsogna, Matt Pupazzoni, and Jim Piper.

Readers of all ages are invited to celebrate Children’s Book Week.

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The fully equipped kitchen with Miele appliances, stone benchtops and an island bench is central to the home and opens to the backyard with secluded and private alfresco dining.

Upstairs are two large bedrooms with built-in robes, a family bathroom and expansive storage. Additional features include a double garage with internal access, fully reticulated gardens and an integrated indoor/outdoor speaker system – all within minutes of Swanbourne Beach, Allen Park, top end schools and village cafés.

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Find books for readers of all ages

There is a wide range of ﬁction and non-ﬁction for sale at this year’s Save the Children Fund winter book sale – including a vast array of titles for children.

A Save the Children book sale volunteer said students from the UWA early learning centre visited every year, each with $5 to spend.

“It is uncanny how many books some of them manage to come away with for their $5,” she said.

The Save The Children Book Sale at University of Western Australia is on now in the undercroft of Winthrop Hall (under the clocktower) at 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley.

It is open from 9am every day, closing at 5pm on Saturday and Sunday, 6pm on Monday and 7pm on Tuesday. It ﬁnishes on Wednesday at 3pm.

A Flash Sale of rare and unusual books will be on Saturday and Sunday from 9am at the Hackett Cafe, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, close to Winthrop Hall.

Timbersaurus in the national spotlight

The East Cottesloe nature trail playground has been recognised as one of the best of the best play spaces for kids in Australia.

Kidsafe Australia named the 350m long playground – which features a wooden play structure nicknamed the timbersaurus – as a winner in its National Playspace Design Awards for 2025.

In addition the charity awarded the nature trail the Leycester Meares Memorial Award.

Leycester Meares was a judge, and also chairman and benefactor of Kidsafe.

Kidsafe NSW Playground Unit

Manager Kim Cooke said the East Cottesloe nature trail created opportunities for children to engage with nature as part of their play.

“Beyond play, the trail offers young cyclists skill learning and development opportunities as an integral component of the park,” Kim said.

“The whole community was heavily involved to create this wonderful all-rounder, including intergenerational play elements.

“It is so refreshing to see different age groups interacting and playing together, a place created for everyone to explore.”

Kidsafe Australia said the awards were to recognise excellence, innovation and inclusivity in playgrounds for children – but most importantly the community’s involvement in

their creation, and their use of sustainable resources.

These inspirational play spaces encouraged kids to take part in healthy recreational activity.

Town of Cottesloe councillors voted in June 2022 to spend $445,000 on the east Cottesloe playground after parents said the playground had been long neglected.

The long, narrow playground is on the Railway Street verge between Albion and Perth streets.

The timbersaurus was so named after the famous purple plastic dinosaur which was there until it was transformed by Nature Based Play, the company awarded the council tender for the work.

Kidsafe Australia is an independent charity which aims to prevent death and serious injury to children aged up to 15 years. For more information about Kidsafe Australia go to kidsafe. com.au.

Step through the front courtyard and into a lightfilled, lowmaintenance homethat’s readyto enjoy from day one.Thisthoughtfully updated townhouse offers awonderful sense of space, comfort and convenience – perfectforfamilies, downsizers or those seeking a stylish lock and leave base.

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The wooden climbing frame AKA the timbersaurus at the East Cottesloe playground.

Tilka Black engrossed in a good book at the Save the Children Book Sale, which is on now.

19 Oban Road, City Beach

Architecturally designed with timeless character and an unmistakable sense of warmth, this bespoke residence delivers luxury, serenity, and soul in equal measure. Set amongst mature tropical gardens on a sprawling 1,244 sqm block, this expansive family home is a true sanctuary-crafted with care, detail, and made for both relaxed living and entertaining.

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Tracy Lee

Selling in Shenton Park, Subiaco & Beyond

tracy@shellabears.com.au 0411 166 001

Andy Nye

Selling in Swanbourne, Dalkeith & Beyond

andy@shellabears.com.au 0450 763 331

Rachel Cann

Selling in Wembley, Floreat & Beyond

rachel@shellabears.com.au 0419 918 929

Nick Holt & Chris Shellabear

The latest on diabetes in pregnancy

Health professionals who treat patients with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) are invited to a symposium at Diabetes WA on Monday evening, August 18.

The symposium brings together a range of experts to discuss GDM screening in Western Australia, its challenges, and the latest research.

GDM is the fastest growing type of diabetes in Australia and the symposium will discuss the need to improve the screening process, the experience for mothers, and the clinical outcomes.

A Diabetes WA spokeswoman said researchers had found that GDM was missed in 62 per cent of women in rural and remote WA, and in half of pregnant women in the UK.

This was due to women declining the test, and delays in getting blood samples to the lab, which

ellinorae jellyfish has two different shapes depending on which area it occurs in. The one pictured has the distinct knob.

could result in a false negative.

Undiagnosed GDM meant that women did not receive support for the condition during pregnancy.

This could have serious outcomes for the baby and increase the baby’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.

Symposium speakers will include leading UK researcher Dr Claire Meek, Associate Professor of Midwifery Dr Zoe Bradﬁeld, and diabetes research fellow Dr Emma Jamieson who works in rural and remote Australia.

The symposium will be 6pm –8.30pm on Monday, August 18 at The Auditorium of Teach Speak Hear, (formerly Telethon Speech and Hearing) at 36 Dodd St, Wembley.

This event is free to attend. To secure your ticket go to trybooking.com and search “Screening for GDM – are we getting it right?”.

The distribution of a deep-sea jellyﬁsh species with two different traits suggests there is a bio-geographic barrier in the North Atlantic Ocean, marine scientists at The University of Western Australia have found.

A variety of jellyﬁsh was found to have two shapes, one with a knob at the top and one without, depending on where it lived.

Dr Javier Montenegro, from UWA’s School of Biological Sciences and the Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre said

Give Australia a spring clean-up

Registrations are now open for The Great Spring Clean Up. Individuals and groups are invited to pick a date in September or October and sign up to rid our streets, parks and waterways of rubbish.

The Great Spring Clean Up is organised by Clean Up Australia – described as Australia’s largest day of environmental action – which is on the ﬁrst Sunday of March each year.

Volunteers will receive a free Clean Up kit containing gloves, bags and other handy resources.

Businesses are asked to pay a small fee for the kits. Clean Up Australia also accepts donations to help fund the kits.

For more information go to cleanup.org.au

Jellyfish knobs puzzle ocean scientists

both types were found in the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions.

“But specimens without a knob have never been found south of the North Atlantic Drift region, which extends from the Grand Banks off Newfoundland eastwards to north-western Europe,” he said.

The study used historical observations, photographic records and genetic analyses to examine the distribution of the jellyﬁsh around the world.

“The differences in shape, despite strong genetic similari-

was a semi-permeable barrier in the North Atlantic Drift region.

“It could keep specimens without a knob conﬁned to the north while allowing the free transit of specimens with a knob further south, with the knob possibly giving a selective advantage against predators outside the

Arctic and sub-Arctic regions,” Dr Montenegro said.

The existence of a semi-permeable biogeographical barrier in the North Atlantic Drift could offer insight into biodiversity patterns, how species evolved, and how they were dispersed across ocean basins.

The study also indicated a need for further study into the biodiversity of gelatinous marine animals, he said.

The study’s ﬁndings were published in the Deep Sea Research journal.

The botrynema brucei

Dr Claire Meek, left, and Dr Zoe Bradfield will present at the Diabetes WA symposium about gestational diabetes.

ESCAPE TO A WORLD OF NATURAL BEAUTY – 64 HA

Escape to a world of natural beauty just one hour from Perth. Myaravale is a truly unique retreat offering complete seclusion, breathtaking landscapes, panoramic valley, city and ocean views and cascading winter waterfalls.

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Expression of Interest

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64 HA

Lightning, new lights pause play

Croquet players braved the wintry weather recently to compete in the Champion of Champions Trophy at Cambridge Croquet Club.

However the club will be closed from mid-August through to midSeptember due to new lights going in at the club’s premises in Floreat.

Stephen Barnes said 14 club champions from clubs across Perth and from regional areas, gathered at Cambridge on August 2 and 3 for the contest.

“They were greeted on the Saturday morning by unpleasant weather – heavy rain and a cold wind,” he said.

But the full day’s play went ahead.

“Players are to be congratulated

for their fortitude,” he said.

“There were many exciting games.”

Stephen said the competitors returned on the Sunday, and the weather was worse.

All matches were started, but not all were completed due to the thunder and lightning.

“With life in danger the decision came to suspend play and then cancel the event,” he said.

Stephen said the club’s members, led by the club captain, put an enormous amount of work into preparing for the event.

“Special mention should go to our catering team,” he said.

Stephen said the new lights

going in at the club premises was a major operation.

The Town of Cambridge was installing a new, modern system to replace the lights that were there when the club moved in 20 years ago.

“Cambridge is fortunate to have four top class lawns now,” he said.

“Our lighting will be the envy of many. The club is proud to be a leader in the playing of croquet and strives to offer our members and visitors the best playing conditions.”

Cambridge Croquet Club is at 49 Chandler Ave West, Floreat.

For more information phone 9287 2476 or email croquetcambridge2@gmail.com.

Get your City to Surf shoes on

People of all ages and abilities are invited to run, walk or roll the 4km or 12km courses.

The 4km course will start at McLean Park in Floreat, on the corner of Ulster Road and The Boulevard, while the 12km course will start on St Georges Terrace in Perth city.

Play will pause while the Town of Cambridge replaces the lights at Cambridge Croquet Club.

nedlands.wa.gov.au

The City of Nedlands advises that during the months August to October 2025, the following sports grounds will be treated to control the turf diseases Rhizoctonia solani & Helminthosporium:

•Allen Park;

•Swanbourne Oval;

•Melvista Park;

•Charles Court Reserve;

•Carrington Park (Dog exercise area only);

•David Cruikshank Reserve; •College Park;

•Mt Claremont Oval; and •Highview Park.

Due to the unpredictable nature of weather conditions, exact dates for spraying cannot be licenced contractors and will be monitored by Health (Pesticides) Regulations 2011, safety signage will used placed on site. The City asks the public not to enter onto the treatment area whilst the signage is clearly displayed. Signage shall remain in place until turf surface has dried, the signs will be removed and the public will be free to safely enter onto treated areas.

City staff, in attendance during and after treatment, will be able to assist the public with any questions they may have.

The product to be applied is a fungicide consisting of the active ingredient:

•500g/kg Penthiopyrad

The applications will be carried out in accordance with the product label as is required by state and federal laws.

Further details may be obtained by contacting: Manager Parks and Environment City of Nedlands

T: 9273 3500

E: council@nedlands.wa.gov.au

W: nedlands.wa.gov.au

Both ﬁnish up at City Beach oval, where the Finish Line Carnival will offer familyfriendly fun to celebrate.

Activ Foundation executive director Kelly Marshall said:

“The Chevron City to Surf for Activ is more than just a race; it’s a celebration of inclusion,

determination and community spirit.

“Every step taken on the course helps create greater opportunities for people living with disability.

“We are incredibly delighted to have the ongoing support of the Town of Cambridge and the thousands of West Aussies who turn out each year to run, walk or roll for a good cause.”

The Activ Foundation was set up in 1951 to serve people with disabilities, their families and carers.

It employs more than 1400 people who support more than 1200 customers in WA.

For more information about the City to Surf, including road closures on the day, visit perthcitytosurf.com.au.

The concerto written by Mozart, aged 11

Exuberant music written by the young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart will feature in a recital at the Callaway Auditorium at UWA on August 30.

Flutissimo is to present a program called “The Exuberance of Youth” featuring the Piano Concerto in G major, which Mozart composed at the age of 11.

It will also feature his Symphony in A major, which he wrote at the age of 17.

The program will include the Symphony in C Major by Mozart contemporary Christian Ernst Graaf.

Bowling

Cambridge Mosman Park

Monday August 4 results: 1st Frank Honey and Mark James; 2nd Andrew Tennant and D. Tennant. 2 game winners Bob Gauntlett and Les Snashall. Plate: Paula Poynter and Cherie Honey.

The Flutissimo recital will be presented by a ninemusician ensemble, joined by special guest artist Chloe Qi on piano.

Admission $40, $35, and $25, which includes a program and afternoon tea.

SUPPORT

LOCAL

Zak Rowntree and Emily Gunson will be part of the ensemble performing works composed by the young Mozart.

The recital starts at 3pm. Book by phoning 9574 1591. Tickets will be available at the door, unless they are sold out in advance. For more information go to ﬂutissimo.com.au.

Wednesday August 6: 1st Mary Ann Hart, Rosemary Goddard and Marilyn Boss +20; 2nd Phil Werrett and Cliff Racey and Dae Miller +7; 3rd Steve Parsons, Gavin Arrow and Geoff Boyd +5.

There were no bowls Friday or Saturday, August 8 and 9, due to bad weather.

Add your name to the list on the board for the meal on August 20.

Hollywood Subiaco

On Tuesday August 5 our two Ladies’ teams played against Innaloo.

Anne Ormsby, Ron Palmer, Kay Martin and Margaret McHugh lost 10/16; Jeannine Millsteed, Lesley Langley, Betsy Tapley and Usha Nigam lost 12/22. Thursday August 7 on 2 Mick Canci, Ray Fells and Milton Byass defeated Ron Palmer, Mike Basford and Jim West 9-5.

On 4 Mark Paterson, Alan Evans, David Allport and Rob Campbell were too strong for Kevin Morgan, John Horsfall, Craig Hirsch and Glen Morey 17-9. Saturday’s bowls and Sunday Scroungers were washed out.

Roll on the warmer, dry weather.

Friday Pairs August 8 played with an enthusiastic group of bowlers who played on despite the wet weather. The winners were Jeff and Damian Adams, and the runners-up were Renate Coote and Jenny Parker. The Winner of Losers (WOL) were John Pallett and Simon Baldwin. Rain on Saturday was not conducive to bowling. Dinner is available on Monday evenings. Bookings can be made at the ofﬁce.

Mahjong is played on Thursdays at 9am. All that is required is social membership of the club. Come and enjoy or learn a great game.

Winter rains continued to interfere with petanque play on Saturday, August 9 when the deluge of rain ﬂooded the pistes. It also greatly reduced training time for the players who have travelled to Perth before they compete in Europe next month. However, the sun shone on Sunday, allowing training sessions to be completed. The club will hold an informal doubles competition this Saturday, August 16. Visitors are welcome on Saturdays and Wednesdays. Consult our website, www.petanquesubiaco.com for details.

Subiaco Pétanque

City to Surf competitors at the City Beach Oval finish.

The Cambridge Croquet Club’s team of volunteer caterers, from left Diane Cook, Jenny Wilmot and Christine Paterson.

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Perth routes surge as airline capacity lags

By Elisha Newell

WA’s domestic air travel demand is surging ahead of national trends, with new figures revealing Perth routes are among the fastest growing in the country despite airlines failing to match capacity with demand.

The latest Domestic Airline Competition report found passenger volumes on Perth-connected major city routes jumped 8.4% in June compared to last year. They were also almost 19% higher than pre-pandemic levels in June 2019.

According to the report, 12 of Australia’s domestic ﬂight routes in June exceeded 2019 passenger levels, including ﬁve routes to and from Perth.

Overall, domestic passenger numbers nationwide have returned to pre-COVID levels, with 4.6 million passengers ﬂying in

June this year – matching June 2019.

The total number of seats supplied by major airlines was still 2.8% lower than before the pandemic, largely due to the 2020 collapse of low-cost carrier Tigerair.

Jetstar has grown its capacity by 15.7% since 2019, and Virgin Australia (3.6%) and Qantas (1%) have posted modest increases.

Regional carrier Rex has cut capacity by more than 21% over the same period.

Average revenue per passenger was 0.8% higher in June 2025 than a year earlier, despite a 12.3% fall in jet fuel prices over the same period.

Perth Airport’s growth has been supported by new services and increased frequencies, with Qantas announcing new routes to Auckland and Johannesburg from December 2025, and Cathay Paciﬁc adding more than 200,000 seats annually to

Silvalis out of the woods as sandalwood quagmire clears

By Tom Zaunmayr

The collapse of Quintis and exit of Santanol have been the big issues in WA’s sandalwood sector during the past ﬁve years.

It has been a torrid time for an industry beset by oversupply due to a managed investment scheme that caused a lot of wood to hit the market at the same time.

But the state’s biggest private grower is debt free, with a harvest-ready resource and a new name.

Silvalis is the rebranded entity to emerge from the 25-year-old WA Sandalwood Plantations business.

The company manages 15,000 hectares of plantation sandalwood for a mix of institutional, sophisticated and high-net-worth investors.

Silvalis’s income is partially tied to performance rights and equity in some of those projects.

The ﬁrst crops planted in the early 2000s have reached maturity, resulting in an expected harvest of

about 1400 tonnes this year.

That is double the 202324 harvest and triple that of 2022-23.

Silvalis managing director Keith Drage said it had been a patient journey for investors whose crops went in the ground about two decades ago.

Hong Kong from October.

Virgin Australia has also launched direct ﬂights from Perth to Doha in partnership with Qatar Airways.

Virgin Australia’s return to the ASX in June was highlighted as a milestone for competition in the domestic market.

Rex remains in voluntary administration, with the government guaranteeing regional bookings and offering further support to maintain its network.

Revo could get to 350 clubs

By Elisha Newell

Revo Fitness could grow to 350 gyms across the country, according to founder and managing director Andrew Holder.

The booming gym chain started in a corner of his family’s Shenton Park sport centre but opened its 66th facility this week.

Speaking at Business News’ Success and Leadership breakfast at Crown, Mr Holder predicted substantial growth in the coming years after spending the early part of his career building the foundation of the business.

“I think the beauty of Revo is that there’s been no ceiling on what we could achieve,” he said.

“In terms of what I believe what we can achieve? We are well on track for 100 locations by 2027.

“We are in a good place now because we are starting to harvest regularly, which improves cash ﬂow,” he said.

“Now we are harvesting there is a fee for harvesting, a fee for processing,

a commission for sale; so, cash ﬂow to our company has obviously improved.

“And there aren’t any more trees going in the ground at the moment. Noone is planting.”

“If you look at the scale we’ve currently got in Western Australia, we’ve got 33 locations here in a three million person state.

“You’ve got eight million people in Victoria and we’ve got 18 locations there. You’ve got nine million people in NSW and we’ve got three locations there.

“There’s no reason why we can’t get to that 300-350 club mark.

with senior

editor Mark Pownall to encourage all levels of government to provide incentives to the health and ﬁtness industry, including health and ﬁtness tax deductions.

“I think there’s a great opportunity in terms of our government to be able to assist,” he said.

“One of the stats which was really damning for us to even share is the fact that we need [to build] 375 beds per month for 15 years to keep up with the need in our hospital system.

“There’s no way our infrastructure can be able to keep up with that.

“Rather than being reactive, how can we be proactive?

“We tax the things we don’t like [such as] cigarettes and alcohol, so why don’t we incentivise the things we actually want to change?

“Whether that’s health and fitness wellness being tax deductible [or] whether private health insurance includes us in extras.”

“My mentality was that I want to be here for a good time and a long time.”

Mr Holder used his wide-ranging interview

Advertising in the POST works.

It’s great being part of the POST and we all love it but at the end of the day, we’re in business and we have to make a profit. And one of the things we’ve always felt about the POST is that we’ve got a great return on our investment, with the advertising space we use in the paper each week.

Fred Fairthorne

If you need to advertise, the POST delivers. Every week, ads in the POST target over 112,000 keen, engaged locals. See for yourself why more people & businesses advertise with us.

Perth Airport passenger numbers have returned to pre-COVID levels.

Business News senior editor Mark Pownall interviews Revo Fitness founder and managing director Andrew Holder. Photo: Matt Jelonek

Silvalis managing director Keith Drage.

Photo: Tom Zaunmayr

Laugh your socks off at Comedy Week

Subiaco is the place to have a good laugh next week.

WA Comedy Week, which runs from August 18 to 23, centres on Subiaco Arts Centre, Bark Subiaco and Lum’s Wine Bar, with the sharpest, funniest and most original voices in the state doing stand-up, improv, theatre and variety.

Kicking off the festival, Dave Hughes and Tori Grifﬁths delve into a brutally honest hour of standup as they dive deep into the chaos of parenting from the dad’s perspective in Where’s Mum?!

Next Saturday, Joel Creasey and his bestie Janelle Koenig will get together at Subi Arts Centre for an afternoon of gossip, chatting about everything from

celebrity encounters to behind-the-scenes television fails, Eurovision and Mardi Gras, followed by an Improv show for Dungeons and Dragons fans, ending the evening with the undisputed AllStars of comedy.

Discover new comedy talents in the Fresh Comedy Showcase at Bark, or get a dose of culture with Bogan Shakespeare’s Macbeth – aka Macca from the local cricket club.

Lums celebrates Girl Power with an hour of sharp wit and big laughs from some of WA’s funniest women, and Home But Away brings home Perth comedy stalwarts Ian Burke and David Callan. For a full line-up of events, and to book tickets, go to wacomedyweek.com.

The end is just the beginning

It’s no surprise to learn that The Life of Chuck is based on a novella by Stephen King: it is about the end of the world and the inevitability of death.

Adapted by Mike Flanagan, who has adapted three other King works, it is also a twee and vaguely irritating sci-ﬁ entertainment that wants you to think it’s way more profound than it actually is.

Like the three-part

story, it unfolds in reverse chronology starting with Act 3, which also happens to be the end of the world and the ﬁlm’s most interesting section.

A large chunk of California has dropped into the ocean in an earthquake, there are wars and cataclysms world over, and the internet is dead again –maybe for the last time.

The story centres on Marty (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a soulful schoolteacher who has his students read Walt Whitman aloud as the world incrementally comes apart at the seams.

He still ﬁnds meaningful

connections (with Matthew Lillard, Carl Lumbly, Karen Gillan) as everything starts to disconnect – and he is especially curious about a billboard that seems to be popping up everywhere, thanking a guy named Chuck (Tom Hiddleston) for “39 great years”.

Who is Chuck? No one knows until Act 2, in which we discover he is an accountant, whose life and background is narrated by Nick Offerman and who participates in one of the ﬁlm’s highlights – an impromptu dance sequence with a young

woman (Annalise Basso) to the beats of a streetside drummer (Taylor Gordon). Act 1 throws right back to Chuck’s childhood, explaining his relationship with his grandparents (Mark Hamill, Mia Sara), how he came to love dance, and ties up the story’s metaphysical mysteries in a neat and literal-minded bow.

There are some big ideas. But rather than evoking the magic and gravitas to which it aspires, Flanagan’s ﬁlm is an emotionally distancing homily that swings ambitiously at the meaning of life, and misses.

■ Comedy headliners Joel Creasey and his bestie Janelle Koenig at Subiaco Arts Centre.

The Life of Chuck (M) ✪ ✪ ✪ REVIEW: PIER LEACH

■ Who is Chuck? Tom Hiddlestone plays the unknown accountant dancing in the streets with an unknown woman (Annalise Basso).

Long journey began with a single shoe

SARAH McNEILL

Cottesloe-born writer

Andrew Bovell said his play Speaking in Tongues came from two particular moments.

He was driving home late one night and saw a wom-

kind of shoe,” Andrew recalled. “A heeled shoe that a woman wears out and I wondered how she lost just one. And where was she?”

That was the seed for the dark mystery noir of the work that begins with

The second thing?

Andrew grins: “My wife said ‘Learn to dance with me by the time you’re 40 or I’ll leave you.’”

He did learn to tango with his wife, but he also learned the craft of weaving the lives of nine people into an intricately choreographed play in which dance becomes the metaphor for couples coming together and splitting apart.

“I see things in patterns,” Andrew said. “I don’t play an instrument, but when I’m writing I feel like a composer. I feel like my characters are instruments and I can tune this one up a bit, make that one a bit louder, make those two sing together …

“I’m not just interested in telling a story, but in how I tell the story. It’s all about structure, pattern

and repetition. Speaking in Tongues was the culmination of those ideas.”

He wrote Speaking in Tongues in 1996, and it is now regarded as a modern classic.

“What makes a classic is a bit of a mystery,” Andrew said, “but I wanted to push the boundaries of what a play could be. And it continues to speak to new generations.”

For its latest production by Black Swan Theatre

Company, Andrew said that he and director Humphrey Bower had considered updating the 90s play, “but as soon as I started to unpick it, the whole play fell apart”.

He adapted it into the ﬁlm Lantana in 2001.

“I feel freer and take more risks in theatre,” said Andrew, who is currently adapting Liane Moriarty’s new novel Here One Moment into a TV series.

“Film and television are a

more conventional style of writing and demand playing by the rules, but I can write more unusual pieces for theatre. Theatre is more inventive.”

With Humphrey at the helm, the Black Swan production features Alexandria Steffensen, Catherine Moore, Matt Edgerton and Luke Hewitt.

■ It performs at State Theatre Centre from August 23 to September 14.

Crafty twist to an old concept

The dispute-settling hand game Rock, Paper, Scissors has been transformed into a celebration of handcrafted art.

Cabernet’s best in show

In 2004 WA shocked the international wine community by winning a signiﬁcant number of cabernet sauvignon awards at the UK-based International Wine Challenge, one of the world’s most respected and largest wine shows.

WA did not match that again for some years, but since 2020 it’s back.

In Australia, WA has won 55 of the 73 capital city wine show cabernet trophies since 2014 – 75% of the accolades for a state that produces around 2.5% of Australia’s red bordeaux varietals.

Internationally, the quality of WA’s cabernet sauvignon is even more compelling.

The Decanter World Wine Awards typically attract more than 18,000 entries, of which over 1000 are cabernet dominant. The world’s great international cabernet producing regions enter this show, hoping for glory.

I am in my late 30s. When I was a boy, I was abused by an older cousin. When I was a teenager, a man enticed me with sex. Since then, though I was raised in a Christian family, I developed an interest in men.

My father is a church deacon and the Bible condemns homosexuality. I’m still interested in women and am married with one daughter. But I am still attracted to men.

I have tried my best to get away from this,

ON THE grapevine

By john jens

palates in classes of 10. Instead of individual trophies, the awards give 50 of the highest pointed wines, across thousands of varieties from 60 countries, the title of Best in Show. Typically, only two or three go to cabernets.

Margaret River has gained five of 10 Best in Show Awards given to cabernet or cabernet

dominant wines between 2022 and this year.

Deep Woods Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 won Best in Show in 2022.

The following year, Evans & Tate Redbrook Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 and Domaine Naturalist Rebus Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 won.

In 2024, Fermoy Estate’s Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon received the accolade. And this year Xanadu Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 won one of the three Best in Show titles awarded to cabernets.

If you can find any of these five, grab them, and see why international judges have rated them so highly.

Paper, Scissors, Rock – and Wood pushes the boundaries of traditional craftsmanship with the intricate fragility of paper-crafted works, the precision and sturdiness of metal and stone, and the tactile warmth of wood.

The sculptural exhibition brings together artists Gary Casey, a sculptor known for his dynamic and complex metal pieces, David Jay Reed, a master of paper sculpture, and Ernst Schneider who fuses the natural elements of wood and stone with contemporary aesthetics.

Paper, Scissors, Rock –and Wood is showing in Westralia Square’s foyer on St Georges Terrace, weekdays from this Monday, August 18, to Friday September 5.

At a launch this Sunday, from 1.30pm, Art Gallery of WA director Colin Walker will give an overview of the exhibition and its themes.

but can’t. My life is miserable, and I will not get into heaven. I feel too shameful to speak to someone. Please, what can I do? Gil

Gil, that is what sexual abuse does to people. It catches them in a maelstrom of emotion. Fear, guilt, anger, denial, blame and self-loathing circle

round and round and paralyse the ability to think. Deep down they sense it wasn’t their fault, but they cannot plot a course out of the typhoon of emotion. If you could see this experience from a “God’seye” point of view, you would know you are not alone. Do you think an omniscient being doesn’t see your hurt? Do you think an omniscient being doesn’t know it wasn’t your fault? Like all good people, you take on the blame a bad person would reject. That you would think the evil was in you

shows you are a good person.

Being willing to share your experience with us is the ﬁrst step to lifting this burden off your shoulders. There are many good therapists out there, and you need the healing they can provide. It will be helpful if you can put religious questions aside for the moment, and let your therapist explain the normal reactions of a boy who has been abused.

Wayne & Tamara

Multiseed Loaf

Fresh Bread, Rolls, Cakes, Hot Pies, Doughnuts, Tarts, Coffee and more.

■ Dance is a metaphor for coming together and breaking apart in Speaking in Tongues.

■ The Pirate Hunters: Artist David Jay Reed recycles paper into adventurous works of art.

■ balcony with ocean views.

Set to ‘outlast the Pyramids’

Hawkstone Street is one of those little-known streets that ﬂies under the radar in Cottesloe. It is regarded as poorer cousin to the likes of Margaret Street and Ozone Parade, but locals who are lucky enough to live there know how special it is.

The western end is seen as the holy grail because it is near Grant Marine Park where a path winds its way through the dunes to the beachfront.

The most sought-after property in the street is No.2 because it adjoins the park, and it sold in April for $12million.

for sale which Dale Alcock built for his own family in 2000.

It was constructed to a high standard, according to the current owners, who are serial renovators.

“The quality of the build and structural integrity is what you would expect from the big boss’s house,” they said.

The house was in good

“When you have a builder with 30 years of experience and a career creative professional working together, we would be mad not to renovate,” they said.

“We spent three years living in the home to ﬁgure out exactly how the family utilised the built environment both daily and seasonally, informing the design to give the home the best renovation

They worked with architecture and design company Studio Roam to ﬁnesse the design details.

“It was a wonderful structure to work with; over-engineering pays dividends over the lifetime of a building,” they said. “This home will outlast the Pyramids.”

The pool is cleverly located at the front of the 591sq.m site to take advantage of the northern aspect.

The open-plan living area on the ground ﬂoor also faces north, ensuring light throughout the year.

“We love the way the pool and barbecue area is so close to the main living area,” the owners said.

“Our kids are older now, but being within ear and eye-shot of them enjoying the pool while cooking or entertaining is priceless.”

Initially, the house was being sold as private treaty, but agent Candie Italiano switched to auction because there was so much interest.

“I already have seven registered bidders,” Ms Italiano said on Monday.

$2.15million WEMBLEY DOWNS

25 Stockdale Crescent

The pool was among the many features of this four-bedroom and two-bathroom home on 814sq.m.

AGENT: Matt McWaters, Harcourts Empire.

$3.24millon MOSMAN PARK

1 Bay View Terrace

The Sheraton carpet was a standout in this home bought by Bo Wang, a property development company director.

AGENT: Jody Fewster, Ray White Cottesloe Mosman Park.

$4.45million MT CLAREMONT

5A Mayfair Street

A location opposite Cottesloe golf course was attractive to the buyers of this new house on 590sq.m.

AGENT: Tim Caporn, Ray White Cottesloe Mosman Park.

$4.775million DALKEITH

47 Browne Avenue

The seller of this ﬁve-bedroom and four-bathroom manorstyle home was an anaesthetist with multiple properties.

AGENT: David Azzopardi, Kempton Azzopardi.

■ The location, three doors from Grant Marine Park, is highly sought-after.

POST Property writer Julie Bailey would like to hear your real estate news. Email julie@postnewspapers.com.au or follow Instagram@juliebailey_property

■ Offers were due to close on August 20 for 21 Branksome Gardens, City Beach, but it was snapped up beforehand.

Quick upgrade in Branksome Gardens

After six days on the market, a southCity Beach house advertised for around $6million has sold for a touch under that. On average, it takes 13 days to sell a house in Perth, according to the latest REIWA figures. The 4x3 at 21 Branksome Gardens went to a family in the same pocket between West Coast Highway and the ocean. “They were looking to upgrade,” agent Scott Swingler said. The 2012 home is on an elevated 900sq.m site with panoramic ocean views.

Two-level Claremont Oval apartment

This is expected to be a bumper weekend for auctions, with five local properties up for grabs on Saturday,

spreads over two floors, with the bedrooms upstairs and the living areas downstairs. Property records show the 3x2 sold off-the-plan in 2018 for $1.47million. Phone Adrian Loh, of Ray White Dalkeith Claremont, on 0411 019 185.

Industrial design, literary links

“We needed the bucks!” artist Rodney Glick said about the tilting Clock Tower he created at the entrance to Subiaco train station.

“Well, not exactly starving in the garret, more like driving aimlessly in our utes,” he said in an interview with Subiaco council. Rodney and fellow artists Kevin Draper and Marco Marcon made the piece in the 1990s just as public art was taking off in Perth. Rodney’s art turn heads, and so did his former home in Leederville, which is up for sale. Glick House is in Tennyson Street, named after English poet laureate Alfred, Lord Tennyson, according to Vincent council’s heritage register. The industrial-style house was designed by architects Geoff Warn and Jane Wetherall, along with Rodney’s late father, Graham, who was an engineer. Next to the house is a separate space called Cube2 which could be used as a workshop, studio or yoga space. The five-bedroom and two-bathroom property occupies a 480sq.m site within easy walking

■ This will be your view if you buy a Claremont apartment at auction this Saturday

Roofer fined over excessive deposit

A Floreat homeowner was left out-of-pocket after paying an excessive deposit for roofing work that was never completed. The roofing company and director have been fined $22,500 for operating without a building registration and accepting the deposit, which was almost four times the legal limit. Following prosecution by Building and Energy, Carl Phillips, the sole director of Kelmscott-based Phillips Roof & Gutter Solutions Pty Ltd, entered written guilty pleas to two offences under WA’s building laws. Perth Magistrates Court was told the work was valued at $27,445 and required a building permit, meaning it had to be carried out by a registered building contractor. Mr Phillips and his company did not hold that registration. The business also sought a $6861 deposit – almost four times the 6.5% maximum allowed before home building work valued at more than $7500 begins. At sentencing on

■ A stainless-steel plunge pool is the perfect addition to the 1999 home designed for artist Rodney Glick.

July 11, the company was fined $17,500 and ordered to pay costs of $647.15. Building Commissioner Peter Stewart advised homeowners to avoid large deposits and check their building service provider’s registration online or through the ServiceWA app.

Interest from far and wide

weekend. Four bidders were among the crowd of about 60 people at the auction of 18 Lisle Street. “I had people from the northern suburbs and Mt Lawley who wanted to be closer to schools like John XXIII College, Scotch College and Christ Church Grammar School,” agent Michael Mort, of CY Property said. Bidding opened at $2.5million, and eight bids later, the 1012sq.m property was passed

■ It was close but no cigar for 18 Lisle Street, Mt Claremont, which was passed in for $2.95million.

Hark back to the Empire Games

When the owners decided they needed more room in their 1962 Empire Games Village house, they kept some of the original bones rather than demolish the entire house.

Many of these modernist

houses, including this one for sale, were built around Beecroft Park which was seen as the “spine” for the Games Village.

Little had been done to the house when they bought it almost 30 years ago.

They commissioned designer Bill Loader and builder Peter Bell to renovate and extend the single-storey house, on a 1244sq.m site.

“Our brief was we wanted our home to look and feel like it had always been there,” the owners said.

“Lighting was important to us from the beginning, so we went for many uplights to feature the beautiful corbelling details at night.”

Their love of Bali is evident throughout the home

FLOREAT

28 Lifford Road

Offers by September 2

This home opposite Roscommon Nature Reserve is evidence of the 1960s trend away from tradition to innovation

The 1963 house has raked, angled ceilings and room dividers which were often used in midcentury homes.

It has been updated over the years with a modern kitchen, bathrooms, laundry, pool and alfresco area.

The main bedroom has a retreatlike feel, thanks to an upholstered seat that looks out to the pool.

Agent Olivia Ruello said there was plenty of room for growing families to spread out because the 4x3 was on a big, 933sq.m site.

which has teak doors, a bath that looks out to lush plants and a resort-style pool area.

“We first travelled to Bali in 1974 when there were no roads or electricity,” they said.

“It was a magical place that took our hearts.

“It brings us great joy and inspiration, and this is shown throughout our home.”

They imported a container from Bali with rare teak doors, materials and objets d’art for their home, which is their sanctuary in suburbia.

“This house has brought us great joy both in the designing of it, living in it and loving it,” they said.

“For us, it is a true sanctuary.”

The kitchen and main living area are at the front of the house to capture the

■ Why join a gym when you can exercise at home for free?

view of Beecroft Park.

Travertine tiles, timber features and stone benchtops create an earthy and grounded feel.

All four bedrooms at the back of the house look out to the pool or the tropicalstyle garden.

Being opposite the park has been a godsend for their family.

The off-leash park is described as a welcoming space for furry friends and their owners on the DogPack app.

Things you will love

The large park has picnic tables, a basketball backboard, drinking fountain and trees to climb.

CONTACT: Christopher Dee 0413 122

27 Davies Road

Auction August 23, noon

If only we could turn back the clock to 1970 when this character home sold for $37,000.

Agent Thomas Wedge said a Kimberley couple bought it after they moved down to the big smoke to raise their family.

“It has been in their family for 55 years,” Mr Wedge said.

“They added the kids’ room in the 1970s and the back extension in the 1980s.”

The four-bedroom and onebathroom house with a Category 3 heritage listing is ripe for another renovation.

It is on 809sq.m within easy walking distance of the local pool, golf course and walking trails around Lake Claremont.

■ Live the resort lifestyle in the pool area which has a hammock, palms and terraced gardens.

Opposite Beecroft Park Walk to Empire Village Big bedrooms

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SASH IN A FLASH

Knives out for

• From page 3

Others in the group said they were disgusted that someone would damage their signs.

“A shame to have racist knuckle draggers in our midst,” a person said.

However, some locals are still vocal in their objection to the name change.

One local said he had lived in the area for 60 years and would continue to call it Lake Monger.

Racist comments on a recent Cambridge Library online post forced staff to remove a picture of a Noongar family at Galup in 1923.

Mayor Gary Mack said the Town would not tolerate discrimination.

The area around Galup had one of the highest percentage of Yes

Galup

votes in the 2023 Voice referendum, with the local polling places in the top ﬁve Yes vote locales.

The West Leederville polling place voted 64% Yes while 62% voted Yes at Wembley Central. A Walk for Reconciliation that was originally planned for June 3, but postponed due to bad weather, is now planned for October 30. There will be speeches, songs and activities for children, followed by walks of different distances.

The walk would include stories about the history and signiﬁcance of Galup, a spokesperson for Reconciliation WA said.

“Powerful stories will be shared, including those about restoring the area’s Whadjuk Noongar name,” she said.

Ronald McDonald mould

• From page 9

the injuries, loss and damages [they] were caused or contributed to by [his] failure to take reasonable care for his own safety or own negligence”.

The charity was entitled to contractural indemnity from Doric Contractors, Ms Moore said.

Home Away From Home Inc and Doric Contractors signed a construction contract in May 2014 for the building that was opened by then premier Colin Barnett in December 2015.

The Monash Avenue facility and Doric won the Master Builders award for Best Multi-Unit Development over $20million in 2016.

“Doric constructed RM House in such a manner that caused waterprooﬁng issues and elevated mould levels in some rooms [defects],” Ms Moore told the court.

Doric also “failed to take effective action to rectify the defects” such as the mould, identiﬁed by an Airborne Building Solutions report given to them.

The defects were the result of a breach of the contractor’s warranties, Mr Moore said.

A mediation conference in the matter is due to take place on October 15.

Ruth Marchant James dies

Ruth Marchant James, the historian who chronicled the history of Cottesloe in two publication, died peacefully on August 6 after a short illness. She was 95.

Her ﬁrst detailed history, A Heritage of Pines, brought the early days of Cottesloe to another generation.

Her more up-to-date 410 page volume Cottesloe: A Town of

Distinction, published in 2007, was illustrated with lavish photographs from the Town’s foundation in the 1880s to the publication date.

The Cottesloe born-and-bred writer also published a number of other histories.

Her funeral will be held at 2.30pm on Monday, August 18 at Pinnaroo

Commissioner Caddy gets it wrong

progressed to the draft scheme stage before it was dropped in favour of completing a new TPS.

In 2015, the Government released Perth and Peel @ 3.5 Million, which set population targets for all metropolitan local governments. Nedlands prepared a long-range Local Planning Strategy as part of the new TPS that identiﬁed enough zoned land to meet its target and was endorsed by the WA Planning

Rubbish converter is garbage

• From page 5

they refused to pay and took the dispute to the Supreme Court.

The court ruled in favour of the WMRC in August 2018, a decision DiCom appealed and lost (Lawyers trash out issues, POST, February 2 2019).

At its July 31 meeting the WMRC voted to use a design team to develop a concept

redevelopment plan for the Brockway Transfer Station, including the area currently occupied by the DiCom plant.

In a statement the WMRC said it would now focus on “future-ready infrastructure that supports the evolving needs of its communities and delivering long-term value for ratepayers”.

DiCom director Damien Flugge was contacted for comment.

Commission in 2017. It was only when Government insisted on drastically increased medium and high densities that the council declined to sign off the new scheme. Government then pulled rank and finalised the TPS, which was gazetted in 2019. The council was concerned about over-zoning of density and its potential negative impacts. In hindsight, its hesitation was justified. Since gazettal of the current TPS there has been conflict with existing residents, significant loss of tree cover and minimal re-development along Stirling Highway.

I respectfully suggest chief commissioner Caddy should focus on correcting the deﬁciencies in the current TPS, which is already beyond its

review period.

Doomed tuart

March, the POST reported that an expert, retired botany professor Kingsley Dixon, estimated it to be 400 years old, and that Ms Zorzi thought “it could not be older than 70 years”.

Ms Zorzi took the Town of Cambridge to the State Administrative Tribunal in a successful effort to overturn a stop work order on the felling of the tuart.

The Town has paid $14,815.68 to lawyers McLeods over the matter.

Senior SAT member Stephen Willey’s ruling allowed Ms Zorzi to continue felling the tree, and slammed the council for not doing more to protect it.

He said the signiﬁcance of trees arose from the contribution they made to “the character and amenity of the locality and its sense of place”.

The tuart was a signiﬁcant and prominent tree, he said.

“It is, plainly, a large, mature tree standing more than 12 metres in height, with, until recently, a thick trunk and a broad canopy, which spread well beyond the boundaries of the Land,” Dr Willey said.

There was no mention in Dr Willey’s ruling of the age of the tree.

The Town’s tree retention policy came into effect after Ms Zorzi’s house was approved in September, seven months after she bought the block for $2.725million.

Plans show a six-bedroom, ﬁve-bathroom house with seven toilets, a library, six-car garage and swimming pool – and a small tree in the back yard to replace the existing tuart.

How Toby saved lives

• From page 1

He reached in, cutting himself on broken glass, and pulled one of the passengers out.

Another passenger crawled through the broken window.

A third passenger opened the emergency door on the other side of the cabin, and he and his wife escaped through that.

Toby’s father Martin and family friend Geoffrey Gilmore and Margie Tannock were aboard a boat nearby, and also responded to the tragedy.

Geoffrey was also awarded a Gold Medallion for Exceptional Bravery for his efforts to save the passengers.

least 6m, with a trunk circumference of 1m or more.

The Department of Environment and Conservation said 65% of tuart woodland had been cleared since European settlement.

Squatters

• From page 1

“[Jeremy and Rachel] have been peaceful neighbours since they occupied the property,” they said.

“The property has been cared for and the garden looked after.”

There had been previous “scary situations” caused by undesirables who had got inside the house.

“If after evicting the current occupants, does (Ms Watson) intend to let the property languish yet again?” they said.

“Ms Watson is not the victim here.”

The present occupants – who did not respond to attempts to contact them – carried out repair works and renovated the house but also dumped some of the furniture that was inside.

The POST travelled to a regional city to show Ms Watson, 81, the paper’s report about her house.

Editor Bret Christian said Ms Watson presented as ﬁt, alert and sharp-witted. He said she readily answered many questions he asked about her own situation.

She conﬁrmed her nephew’s account that the couple had moved into her house without permission, and that she did not want them there.

She said she did not know them, had not met them and had no rental or other agreement for them to stay in her house.

She did not know how Rachel had obtained her Post Ofﬁce box number to write to her offering to buy her house.

The Town’s policy for tree retention on private property does not mention a tree’s age: it applies to trees that are 8m or higher, with a canopy of at

“Its associated vegetation provide important biological and ecological values, and key habitats for many animal and fungal species,” the department said.

Tuarts are the largest tree on the Swan Coastal plain and can reach 30m in 30 years and eventually grow to 40m. • From page 5

“Both Mr Gilmore and Mr Webster displayed exceptional bravery, with little regard for their own safety, as they rendered assistance,” the citation reads.

“Arriving quickly on the scene, without hesitation, each individual made the brave decision to enter the water, despite the rough conditions and the danger of debris from the crash.”

Martin and Margie helped the injured passengers and took them to shore.

The pilot and two passengers were fatally injured, according to the preliminary Australian Transport Safety Bureau report.

Police said Toby continued his

High-rise under scrutiny

and frameworks”.

It will also investigate the “integrity and probity” of high-proﬁle projects, including Adrian Fini’s contentious resort development at Smith’s Beach.

Shadow Planning Minister Neil Thomson, who will chair the select committee, told Parliament on Wednesday that the public had lost trust in the planning system because the Government had broken the “underlying contract” that local communities get a say.

The Cook government has progressively stripped planning powers from local councils, handing them to bureaucrats who have consistently approved projects that far exceed height and bulk limits in local planning schemes.

“There has been an erosion of the role of that strategic framework,” Mr Thomson said.

Labor MLC Katrina Stratton embraced the Government’s

planning changes, telling Parliament that local councils had “stiﬂed developments” and exacerbated the housing crisis.

Ms Stratton, the former MP for Nedlands, said the WA Planning Commission had “greater discretion” when council planning schemes were “out of date”.

“In the past, this was another way in which local governments stifled developments, by not doing any of the basic work on underlying planning frameworks,” she said.

“We have guaranteed that decision-making is guided by qualiﬁed professionals who have genuine expertise in planning, rather than elected ofﬁcials.

“We see that the Liberals and Greens in WA are now banding together to undo these nationleading reforms.”

Planning Minister John Carey, who has regularly lashed out at “NIMBY” councils, called the inquiry a “harebrained idea” last week.

“The WA Liberal Party now stands for more red tape and fewer homes,” he said.

Greens leader Brad Pettitt, who will be the committee’s deputy chair, accused the Government of “vacating the planning space” to developers.

“That is why it is delivering some of the worst urban form in the world,” he told Parliament on Wednesday.

“It is treeless; it is not connected; and it is a long way from public transport.

“It is very expensive to deliver and now it is some of the least affordable.”

Labor MLCs Dan Caddy and Lauren Cayoun will represent the Government on the committee.

Mr Caddy is the son of David Caddy, the former WA Planning Commission chairman who is now chief commissioner of Nedlands council.

The committee will report in 12 months.

efforts to help them, until he was told that rescue was impossible.

“In a situation like this, there’s no time to stop and think. You rely on instinct, and you do whatever it takes in that moment,” Toby said.

“I’m just grateful I was in a position to help.”

The modest hero does not like to talk about the events of that day, which have not affected his love of boats and ﬂying.

He is working steadily on completing his ﬂying hours and mucking about in boats.

River views at risk

• From page 7

But if his neighbour, Claremont plastic surgeon Pedram Imani, wins approval to build a large house at 31 Saunders Street, he said his views of nature, dolphins and kayakers would be replaced with 15m of wall.

“There are lots of things to object to,” Mr Douglas said.

“It’s over-height, overwidth, front has no setback, so on and so on.”

Mr Douglas had several days to respond to the original development application and hired a planner to draft a response.

“This guy [Mr Imani] refused to give us an extension, so we had literally 72 hours to put in a 22-page report,” he said.

Dr Imani’s plans reveal an expansive development from Saunders Street down to the river.

The plans include 13 toilets. Mr Douglas said previous plans had 14.

Mr Douglas said his main concern was that the building’s proposed height was over the limit set by the Town and would cut into the rest of the street’s river views.

Mr Argyle had also hired a planner to contest the plans.

“We are objecting to everything,” Mr Douglas said.

“What they have done is they have pushed forward plans. And it’s not just me and Gavin: it’s the people across the road who obect too.”

Mr Douglas hopes the plans he is contesting will be required to comply with local rules and not appealed to bodies such as the State Administrative Tribunal.

The POST could not contact Dr Imani.

Cambridge’s tree protection policy came into effect too late to save this City Beach tuart.

WACA election season no laughing matter

THE Sporting

Test players are rushing back to the WACA, but not to bat or bowl.

It is election season at WA cricket headquarters and at least one more former Test player has put his name up for consideration.

John Inverarity and Brad Hogg are already there. They have been on the board for several years and are eager to keep their innings going.

They know the WACA faces some tricky days ahead, even as the $200million ground redevelopment nears completion, the superﬂuous WACA pool is about to open its doors to its trickle of customers and a blockbuster Ashes series is set to swell the coffers and break Test attendance records.

That is all happening while the state government is preparing to strong-arm the WACA into housing rugby league newcomers Perth Bears as a condition of its most recent $15million bailout to complete the ground reﬁt.

Now that is not such an unusual concept.

The WACA has long sought a second sport at the ground to ensure all-year income.

It hosted West Coast and then Fremantle for several games a winter last century – remember the remarkable home-ground

advantage the Eagles were gifted in two home ﬁnals at the WACA in 1994 on their stroll to that year’s premiership? – before that arrangement evaporated in 2000 when the cricket body quibbled at stumping up the $200,000 match guarantee required by football.

$200,000! That’s the price of a handful of Perth Stadium matchday corporate boxes these days.

In 2000, Fremantle were even looking to build their own facility at the WACA with the proposed 30,000-seat stadium to boost cricket capacity as well as providing stiff competition for Subiaco Oval.

Two half-size AFL grounds 5km apart appears insular and short-sighted through the lens of a quarter-century of hindsight, but both sides were excited about the possible marriage at the time until the $200,000 dowry proved a honeymoon deal-breaker.

Perth Heat came and went with barely a ﬂicker of public interest or scratch on the WACA surface, the Western Reds played there during their tumultuous rise and fall, while soccer and rugby options were conceived, considered and consigned to the bin.

They were all paying prospects, though, unlike the Bears who are set to train and be administered from the WACA with no playing presence and, most likely, no rent.

The money required to maintain the WACA pool is another

Treasurer and Sport Minister Rita Safﬁoti said at a press conference last week that the pool would require an “estimated subsidy over four years of … $500,000 to $600,000” and would be “washing its own face” by Year 4.

That appears to be at odds with the City of Perth business plan that projected the pool would require “an operating subsidy of $3.01million per annum over the 40-year operating period [$120.8million in total].”

Who’s right? Who knows? But maybe it is a contradiction juicy enough for the mainstream

Malaxos touch for rising stars

reer, has coached Scotch College with great success over the past few seasons. He started with a hat-trick of Darlot Cups and has helped

develop a strong cohort of youngsters to prepare for elite com-

That trait has been underlined in the past couple of months with four of his recent Scotch charges named as AFL rising star candidates.

Collingwood’s Ed Allan was selected in round 12, Adelaide’s Dan Curtin a week later, Joe Fonti, of GWS, in round 20 and St Kilda’s Hugh Boxshall last round.

media to scrutinise it in some detail. Or maybe not.

Back to the election.

A dozen or more candidates had put their hands up for the four member-elected vacancies when nominations closed.

He is one of the most singular advocates for members ‘ ’

A draw for ballot positions will be held on Monday when the candidates are revealed.

Inverarity and Hogg, courtesy of their status and cricketing proﬁles, are almost certain to be re-elected while Mike Veletta has every chance of returning after being one of several directors to quit three years ago amid substantial tensions at management level.

nisable cricket identities.

Collins is a contentious and prickly ﬁgure whose forensic and dogged scrutiny of WACA ﬁnances and decision-making last year led to a fallout with management, invalid suspension and inevitable reinstatement. It is one of the least enlightening chapters in WACA history.

That leaves a dozen or so candidates competing for one spot.

Current director Paul Collins is one of them. He is one of the most singular advocates

He will argue that the magnitude of the ground redevelopment, the fact that WACA is still short of its fund-raising target and that its need for money makes it vulnerable to govern-

in disbelief as the wicket-keeper, with the ball lodged between his pads after it missed his gloves by a fair margin, bunny-hopped to the stumps and used a vigorous pelvic thrust to dislodge the bails with his knees.

The appeal was given by the square leg umpire who kept his cool despite the remaining ﬁeldsmen, the non-striker and other umpire all convulsing with laughter at the inexplicable circus act. WACA politics is rarely a laughing matter, but it does have its lighter moments.

Conditions smile on Lord of the Bell

Cottesloe Board Riders president Tele Ventouras reckons the weather gods were in ﬁne form for the weekday warriors serving up dreamy offshore winds last week, then ﬂicking the switch to onshore for the club comp on Sunday.

CBR rolled the dice for the Lord of the Bell, an event honouring the iconic Cottesloe pylon, and came up trumps with contestable winter waves.

Cottesloe Main was clogged with weed and with her not showing her true winter charm, the call was made to shift the action to the Mudurup Rocks reefs.

“Vice-prez Blaine Watson had been glued to the charts every night and knew it was going to be worthy,” Tele said.

“Competitors woke to lumpy two-to-three-foot runners under grey skies and patchy rain, but after a late start the clouds parted, the sun punched through and the sets kept rolling in for both opens and juniors.”

About 45 hardy surfers braved the cold and drizzle, rewarded with mid-tide drainers at Seconds and Cove, before the sea turned glassy by lunch.

Two more winter comps are in the pipeline, the Dingo Pro at Leighton and a return to

And next time maybe we’ll chuck in a gas heater to really dial up the comfort factor.

Lord of the Bell comp results:

Cott Main later in the season.

“It was also a proud day for the groms, who stepped up to help set up in the morning, judge and run the ﬂags,” Tele said.

“All those little things make the day run smoother and each comp’s getting closer to running like a German conveyor belt, which makes it way more fun when we’re not stressing.

“Special kudos to Harry Heath who’s always ﬁrst to arrive and help out. He could be our next CBR president.

• Under 17 girls: 1 Kyra Brent White, 2 Lucy Sutherland, 3 Mischa Wise, 4 Rose Waldeck.

• Under 17 boys: 1 Joel Renouf, 2 Harry Pazin, 3 Alby Cross, 4 Harry Heath.

• Open men: 1 Hugo Campbell, 2 Blaine Watson, 3 Archie Martin, 4 Guy Singleton.

• Under 13 boys: 1 Raphael Scott, 2 George Brown Cooper, 3 Teddy Luttrell, 4 Harry Heath.

• Under 13 girls: 1 Emilie Spring, 2 Indie Atkinson, 3 Bonnie Davidson, 4 Rose Waldeck.

Some of the action from last Sunday’s Cottesloe Board Riders comp. Photo: Daniel Fullwood surfing with cameron bedford-brown

John townsend

Mike Veletta is seeking election again.

Paul Collins John Inverarity

Brad Hogg is on the WACA board.

Use this shape to make a drawing. The best two entries will win.

Sunny days and sunsets

How to enter:

Do your best Doodlebug drawing in the box above, and fill in the entry form. Cut out the drawing and entry form and ask an adult to email it to sarah@postnewspapers.com.au, with “Doodlebug” in the subject heading. Or drop your entry off to our office at 276 Onslow Road, Shenton Park 6008, during normal business hours, or mail it to POST Kids at that address. For artists up to the age of 12. ENTRIES MUST ARRIVE BY NOON ON WEDNESDAY.

Name: Age

Address

Suburb

Phone number:

What have you drawn?:

Postcode

Vouchers will be mailed and valid for 4 weeks. These Doodlebug contestants have won.

Ben Munday, Caoimhe Hopkins, Baia Bussi, Abigail Doherty, Chloe Mills, Sakura Morrison, Phoebe Li, Olive Calder, Bridget Forbes, Sigrid Prince-Lizama.

From the creative minds of Lego Masters winners, Fremantle artist Jackson Harvey and Perth engineer and musician Alex Towler, comes a new “block” buster! Their ﬁrst book together was inspired by their Lego sculptural exhibition, Relics: A New World Rises, which opened at Form in Claremont for Scribblers Festival in 2020. A collaboration with local

Q. Why is the sun not very heavy to carry?

A. Because it is very, very light!

There were some glorious sunny days and sunsets this week, mainly as backdrops to some great illustrations, such as Abigail’s waterslide, Phoebe’s sunny surfer, Bridget's pretty watering can in a sun-filled garden and Caoimhe’s cute elephant in the sunset. Some of the best sunsets can be found on Cable Beach in Broome where this week’s winner, Billie Blakeney, has set her drawing.

Billie, 6, from Nedlands, has won a few ice-creams and now she lands the big prize for a great drawing of the famous camel rides on Cable Beach.

Our other winner is Ada Lonie, 10, from Mosman Park, whose lovely blushing pink and red sunset is the backdrop to an equally pretty pink flamingo.

Q. Did you hear about the happy astronaut?

A. He was over the Moon!

Q. What’s black and white and blue all over?

A. A zebra at the South Pole!

Q. Why did the spider retire from its job in internet research?

Tongue twister

“Juicy!” joked Jenny, her jaws around the jellyﬁsh.

I particularly like Ben’s clever rear view of a shark swimming away and Olive’s female farmer on a huge, crushing tractor. Your imagination is amazing!

A New World Rises: Tales of a Lego Future

By Jackson Harvey and Alex Towler with Cristy Burne Published by Fremantle Press

$45 corner

ended. But the world is slowly recovering – one brick at a time. Lego miniﬁgures have risen from the debris to craft intricate civilisations inside discarded objects.

writer Cristy Burne, the story is set in 2130. After more than a century of environmental decline, humanity’s reign has

While Jackson and Alex love to play with Lego and “take it beyond expectations”, they say they want readers to “think about the path that led to this imaginary future”.

BOOK WEEK

To celebrate this week’s Book Week (August 18 to 24), The Kids Research Institute at Perth Children’s Hospital will be running regular storytelling sessions between 9am and 3pm and introducing “quiet hour”, a new dedicated low-sensory reading zone with dimmed lighting, reduced noise levels and soft seating options, from 1 to 2pm daily.

A. It wanted to spend more time with the family and less time on the Web!

Q. What do you call a lazy hero?

A. An idle idol!

Q. What do old sailors watch on TV?

A. Dancing with Tars!

On Wednesday, CliniKids speech pathologist Gen Wilmot will run sessions on the benets of shared book reading with useful strategies for parents and caregivers.

Whether you are a book lover, a reluctant reader, or exploring stories for the rst time, the Discovery Centre is a space where everyone can be inspired and supported this Book Week.

Ada Lonie (10)

Billie Blakeney (6)

Delys shares a book with her grandchildren Caiden, left, and Lauren, right, in the Discovery Centre.

Photo: Trevor Collens

-Seller Testimonial