POST Newspapers 28 February 2026

He ruined lives

By BEN DICKINSON

Tracey Pearce held her head in her hands and wept as she watched the harrowing video of her daughter’s final moments.

Ms Pearce and husband Andrew sat in the front row of the Supreme Court’s public gallery as they watched the six-minute vehicular rampage that claimed the life of “beautiful, witty, empathetic” Elizabeth Pearce, 24, on February 15 last year.

Family and friends of the late UWA marine biology postgraduate student packed the courtroom for the sentencing of Elizabeth’s killer, high-profile obstetrician and drunk driver Rhys Bellinge.

Some, including Elizabeth’s younger sister, Sadie, and her Uber driver on that fateful night, Muhammad Usman, chose to leave the court before the video was played.

Those who remained, including Elizabeth’s parents, watched Bellinge’s view of the night he killed Elizabeth, taken from the dash camera of his six-cylinder Jaguar.

The video, now shared extensively around the western suburbs since its release by the Supreme Court, starts with Bellinge yelling obscenities to himself at 10.06pm while parked outside his ex-wife’s house in The Avenue.

“F*ck you, you piece of sh*t,”

Bellinge screams while parked in the middle of the road.

“Go around me, you f*ckhead,” he yells at backedup traffic.

Bellinge spends more than two minutes ranting at his wife, who had left him a month earlier, before flooring the accelerator.

The luxury sedan reaches 102kmh before he slams on

the brakes at the roundabout outside Steve’s Hotel to avoid hitting a Jeep.

He swings left onto Broadway, aggressively tailgating a Mitsubishi Lancer all the way to the Stirling Highway traffic lights.

“How about you f*cking hurry up then,” he screams.

“Move over you f*ckhead.”

He runs a red light to turn left onto the highway, before ca-

reening left onto Bruce Street.

“F*ck you,” he roars as he accelerates to 120kmh in the usually-quiet residential street, where the speed limit is 50.

“F*ck you.

“F*ck you.”

In court, a woman sitting just behind Elizabeth’s parents doubled over and sobbed as the Jaguar approached Birdwood Parade.

Bellinge, sitting in the dock, winced and looked to the ceiling.

“F*ck that b*tch,” he screams in the video as he rounds the Melvista Avenue roundabout.

He accelerates hard, reaching 132kmh on Birdwood Parade.

He fails to negotiate the road’s right-hand sweep, clipping the left-hand curb at more than double the speed limit.

The Jaguar spins, narrowly missing a Subaru Forester travelling in the opposite direction.

Then a sickening crunch, seconds of silence, and a groan.

“Oh my god, what a f*ckwit,” Bellinge can be heard saying, sobbing and slurring his words.

“I’m so sorry.

“I’m so sorry everyone.”

Bellinge did not yet know it, but he had just killed Elizabeth and seriously injured Mr Usman.

Mr Usman had slammed on the brakes of his Honda Jazz and nearly come to a stop at the moment of impact.

The 25-year-old international student suffered two broken legs and a fractured hand, spending two months recovering in hospital.

He walked back into court after the video was over with the aid of a cane.

In a victim impact statement, he described living “in constant pain” and thinking about the crash daily.

• Please turn to page 61

Cash woes stalk Neds cop

By BEN DICKINSON

The State Government’s new council tsar has defended his appointment of former Joondalup mayor Albert Jacob as Nedlands council’s overseer amid concerns about his governance record.

Local Government Inspector Tony Brown handpicked Mr Jacob for the job of Nedlands council’s “monitor” earlier this month, with a brief to guide and support the troubled council following the March 28 election.

The ex-mayor, who also served as environment minister in Colin Barnett’s government, will be paid $900 a day for the twoday-a-week job on a six-month contract.

One of his top priorities will be to advise the new council on how to grapple with a budget deficit and growing maintenance backlog, despite coming from a council that suffers the same issues.

Joondalup’s financial sustainability indicator, an accounting metric used to measure the

health of a council’s finances, plummeted from 92 out of 100 to 55 in his last term.

Staff have forecast it will sink to just 25 this financial year.

This financial year’s budget, the last approved while Mr Jacob was mayor, forecasts an operating deficit of $12.85million and a maintenance backlog of over $100million.

Local Government Standards Panel for his conduct as chair of Joondalup’s CEO performance review committee.

Mr Jacob allegedly threw his pen, slammed his desk and told councillors “you’re all f*cked” after the committee rejected his push to endorse then-CEO James Pearson in 2023.

Mr Jacob’s former deputy and political rival at Joondalup, Russell Poliwka, said the former mayor’s appointment was “risible” – in his view.

“As a former colleague of the then-mayor… his appointment raises the question of what the selection criteria was.,” he said.

“You only have to read the City’s annual report to become aware that the administrative cost [increases] over the last 10 years are constantly higher than CPI.”

Mr Jacob, who is also tasked with helping Nedlands hire a new CEO, is the subject of an adverse finding by the

He rejects the exact wording of his outburst, which was not recorded, but accepted he behaved inappropriately and made a public apology after the finding.

Mr Poliwka, who unsuccessfully challenged Mr Jacob in two mayoral elections, said the former mayor’s Nedlands appointment “doesn’t pass the pub test”.

Mr Brown defended the appointment process, telling the POST Mr Jacob was chosen from a pool of people who responded to a public expression of interest process.

• Please turn to page 61

Elizabeth Pearce’s mother Tracey, father Andrew, and sister Sadie struggled to contain their emotion after seeing her killer sentenced in the Supreme Court. Photo: Ben Dickinson

Albert Jacob

Please

Transport trumps Treasury

Dear disabled sailors,

The Cook Labor government has supported a great many initiatives that have improved the lives of Western Australians with disabilities.

However, in the case of the impact of the fast ferry terminal on your activities in Matilda Bay, you need to understand our government’s priorities.

Our top priorities are transport and tourism, and citizens with disabilities come well down the list.

As Deputy Premier, Treasurer, Minister for Transport and Minister for Sport and Recreation, I am committed to vigorously pursuing our priorities.

I recognise that an upgraded JoJo’s jetty is a nearby and cheaper alternative. In this case, Transport trumps Treasury. We see the movement of university students as a priority, and we have chosen their convenience over your recreational needs.

I understand that siting the ferry in Matilda Bay will severely impact your sailing activities. I also know that there has been an army of volunteers who have used their time and expertise to create a sailing experience for you.  Indeed, I know that

the work they have done in modifying yachts and procedures to enable you to share the joy of sailing has received national recognition.

But I come back to my earlier point: These activities do not make our government’s priority list and, while regrettable, they are just one of the casualties of our drive to become a tourist mecca and a transport marvel.

I wish you well and hope easy access to the high-speed ferry will offset your disappointment at no longer being able to enjoy your sailing.

Best wishes.

(NOT R. Saffioti)

John Lake Palmerston Street, Mosman Park

Neds failing badly on planning scheme reviews

Ratepayers in Nedlands may have a voice, but what we need is an ear – and some evidence that it is connected to decision-making.

At present, the process bears an uncomfortable resemblance to a Yes Minister script: Consultation is conducted with great formality, submissions are carefully received, and then nothing of substance changes.

Take the current Local Planning Scheme (LPS3). Through FOI requests, it

emerged that out of more than 1000 public submissions, exactly one suggestion was adopted – a bike path. One. Not traffic, not density, not infrastructure – just a bike path in Jenkins Avenue, Nedlands. Even by minimalist standards, that is an impressive filtering process.

Ironically, the council’s own administration has since acknowledged the very traffic problems it previously dismissed. Better late than never – but hardly a ringing

Direct questions

Dear Wayne and Tamara,

I am a ratepayer.

I thought I had a distant but honest relationship with my local government. I paid the rates, and it collected the rubbish.

We did not socialise much or try to take our relationship to another level. I thought that’s what we both wanted.

Recently it told me it wants to spend ratepayers’ money (my money) on an extravagant vanity project.

I was shocked. This came out of nowhere and has not been justified with fact or argument.

All my attempts to engage have been ignored.

Is this a break-up? Is it too late for counselling?

Richard Barsden Chester Street, Subiaco

endorsement of the original “consultation.”

Meanwhile, the statutory reviews are overdue – the Strategy by three years, LPS3 by one. Given it took roughly 30 years to revisit the 1985 plan, one hopes this is not the benchmark.

There is, however, a straightforward remedy. The Minister for Planning should step in – either by directing the WA Planning Commission to redesign LPS3 into a credible LPS4, or, preferably, by progressing amalgamation with a neighbouring council capable of genuine accountability.

At the very least, the minister should require the City to publish which community submissions have actually been adopted. It would be a short list, but a revealing one.

Until then, calling this “community engagement” stretches the term beyond recognition.

(The council minute relating to the draft LPS4 review was in June 2025 and can be found with a Google search. The council sent me the full excel spreadsheet of submissions back around 2015.)

Alan Park Bedford Street, Nedlands

The POST reports (Carey flushes Cott’s $500k, POST, February 21) that Planning Minister John Carey “evaporated” $514,513 of Cottesloe ratepayer money expended on planning consultants.

Surprisingly, although staff numbers at Cottesloe council have increased exponentially, the council handed over $514,513 to consultants when ostensibly qualified staff are employed to administer town planning.

Almost daily, we read of Mr Carey’s arrogance as he and his fellow ministers appear to have forgotten what democracy means, showing no respect for community perspective.

Mr Carey apparently has handed all planning and “accelerated infill” control to the WA Planning Commission.

When there is backlash from the community concerning unpopular planning decisions he conveniently points to “independent” decisionmakers, the WAPC.

WAPC and SAT members are not elected but are appointed by the Government.

Incongruously, some come from the development industry and some have business and personal relationships with developers whose proposals the WAPC determines.

The Government, through social engineering, is intent on transforming Perth (particularly targeting the “western suburbs”), compromising the environment and the character and amenity of our suburbs under the pretext of “solving the housing crisis” as Carey and Co. continue to pander to property developers and investors.

• More letters pages 14, 18, 28

RUG WASH

R.D. Walsh Grant Street, Cottesloe

Authorised by Leonie Browner

42 Tyrell Street, Nedlands 6009

Van Eileen back but no Kitchen Sink

By BRET CHRISTIAN

Four local councils have combined to invite the boss of the WA Planning Commission to see for herself that the government’s “circles of doom” are unnecessary.

There is no need for the government to draw 800m circles around three Cottesloe peninsula train stations to achieve its housing targets, the councils were told this week.

Claremont has already exceeded its infill target. Peppermint Grove, Cottesloe and Mosman Park have submitted planning schemes awaiting approval that would provide an extra 3000 homes, exceeding the current targets.

The four councils have invited WAPC chair Emma Cole to visit the peninsula to see for herself.

“The position of the councils is that the WAPC doesn’t need to draw a circle from the train station and re-start the whole process and reinvent the wheel,” Peppermint Grove CEO Don Burnett said.

Ms Cole has had meetings and has written to councils, a spokesperson said.

“Further meetings are planned in the coming months as part of this engagement,”

they said.

Claremont mayor Peter Telford endorsed the council stance.

“As we stand now, we have a very good plan for the western suburbs already in place,” he said.

“We believe the 800-metre zone was a huge question mark for Claremont.”

Planning Minister John Carey has decreed high density zonings for 62% of Cottesloe, 60% of Peppermint Grove, half of Claremont and one third

By BRET CHRISTIAN

An artistic tribute to an extinct Cottesloe icon will be installed below the site of the Marine Parade original when it is featured at Sculpture by the Sea next month.

Van Eileen, also known as Eats, was an American-style late-night roadside diner at the bottom of Napier Street, patronised by thousands of West Australian courting couples, locals, beach users and beer drinkers from two nearby pubs.

One of its biggest fans is artist and sculptor Tim Haynes, who had kept a photo taken by David McComb, Triffids lead singer and songwriter, as screensaver on his computer for decades.

He hopes the Sculpture version sparks conversations about what communities lose when councils and corporations decide what they can and can’t have.

‘Doom circles’ obsolete, say locals

of Mosman Park within the circles.

All control over planning inside the circles will be taken out of the hands of local councils and given to the WAPC.

The process is already under way, with affected councils being given until the end of this week to respond to the government demands.

They want their draft local planning strategies incorporated into the government’s

• Please turn to page 6

“As a country kid coming to Perth, Cottesloe Beach was like the jewel in the crown for me,” Tim said this week.

“Van Eileen was an iconic part of Cottesloe beach. I always associated it with my good times there.”

He travelled the world as an adult, working in New York before settling in Melbourne, where he found himself trapped at home during the COVID lockdowns,

staring at the screenshot as it transported him mentally back to Cottesloe.

“I was looking for an art project and thought that Sculpture by the Sea would be a good place to recreate Van Eileen,” he said.

“The ideas kept coming, then everything fell into place and the project just picked up its own momentum.

“It’s kind of taken a life of its own, which has been cool.”

Tim said he was knocked out by the fond memories his project evoked among hundreds of memories of the old caravan.

“People reached out and told me some of the stories about working there; some of the funny stories that happened,” he said.

“An employee told me she used to get regular marriage proposals from the clientele.”

The social media page Lost Perth received 300 responses to its post “Who remembers Van Eileen?” with numerous people recounting memories of their favourite burgers – like the Kitchen Sink - and favourite times there.

Tim’s nearly full-size 2026 Van Eileen was constructed with a solid aluminium frame at Artform in Bibra Lake, where many art installations have taken shape, including large entry statements for country towns.

• Please turn to page 6

Taking shape ... Artist Tim Haynes passes the EATS baton to fabricator Lenny Van Tuijckom.

Photo: Bret Christian

Claremont mayor Peter Telford invites WAPC chair Emma Cole to talk density plans around Swanbourne station. Photo: Jack Maddern

Bath before bedtime

These young Lake Jualbup pelicans might have been told to have a bath before bedtime but they appear reluctant to get their beaks wet. The quartet spent ages standing on a pipe next to the fountain but none seemed willing to take the rst step under the water.

Cat laws soon up to scratch

By JACK MADDERN

Cat crackdown laws are on the horizon for western suburb councils after the State Government eased legislative restrictions.

Roaming cats kill 186 animals in a year and are responsible for 244 million dead animals in total nationwide.

After years of government rejection of attempts to impose cat containment measures, councils hope amendments introduced by Local Government Minister Hannah Beazley on Wednesday will enable greater power to restrict roaming cats.

Mosman Park and Cottesloe hope to bring in cat laws that would confine animals to their homes unless supervised.

“If passed, the Bill will empower individual councils to engage with their communities on how they approach cat containment and then make local laws which reflect the needs of their community,” Ms Beazley said.

The ebullient Rosco McGlashan, who bills himself as the Fastest Aussie on Earth, visited the POST this week, and by coincidence may have cast some light on the explosive demise of Van Eileen, or Eats, at Cottesloe beach. See page 3)

The original van was blown to pieces by explosives placed underneath it in 1967, with bits of food landing at the waterline from the unoccupied caravan.

The culprit was never found. Back then, Rosco, who still holds the Australian land speed record, was using his dad’s garage in Claremont Crescent, Swanbourne, to work on his car.

FRIDAY 6 MARCH 2026 4.00PM - 8.30PM

A local government survey last year found that 80% would adopt local cat containment laws if allowed.

Cottesloe considered introducing a local law after receiving a petition with 729 signatures, but opted to postpone.

“As soon as it passes parlia-

ment, I will say let’s have it” Cottesloe councillor Chilla Bulbeck said.

“Cottesloe might be the first one out of the gate, which would be a wonderful thing to say.

“That gets a feather in the cap rather than a cat’s mouth.”

Mosman Park hopes to present a draft local cat law by May.

Cat retention local laws would mean cat owners would have to invest in catios (cat enclosures) for their outdoor spaces.

Subiaco said it did not have an issue with roaming cats and did not intend to draft a local law.

The WA Local Government Association has welcomed the amendment and said it would provide the basis for a template for councils.

Public feedback is sought for the registration, enforcement, sterilisation, microchipping, breeding, and limits on the number of cats owned within the Cat Act 2011. Submissions close in August.

A friend named John McCrudden, notorious for blowing up phone boxes in the district, turned up and asked to use an old lean-to out the back to put something together. Next thing there was a huge explosion and John’s left hand was blown o , Rosco said. Rosco’s dad, a war veteran, gave John rst aid, and he survived after a stay in hospital. Was it John who did the Van Eileen job? He has long since died, so we can’t ask him. to

Right: Explosive claims in Rosco McGlashan’s popular book.

Rosco recalls blast from the past on Cottesloe beach

Cat containment laws would help prevent cats like Mouse ending up with Caitlin Ambrose at Cat Haven.

AirPod stalker avoids jail

By JACK MADDERN

A City Beach woman had no idea her ex-boyfriend was sneaking into her backyard and recording her at night until she confronted him for planting a tracking device in her car.

French national Douglas Gauvin, 29, received a suspended jail sentence after pleading guilty in Perth Magistrates Court to 20 domestic violence charges towards his former girlfriend, including unlawful use of a tracking device.

Magistrate Joe Randazzo heard that Gauvin, a former semiprofessional rugby player, had stalked and tracked his ex from last April to June.

The couple had moved to Perth from France to start a new life together, later renting a house in Kalinda Drive, City Beach.

An ugly split last March led to the woman taking out a fam-

Dunny money flushed

By BRET CHRISTIAN

Controversial new toilets at south Cottesloe beach, along with many other expensive projects, have been shelved due to a major money error at the local council office.

The Town of Cottesloe accidentally put a big chunk of federal cash into the wrong accounting column, leaving the council thinking it had available $1.67million that was already committed to the beachfront path.

The mistake’s discovery led council staff to take the scalpel out to postpone projects such as a drinking fountain for the skate park, a beach access path design, plus $300,000 each for the south Cottesloe toilet and Civic Centre playground.

Even the $50,000 job to repaint a wall at the Civic Centre was put off.

The cash, a federal grant, should have been recognised as a liability but was incorrectly recorded as capital revenue, meaning the council’s financial position was overstated, councillors were

told this week.

The accountant’s hand has now reached into Cottesloe’s healthy surplus cookie jar and pulled out $270,000 to help make up the “missing” $1.67million. The surplus left is now $714,152.

The government’s takeover of Cottesloe’s planning schemes means three planning projects could not be progressed, which were to cost an extra $380,118 on top of the more than $500,000 down the drain due to the government action (Carey flushes Cott’s $500k, POST, February 21).

Council administration bosses accepted full responsibility for the error, saying that at the relevant period there were absences from key positions, leadership transi-

tions, and a major IT system changeover.

The council has been awarded a $4.1million federal grant to make design and safety changes to the beach clifftop path along Marine Parade (Cottesloe beach path changed, POST, December 13), part of which is the wrongly allocated $1.67million milestone payment expected to be received this financial year.

The south Cottesloe Marine Parade toilet project was slated for somewhere between Gibney and Salvado streets, with cost estimates varying from $300,000 to $750,000 (Cott dunny sparks high-priced stink, POST, February 21).

That project, along with others, has now disappeared from the agenda.

ily violence restraining order against him.

Gauvin was prohibited from all contact with her, except for emails to discuss their joint lease.

But he regularly breached the order and was the subject of 14 charges for sending emails of “an intimidatory nature”.

The situation came to a head when the woman attended a party in Cottesloe.

“The accused left Perth for his FIFO employment in Darwin,” police prosecutor Anthony van Andel told the court.

“He messaged her to ask if she was having a nice party at Cottesloe.”

Gauvin should have had no way of knowing she was there.

The woman was alarmed and spent the next two hours searching for tracking devices at the City Beach house.

She downloaded an app that detects bluetooth-connected devices, alerting her to an Apple AirPod case she found hidden in the rear of her car.

She left the device in place until she confronted Gauvin.

“[He told her] I put them in your car,” Sen. Const. van Andel told the court.

“He gained access to the vehicle and secreted an Apple AirPod case, which enabled him to track her.

French national Douglas

admitted domestic violence charges.

“He then messaged her to indicate he knew where she had been at various times.”

Detectives who arrested Gauvin analysed his iPhone and iPad. Photos that Gauvin had deleted, but were recovered by police, show he sneaked into the backyard of the house and used a ladder to record her through her bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen windows over several nights.

“[She was] observed sitting in her bedroom on her mobile phone. He took a screenshot of the video and zoomed in to capture the image on her mobile phone,” Sen. Const. van Andel said.

A photo taken through the woman’s bathroom window showed her in her underwear, looking at a mirror.

“[He] caused the victim great

• Please turn to page 60

Douglas Gauvin leaves court and avoids unwanted photos after receiving a suspended jail term.

Gauvin

Shelved … This planned toilet block in South Cottesloe.

Van Eileen back but no Kitchen Sink

Tim says there were no original design plans.

He worked out the proportions from old POST photos that showed the height of customers in relation to the serving hatch.

Sculptures rules insist works must withstand winds of 150kmh, and Tim has designed his creation with future uses in mind.

“I’ve had a couple of people inquire about what it would take to turn it into a functioning business,” he said.

“Not much, as it turns out, [just] a floor, lining and food service compliance.”

The art piece would not exist without help from Capral Aluminium, the McCusker Foundation and Artform,” Tim said.

As Perth‘s car culture blossomed, Van Eileen started on Marine Parde in 1949.

It was named for the returned soldier’s mother, Eileen Bower, who put up the finance.

Artist Robin Boyd famously referred to the culture as “neon-lit, candy-coloured, flashing fun life”.

Perth’s first US-style late-night roadside diner was Bernies in Mounts Bay Road Perth which was converted to cater for US servicemen, soon followed by Alfred’s Kitchen in Guildford, Bright Spot in South Perth and later Captain Munchies in Fremantle. All but Alfred’s have gone.

A vandal used gelignite to blow up Van Eileen in May 1967, spraying food onto the beach and leaving just one egg in the fridge.

It was rebuilt but suffered threats of closure by Cottesloe council in the 1980s and 90s, before finally closing in 1997. It was demolished in 1998.

Sculpture by the Sea begins on March 6.

Skip skips Subi street

By LLOYD GORM AN

An empty builder’s skip that blocked four Subiaco parking bays for nearly six months has been removed.

Subiaco council fined the builder $500 for leaving the skip on Axon Street after a permit expired last December

The skip was to be used for a renovation on a house gutted by fire two years ago and left vacant ever since.

Residents who complained to the council were told permission had been granted to close the four bays to allow use of heavy machinery, such as a cherry picker.

But following a request to the POST to investigate the skip, the City issued a fine to the builder and warned that daily fines of up to $5000 would be issued.

“The City has put the builder on notice to either remove the obstruction or reapply for a permit within 24 hours,” the City told residents.

“Failure to do so would result in further daily fines until the matter is resolved satisfactorily.

“Should the builder reapply for an obstruction permit, given the length of time that has lapsed since start of the build, the City

will reassess the need for four bays and there will need to be a very compelling case for it.”

Property records show that Richard Martin Henley and Annabel Koschak bought the house on a 228sq.m block for $835,000 in 2015.

The house sustained significant damage when a fire broke out in the roof space in 2024.

No one was home at the time but neighbours alerted emergency services and firefighters contained the blaze within several hours.

‘Doom circles’ obsolete

• From page 3

improvement plans to prevent the heritage streets and garden suburbs being overrun with infill in excess of that already earmarked.

Mr Burnett said the WAPC should take existing plans into consideration if enforcing its “improvement plan” for the 800m radius.

“We’re saying that if you want to do your own planning, WAPC, take into consideration these factors when doing it, but our preference is to go forth with what we already have,” he said.

Councils have also said they have had no response to their frequent requests to fix creaking government facilities.

They say Stirling Highway and Cottesloe train station are not fit for purpose, let alone able to take extra traffic from vast infill.

Councillors at Cottesloe and Mosman Park frequently criticise as congested and dangerous the three level crossings at Jarrad, Salvado, and Victoria streets.

UP TO 70% OFF LAST WEEK

Triffids star David McComb’s evocative photo that inspired Tim Hayne’s Van Eileen artistic project. The carpark to the left was traditionally the spot where patrons sat on their car bonnets, gazing out to sea while munching their burgers and steak sandwiches.

This skip was in line for fines of $5000 a day.

Shark kits for Cambridge

By JEN REWELL

Emergency shark bite kits could be dotted along the Cambridge coast under a plan that would make it the first WA council to adopt them.

Councillor Georgie Randklev urged councillors to act quickly to install the first aid kits on the Town’s 4.8km of beaches.

“The ocean is part of our lives,” she said.

“The first five minutes after a shark bite are the most important, so best thing we can do is be better prepared.”

She was concerned that the idea would be bogged down in bureaucracy.

“I just want to get these kits out there,” she said.

Each CommunitySBK (shark bite kit) costs $120.

It includes first aid essentials such as tourniquets, an amputated-parts bag, dressings and bandages, a thermal blanket and step-by-step instructions.

Community fundraising in NSW and Queensland has paid for hundreds of kits which were installed by community members on their beaches.

The weatherproof plastic tubes are usually attached to posts or trees at the beach entrance.

Deputy mayor Ben Mayes

said it was a great idea.

“I hope we can roll these out as soon as possible and not get caught up in red tape,” he said.

Mayor Gary Mack said he thought there should be negotiations with the local surf life saving groups, who already had emergency first aid kits and were trained to use them.

But councillor Kate Barlow

was sceptical and asked how many shark bites had been recorded on Cambridge beaches.

DPIRD’s SharkSmart app regularly detects tagged sharks along the coast.

Spotters on the SLS Westpac helicopter saw two untagged sharks 15m off the South City Beach dog beach at 9.46am on Monday.

One was a 4.5m tiger shark and the other a 1.5m hammerhead.

They also spotted a 2m shark circling 500m off the Floreat groyne.

Ocean photographer Curtis Ramsay often takes drone footage of wildlife off the local coast and has pictured great whites, tigers, bronze whalers and hammerheads cruising very close to shore.

“Sharks play an important role to the overall stability, resilience and health of our marine habitats,” he said.

“As scary as they seem, the water is their domain.

“Without apex predators, we run the risk of entire ecosystems falling out of balance or collapsing entirely.”

Councillors voted unanimously to spend $10,000 on 10 kits and associated expenses.

The money would be allocated in the council’s 2026/27 budget, meaning kits would not be installed until at least July.

Peeing patrons fear at JBs

By JEN REWELL

Public urination, trespass and “late night congregations” needed to be addressed when considering a new beer garden at JB O’Reilly’s Irish tavern, according to West Leederville locals.

A proposed covered alfresco area with a stage would increase the pub’s capacity to 570 patrons and remove all on-site parking.

The final decision on the beer garden will be made by the State Government’s Development Assessment Panel.

Residents peppered council staff with questions about the proposal at this week’s council meeting.

Six people asked 13 questions about how the council planned to mitigate existing and historic issues that have plagued residents who live nearby.

Locals said there were already issues with the behaviour of patrons leaving the premises.

Trespass, public urination, “late night dispersal and rideshare congregation” on surrounding streets were all issues with which neighbours had to contend, they said.

Cambridge director of planning Luke Gibson said the Town would consider a proposed management plan that included security arrangements, measures to prevent loitering, noise abatement and other issues.

“The application will ultimately be determined by the Development Assessment Panel, having regard to the Town’s assessment and any public submissions,” he said.

JB O’Reilly’s wants to convert its carpark into a beer garden.

“If the DAP were to approve the application, any and all of the imposed conditions would be permanently enforceable.”

Submissions on the proposal can be emailed to mail@cambridge.wa.gov.au by 5pm March 3.

Meet the Nedlands candidates

Nedlands voters will get the chance to grill candidates for mayor and councillor positions at a candidates’ forum next Tuesday.

The Nedlands Tree Canopy Advocates have invited every candidate to the forum at the Hollywood-Subiaco Bowling Club from 4pm to 6pm.

Each candidate will speak for up to five minutes on whatever topic they choose, before fielding questions from voters.

“Banners and signs may be displayed outside the hall, but not inside, please,” organiser and former mayor Max Hipkins said. Entry is by a $5 donation.

A large tiger shark cruises close to City Beach. Photo: Curtis Ramsay

Cambridge will install 10 of these shark kits at its beaches.

Say hello to Subiaco’s newest park

The Rupert Street pocket park is now open for the community to enjoy!

The new pocket park, located on the site at 203 Bagot Road, creates more green space, enhances the City’s valued tree canopy, and provides a shady retreat amongst Rokeby and Bagot Roads.

The park includes a range of environmentally conscious features, including solar-powered park lights, retained mature trees, native plantings and trees, and the City’s second ‘Cockitrough’ – a custom bird-watering station that aims to conserve the declining numbers of black cockatoos in Western Australia.

Water usage will be minimised by the inclusion of a swale; a water-wise slope that collects runoff from the surrounding footpaths and uses it to water vegetation in the garden beds.

Accessible sports at Lords Lords Recreation Centre is launching a new accessible sports program called ‘Active and Social’, aimed at adults who are living with disability.

The program, which starts on Tuesday 3 March from 10am to 11am, will run weekly and provide a safe, inclusive and welcoming environment to suit a range of abilities, mobility levels, and sensory needs.

Register and read more about the program at www.lords.com.au. Support workers or companions are welcome to attend at no additional cost.

New openings (and locations)

A number of new businesses have opened their doors in the City over the past few months, including: @pilates 24/7 on Hay Street; Ditto Club, offering Pilates classes on Townshend Road; McNally’s Irish Pub on Rokeby Road; and Vesla Studio, a warm welcome to them all!

Ecali Fine Jewellery and Wille Creek Pearls have both moved their showrooms up to 129 and 143 Rokeby Road respectively, and cult favourite Piccolo Deli has also moved up Rokeby to number 385 and is offering a brand-new breakfast menu.

New seated ballet classes

A new fortnightly, chair-based ballet class has debuted at the Shenton Park Community Centre – perfect for older adults looking to enjoy the beauty of ballet in an accessible format.

In the coming months, indigenous artist and elder Sandra Hill and Jenny Dawson will create 36 circular tiles that will be inset into a section of the park’s concrete kerb as a new public art piece with some of these tiles set to be designed in collaboration with local primary school students.

Mayor David McMullen said, “Where an ageing building once stood, we now have a welcoming pocket park that enhances our City’s tree canopy, supports local flora and fauna, and offers a peaceful spot for our community to sit and enjoy a coffee, lunch, or a chat under plenty of shade.”

Read more about the Rupert Street pocket park at www.subiaco.wa.gov.au/news, and stay tuned on the City’s website for further park updates.

The classes are facilitated by Ballet4Wellbeing, and aim to release tension, build strength, improve circulation, and reduce risk falls.

The classes take place fortnightly on Thursday mornings (next class Thursday 12 March) from 11.15am to 12pm, and are $10 on entry. Read more via www.subiaco.wa.gov.au/events.

Celebrating diversity at the library

Subiaco Library’s Cultural Storytimes are well underway for 2026, with Japanese and Italian sessions coming up in the next few weeks.

The sessions are perfect for kids under 5, and include the chance to hear a story in a different language and participate in a cultural craft. Attendees at the Japanese Storytime will paint a paper fan, and at the Italian Storytime, there will be colourful Easter egg decorating.

Read more and book your spot at www.subiaco.wa.gov.au/events

Spritz tickets going fast

From 26 to 29 March, Subiaco is set to transform into a slice of Southern Europe when Subi Spritz returns.

There are more than 20 events on this year’s line-up, including Euro-themed long lunches, aperitivo clubs, laneway dinners, masterclasses and more.

Visit www.subispritz.com.au to book your tickets before they’re gone.

9 MAR 13 MAR 16 MAR

Consultation for new civic building and gardens closed

Community consultation for the concept design of a new civic building and gardens at 241 Rokeby Road closed on Friday 27 February. The consultation was open for three and a half months. A number of initial themes quickly emerged, including preferences for shady open spaces, less hardscaping, and a desire for accessibility for people of all ages.

All community feedback will now be analysed by an external agency before it is presented to Council. Stay tuned on the City’s website for further updates.

Online services 24/7

Did you know you can access a wide range of City services online? These include requesting a new bin size, making a rates payment, tree pruning services and pet registration and renewal. Visit www.subiaco.wa.gov.au/online-services

Keep it social

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @cityofsubi to stay up to date.

Flood of complaints over water leaks

By JEN REWELL

Floreat residents are concerned that a rash of burst water pipes may be due to a deterioration of plastic connections installed when their estate was built.

Three adjacent homes in Perry Lakes Estate have suffered burst water pipes connected to their water meters in the past few months. Each house had immediate local flooding until Water Corporation teams arrived to fix the issue and replace the pipes – in one case, in the early hours of the morning.

A Water Corporation spokesperson said crews had attended 10 water leaks in the

past two years at properties in the area.

“While this doesn’t necessarily indicate defective pipe material, stronger brass fittings have been installed in most instances,” the spokesperson said.

“Crews work hard to respond promptly to all faults, and we encourage customers to report water and wastewater service issues directly to Water Corporation.”

Residents said the work has caused sand-like particles to enter the water supply to some houses. This could create plumbing issues if not flushed out properly.

Perry Lakes Estate was built in 2012 by the state government’s LandCorp agency, which developed the old athletics stadium land.

A Landcorp strategic document from 2012 lists Perry Lakes Estate as being one of the “higher risk projects” it had taken on for “little or no financial return”.

Asbestos cleared from Cott lane

Asbestos has been cleared from a Cottesloe laneway backing onto North Cottesloe Primary School and Solaris Cancer Centre.

Cottesloe council declared the lane was asbestos-free after its private owner took action this month.

“Advice provided by an expert environmental consultant has determined that the laneway is now clear of asbestos,” a Cottesloe spokesperson said.

Resident Maryanne Fiore alerted Cottesloe in September to the asbestos contamination in the lane connecting Greenham and Mann streets. No action was taken for several months until Ms Fiore commissioned an asbestos report which confirmed her claims.

“Subsequent testing and advice from the Department of Health supports the Town’s

Road rage over Cott high-rise

By JACK MADDERN

Building a 20-storey apartment tower next to the train line at Cottesloe would choke traffic on already stressed roads, according to locals.

The State Government plans to sell 2586sq.m of land at 190 Curtin Avenue, north of the police station, for high-rise development.

But veteran real estate agent Chris Shellabear and Cottesloe MLA Sandra Brewer warned the project was “reckless” and would increase pressure on local roads.

Mr Shellabear said the development would amplify existing traffic issues and deny future remedies such as widening Curtin Avenue.

“The sale of this land would essentially kill off the four-lane widening of Curtin Avenue and keep traffic on Stirling Highway, which is beyond capacity now,” he said.

“It would seem to be counter to all planning from the 1946 Stephenson plan through to now.”

Mr Shellabear said a high-rise tower next to the Jarrad Street rail crossing would be a practical nightmare.

“A 20-storey building of say 100 units and 150 car parks, and a single lane road network combined with an antiquated railway

actions,” a spokesperson said.

“The bonding, level and distribution of the asbestos was assessed as being of very low risk and has now been removed.”

Cottesloe is considering whether to compensate Ms Fiore for her report.

Request for Tender

Tender RFT 2025-26-27

Maintenance Services

The Town of Mosman Park is inviting tenders from suitably qualified and experienced contractors for the provision of Tree Maintenance Services. A copy of the Tender documents can be obtained from the Town’s website mosmanpark. wa.gov.au/council/tenders

Potential respondents will need to register as a supplier with VendorPanel to access the application documents.

Clarifications of Tender details must be in writing and sought via the respondents VendorPanel account prior to 4pm AWST Monday 16 March 2026.

The Tender must be submitted via the respondents VendorPanel account > vendorpanel.com.au

The deadline for applications is 4pm AWST Monday 23 March 2026. No late, telephoned, faxed, mailed, emailed or hand delivered tenders will be accepted. The lowest, or any application may not necessarily be accepted.

Any potential applicant canvassing Town of Mosman Park Officers or Elected Members will be disqualified from the application process.

You know you should have a Will, but for one reason or another you have put it off. Or perhaps you have a Will and it no longer meets your circumstances.

crossing at Jarrad Street and the bike path, makes for potentially catastrophic planning and traffic results,” he said.

“Residents want more options for living and are happy with apartments but shouldn’t we get the infrastructure right first?

“Main Roads was meant to have undertaken liaison with key stakeholders. Not sure it has happened.”

A tower could make it harder to re-build the Jarrad Street level crossing.

Former Cottesloe MLA David Honey in 2022 raised with Transport Minister Rita Saffioti the need to close train crossings along the Fremantle line.

Dr Honey warned at the time about logjams caused by the crossings.

“It is also very concerning that no consideration seems to have been given to the impact that the new high-density housing is having on traffic throughout the area, in particular, its impact on the abovementioned level railway crossings,” he said in Parliament.

“I respectfully request the minister to instigate planning for the removal of the Fremantle line level crossings before someone is seriously injured or, worse, killed.”

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Cottesloe MLA Sandra Brewer warned that tra c infrastructure needed to be improved before a high-rise Curtin Avenue tower could be developed. Photo: Jack Maddern

Perry Lakes Estate under construction in 2015.

• Please turn to page 61

Tree

Built a movement to build new lives. Michael Sheldrick.

Bachelor of Laws (LLB), Bachelor of Arts, UWA 2013.

Western Australian of the Year 2013.

Social advocate and entrepreneur.

Co-founder of Global Citizen, distributor of over US$49 billion towards reducing extreme poverty.

Bull shark warning at Chidley Point

Two tagged sharks hovering in the Swan River near Chidley Point were detected 84 times this week.

The shark pinged monitoring receivers at East Fremantle and Blackwall Reach.

SharkSmartWA said it was possible that the increased activity indicated a higher likelihood of encountering a shark in the area.

People were urged to take additional caution in the lower reaches of the Swan River from Melville Water to Fremantle.

Mt Claremont schoolgirl Stella Berry was killed by a shark while swimming with friends in the Swan River near the Fremantle Traffic Bridge in 2023.

to fight rising tides

By BONNIE CHRISTIAN

Cottesloe will fight the rising tides of the Indian Ocean to stop its famous 4km coastline from washing into the sea.

A coastal hazard risk assessment for the next 25, 50 and 100 years showed erosion was a significant risk to public and to private land between Curtin Avenue and North Street.

The 2023 report predicted that doing nothing would see in the next 100 years most of the public foreshore lost and Marine Parade crumble into the ocean.

By 2123, dozens of beachfront houses would fully or partially disappear into the sea.

The two surf clubs, Ocean Beach and Cottesloe hotels, the Indiana Tea House and most of Marine Parade would also be washed away.

Councillors voted on Tuesday night to defend the foreshore, rather than accept the alternative approaches of retreating or doing nothing.

River stairway to tread softly

By LLOYD GORMAN

Plans for a $500,000 staircase to be built from one of Dalkeith’s most expensive homes to the Swan River have been approved by Environment Minister Matthew Swinbourn.

The owners of a Jutland Parade home can now rip out 50-year-old brick steps at the rear of their property and replace them with a 40m aluminium walkway – two years after they first applied

to the Swan River Trust.

But Matthew James Fry and his wife Anna Katarzyna Fry failed to avoid having to indemnify Nedlands council from any damage occurring during building on the steep 8m cliff.

The Frys lodged their original project plans in March 2024 but the application was put on hold so revised plans could be submitted.

New plans for the metal stairway, which includes a viewing platform, and re-

lated foreshore works were approved – with conditions – by Mr Swinbourn last week.

One condition said the “authorised works shall not prevent public access along the foreshore unless temporary closure is necessary for safety purposes”.

Another said the owners must pay for a legal agreement with Nedlands council before works began, to indemnify “the City from any damage or injury arising

• Please turn to page 60

They will spend $30,000 to engage a consultant to develop a plan that provides a management strategy.

A report to the council recommended the coast be defended, which in the short term could mean ongoing dune restoration and beach sand nourishment.

In the long term, building seawalls, groynes, artificial reefs and breakwaters may be unavoidable.

Five years ago, Cyclone Bianca drove big swells onto the coast during high tide and waves crashed over the entire beach and up the steps to the surf club (Show goes on for Sculpture by the Sea, POST, February 5, 2011).

It also washed away the foot ramp to the beach, which was never replaced.

The sea taketh away … Big swells were kept at bay by Cottesloe’s sea wall during Cyclone Bianca in 2011.

The 40m staircase will wend from the back of a Jutland Parade house to the Swan River foreshore.

WINE LOFT, LONG WEEKEND CHARDONNAY SHOWCASE

Our Wine Loft Sommelier Jake has selected an exceptional array of Chardonnay - a curated collection that celebrates precision, texture and regional character, showcasing exactly why it remains one of our most loved varieties. This weekend, enjoy 20% off these six standout Chardonnays when you purchase 6 or more bottles in-store or online. We’ll have all six wines open to taste from 12pm–2pm this Saturday so you can discover your favourite! Mix and match, explore the regions, or stock up on the one you love.

SCAN TO SHOP

Our

real Independence Day?

This Tuesday, March 3, is Australia’s legal Independence Day, but most Australians will not know what the date represents.

On March 3 1986, Australia became legally and constitutionally fully independent with the commencement of the Australia Act 1986 removing the final authority of the United Kingdom over Australian laws and courts.

This change is important, yet it is rarely discussed and largely unknown to the public. Australians should be informed about when their country became fully independent in law. This lack of awareness is also

reflected in our national flag.

As we watch our athletes represent Australia on the world stage, a clear contradiction remains. Our athletes wear the green and gold, yet they compete under a red, white and blue flag that is often confused with New Zealand’s.

Because of 1986, the Union Jack in the canton of our national flag is not aligned with our legal independence.

My proposal (viewable at AustralianFlags.au) keeps the Southern Cross, preserving our “heritage” stars and connection to the night sky.

It replaces the Union Jack in the canton with the Kangaroo, a symbol unique to Australia.

This ensures Australians are not mistaken for another country at funerals, sporting events, or war memorials.

We need to move the Kangaroo from our jerseys to our flagpoles.

Ron Abernethy Waverley Way, Parkwood

Take care how you vote, but above all, vote

I write this letter from my temporary home in Melbourne.

As a former councillor of the City of Nedlands, I am delighted to see the high calibre of nominations for council.

I urge all residents to vote.

Low voter turnout enables candidates with organised networks or well-funded campaigns to win ahead of perhaps equally committed and betterqualified individuals.

Local government should reflect the will of the broader community, not just a motivated minority. Please take the time to vote.

In casting your vote, prioritise candidates with sound financial management skills (at a minimum able to set and track detailed accrual-based finan-

cials) and the courage to make selfless long-term decisions.

Also critical is the ability to establish multi-year plans to direct the CEO.

During my time there was no actionable, prioritised maintenance schedule for City laneways, playgrounds, buildings, or gardens.

Anyone can approve public documents full of wish lists; your candidate should establish processes that culminate in routine action.

Identify nominees who will celebrate and encourage resident initiatives by supporting sports clubs, arts groups, environmental and business efforts.

I remain saddened that the council I served on rejected residents’ proposal for a mobile

sauna facility at Swanbourne Beach. Candidates with sound risk management experience are less likely to be swayed by fearmongering or over-optimism. Finally, I suggest former councillors not be prioritised simply for offering “corporate knowledge.” Corporate expertise belongs with the CEO and staff, most of whom resigned in 2024/25. The exception is the mayor, who serves as the main communication conduit from council. Prior experience would significantly shorten a new mayor’s learning curve. This election is an opportunity to reset a responsible, forwardlooking council. Please vote.

Hengameh Amiry Strickland Street, Mt Claremont (former City of Nedlands councillor)

JoJo’s jetty not genuinely assessed

I strongly support improving connectivity and accessible public transport across Perth. Better waterfront links to the UWA-QEII precinct make strategic sense.

The question is not whether ferry expansion is a good idea; it is whether the selected site at central Matilda Bay has been assessed with the rigour the public expects.

It is most concerning that the JoJo’s / Nedlands Jetty site – the only existing state-owned jetty in the area – was not genuinely assessed.

Initially, the Public Transport Authority advised that the jetty was privately owned, heritagelisted and non-compliant with disability standards. Those claims were incorrect.

The jetty is state-owned. It is not on the State Register of Heritage Places. And it could be upgraded for accessibility – just as the recent $2.9million Mends Street Jetty upgrade achieved.

After those errors were clarified, a new justification emerged – that the jetty would need to be for exclusive ferry use and that the adjacent JoJo’s cafe made it unsuitable. Yet the JoJo’s lease does not extend over the jetty itself.

Mends Street Jetty operates successfully with shared commercial activity alongside

exclusive Transperth berthing.

While an extension would be required to accommodate four ferry berths, using existing infrastructure would clearly reduce environmental disturbance and construction cost. It would avoid sand infill, seagrass clearing and extensive new pylons and new impacts within a high-value passive recreation reserve.

The existing JoJo’s jetty has previously accommodated ferry services and commercial vessels on the Swan River without documented navigational or environmental incidents.

Are the new modern low-wash electric ferries more environmentally harmful than the large commercial vessels that previously operated there? Or are trained Transperth skippers less capable than the operators who used the jetty safely before?

Transport infrastructure is path-dependent. Once built, it shapes land use, public space and community outcomes for generations. Decisions of this scale require transparent, defensible evidence – not simply assurances that the experts have looked at it.

The public is not asking for perfection. It is asking for confidence. Megan

JoJo’s is considered a better option for a ferry terminal.

Bagworth South Terrace, Como chair, Safety on Swan Coalition

Big leap forward ... Out with the Union Jack and the red, white and blue; in with the green, the gold, and the kangaroo.

Sunday Art Auction

Artists include

Mac Betts

William Boissevain

John Cartwright

Judy Cassab

Michael Challen

Barbara Chapman

Robert Dickerson

Pippin Drysdale

Elizabeth Durack

Guy Grey-Smith

Pro Hart

Auction

Marie Hobbs

Robert Juniper

Mary McLean

Sidney Nolan

Leon Pericles

Ernest Philpot

Jules Sher

Miriam Stannage

Harald Vike

Roland Wakelin + many others

Sunday 8th March at 2.00pm

Venue

Wilkinson Gallery

Enter via GATE 1

Claremont Showgrounds 1 Graylands Rd, Claremont

Viewing

Friday 6th March 10am - 5pm

Saturday 7th March 10am - 5pm

Free Entry & Free Parking

Telephone: 9386 8577

Guy Grey-Smith

Robert Juniper

Jules Sher

Michael Challen

Robert Dickerson

Pro Hart

Danila Vassilieff

Shane Pickett

William Boissevain

Around Rotto the hard way

By JEN REWELL

An ocean swimmer with the heart of a poet swam around Rottnest Island on Monday.

Queenslander Lars Olsen was one of many interstate and international athletes who had come to swim in the Rottnest Channel Swim, which was called off due to bad weather.

He said “a wild idea” came to him in the night after the race was cancelled; that he could still do his own Rottnest challenge and circumnavigate the island.

“No records, no medals, no finishline feels – just whispered possibilities,” he said.

Lars went to the island before dawn on Monday with Ben James, who had signed up to skipper his support boat.

He was in the water at about

5.30am and completed the 27.5km circumnavigation in 8hrs 11mins.

“It demanded grit beyond mere muscle,” he said.

A “massive swell and a relentless tide” made it tough going.

The first five hours were the hardest, and he fought cramps in his arms and legs, and a “revolting” stomach at the 15km mark.

“This was no gentle swim,” he said.

“Mother Nature’s wild moods tested me at every wave, with relentless crosshead swells that rocked and tossed me.”

The waves near Cape and Cathedral Rocks were over 6m, and Lars and his paddler Clazz had to “thread through the tempest”.

“A savage headwind and current made every metre a gruelling tugof-war from the 11km mark, turning

the final slog into a battle of will, pushing back like the sea itself was hell-bent on stopping me,” he said.

The clear water meant he could see the “vibrant reef life and underwater rock shelves pulsating with life”, and there were schools of fish, “entire aquatic armies numbering over 200, swirling around me, urging me on”.

“It was definitely a mental challenge especially as the elements kept changing,” he said.

He said he would not be doing it again: “Once is enough”.

“Now I can proudly wear my Rottnest Swim 2026 gear with the swagger of one who dared to dream beyond the channel,” he said.

Lars swims to raise money for the REACH for Nepal Foundation.

‘Così è la vita’ (Such is life!)

By JEN REWELL

Italian swimming superstar Gregorio Paltrinieri was one of more than 2500 athletes who missed out on the Rottnest Channel Swim last Saturday after it was cancelled because of bad weather.

Gregorio, who had been invited to join a wave of elite swimmers in the 19.7km race, was seen training on Cottesloe Beach just hours after the race was cancelled.

Like most swimmers, he was disappointed at not being able to swim but understood the decision.

“It has been an amazing week here in Perth,” he said.

“I have a lot of friends here, so I’m really glad I came.

“The sand is so white and the water is fantastic.”

Rottnest Channel Swim Association president Will Rollo said the decision to cancel the race for just the third time in its history was made about 3pm on Friday, after meetings with the Bureau of Meteorology and the race committee.

“The key factors were the strong southerly, as well as a very strong southerly current,” he said. “Combined, these conditions posed an unacceptable risk.”

In 2007, the race was called off because of bad weather linked to cyclonic activity in the north of WA.

In 2024, it was abandoned midrace when winds increased and conditions deteriorated.

Mr Rollo said the association had looked at rescheduling but there were more than 6500 people involved.

“The enormous amount and cost of logistics, including management of the shipping lane, means moving the event to another day is not feasible,” he said.

Most people had been understanding that there were no refunds.

More than 250 charities had benefited from the $297,884 raised by registered swimmers.

Some swimmers still took to the water on Saturday, with a few swimming out and around the STS Leeuwin.

The training ship was anchored

• Please turn to page 61

Italian swimming superstar Gregorio Paltrinieri laments not getting to do the Rottnest Channel Swim this year. Photo: Jane Wishaw

The long way round … Lars Olsen’s freestyle circumnavigation of Rottnest Island, suppor ted by paddler and brother-in-law Clazz.

Turn back clock to salvage Neds

A.E. Williams, author of the 1984 official history of Nedlands, stated: “Overall, the City of Nedlands today stretches in seemingly haphazard fashion from the river to the Indian Ocean.”

I suggest the carve-out that delivered Nedlands from the Claremont Roads Board in 1932 should be revisited, and the Nedlands commissioners should recognise a once-in-a-century opportunity to bring rationality into the peculiar structure of the western suburbs.

The areas occupied by the municipality of Nedlands are an anachronistic basis for planning that has not kept up with societal and land-use changes and will be a continuing barrier to progress.

The past history of Nedlands is largely bound up with people and events arising south of Stirling Highway, which divides Nedlands like a wall.

The western suburbs of Claremont, Cottesloe and Subiaco could be strengthened by deconstructing the City of Nedlands and astutely allocating personnel and resources to these local governments, to work constructively with any future governments.

West Coast Highway is a barrier to any logical relationship between Claremont and a curiously isolated coastal part of Nedlands. Land west of West Coast Highway should form a more natural continuity with Cottesloe beachfront.

Mt Claremont could join the Town of Claremont. Dalkeith and Melvista could join Claremont with common riverfront issues. Hollywood could become part

of Subiaco.

Tinkering with a new Nedlands council and its huge financial challenges will not provide the solutions urgently needed.

The City of Nedlands has Stirling Highway properties and other land resources that it has no hope of ever bringing into productive benefit for ratepayers.

Looking beyond short-term problems and personalities could strengthen and reinvigorate local governments to confront governments and plan constructively.

Better use of $64million

Following up from Elizabeth Karol (Don’t wait, amalgamate, Letters, February 21), I had a thought.

Take the proposed $64million spend on a new Subiaco council building and, as part of a Subiaco/Nedlands (“Subilands”, “Nediaco”??) amalgamation, firstly pay off Nedlands’ current debt.

That should leave about $34million.

Spend say $10million to build Elizabeth’s urban forest on the Subiaco council site and use the remaining $24million to offset Subiaco ratepayers’ annual rates until that fund is exhausted, as recognition for bailing out the existing Nedlands Council?

How good would that be?

Craig M. Gumley Waverley Street, Shenton Park

Don’t rush, get the details right

Save Matilda Bay has never been against ferries or improved river transport; it’s about choosing the right location, following a proper process, and using plain commonsense.

Any significant change there should involve real consultation with residents and regular users; realistic costing with viable alternatives considered; minimal harm to the environment, safety, and existing amenity; and solid community support.

It shouldn’t be a decision pushed through regardless.

Who thinks this is acceptable?

I hate for this to be yet another complaint letter to the POST, but I am at a complete loss to understand the mentality of some people who think it is acceptable to fill a public bin to overflowing, not to mention dog walkers dropping their full dog pick-up bags around the very same bin.

I am referring to the public red-topped bin on Rochdale Road near the corner of Whitley Crescent.

I took the photo on Monday

this week. I tried pushing the rubbish back into the bin but good luck with that, the bin was stuffed full.

I have contacted the council about the issue, and would like to thank in advance the bin man (or woman) who is given the most unpleasant job of cleaning up after the miscreants helping to pollute our environment.

Alan Everett Rochdale Road, Mt Claremont

As a Nedlands resident and candidate for councillor in Melvista ward, I’m speaking on this because it reflects exactly how I would approach City of Nedlands issues, backing practical improvements that enhance connectivity and opportunity, but only when they respect local character, preserve community trust, and get the details right.

Good governance means asking “Is this the right project, in the right place, done the right way?”

Julian Coleman Stirling Highway, Nedlands

Neville Hills Mooro Drive, Mt Claremont

Totally over the top ... the o ending bin in Rochdale Road.

Photo: A. Everett.

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Fire-prone panels will go from kids’ hospital

By LLOYD GORMAN

Perth Children’s Hospital bosses are getting ready to replace fire-prone panels first identified as dangerous nine years ago.

A tender to carry out “intrusive investigations” into the panels which clad the $1.2billion hospital has closed.

The Department of Commerce’s Building Commission highlighted the aluminium composite panels as a potential fire risk in April 2017.

PCH will be the last building at QEII to have its panels replaced.

A bushfire in nearby Kings Park could pose a serious threat to PCH, according to a former hospital consultant with experience of the risk.

Neville Hills was executive director at Selby-Lemnos Hospital in Shenton Park when a major fire in Kings Park in 1996 crossed six-lane Thomas Street to set

Subiaco palm trees in Rokeby Road on fire.

“As we had some of our patients at St Lukes nursing home in Rokeby Road I went there to see if they needed help and offered Selby as an evacuation point if necessary,” he said.

“I saw embers were blowing across Thomas Street and landing in some of the tall date palms on the western side which then caught fire and had to be extinguished.

“It was very apparent that in a high easterly wind the width of Thomas Street was no protection.

“Should a similar fire occur opposite PCH I believe the risk of ember transfer is very high and these panels could be affected.

“Other hospitals are not placed in such a vulnerable position.”

The alarm was raised about PCH safety a year before it admitted its first patient in May 2018.

More than 80 people died in a horrific London fire a month later when the 24-storey Grenfell Tower became an inferno because of flammable cladding.

Asked why it had taken nine years to address the cladding issue, health chiefs said comprehensive planning was required to minimise impact on operations and ensure patient and staff safety.

The Department of Health said it had completed more than 80% of replacement works for a $6.5million contract on seven buildings at QEII. Three others were expected to be finished this year, one next year and one

Kings Park volunteers have grown more than 10,000 native plants as they prepare for a record plant sale next month.

Growing Friend Lynda Woodhams was one of dozens of volunteers who helped propagate 10,485 plants over the past few months.

“We’ve had the best season ever,” Lynda said. “All the plants look amazing and we are delighted with the range and quality on offer.”

There will be 385 plant spe-

Kings Park to sell 10,000 native plants

tray of spirit of

for the plant sale on March 9.

cies on sale, including hundreds of ground covers plus hybrid grevilleas, eucalypts, hakeas, banksias, eremophilas and beaufortias.

Early-birds often queue from well before dawn to ensure they do not miss out, but Lynda said the increased volume of plants available meant stock should be available throughout the sale.

“We will have so many plants that it is not essential to join the early-bird queue,” she said.

Chief horticulturalist Sue

McDougall said March was the best time to get into the garden.

“Gardens planted in autumn develop a strong root system while soil temperatures are still warm,” she said.

“They have winter and spring to establish before summer sets in.

“A small amount of work at this time of the year is definitely worth the effort.”

The sale at Kings Park’s Poolgarla Family Area starts at 8.30am on Sunday March 15.

the timeless beauty of solid wood

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Kings Park volunteers Lynda Woodhams, with a

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A bush re in Kings Park in 1996 jumped six lanes of Thomas Street to light palm trees on Rokeby Road.

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Seeking the truth, the hole truth

The Friends of Shenton Bushland Inc. are seeking help to find out who dug a large pit (2.5m x 2.5m square, almost 2m deep) in bushland close to Shenton College.

The hole was dug by hand, and the sides have been stabilised with logs dragged in from nearby fallen tree branches.

Stakes stolen from other parts of the bushland have also been used to stabilise the walls of the hole.

It seems likely that students from Shenton

College are now using this pit as a kind of cubby, and have been bringing in furniture (seating) from the school to make it comfortable.

If you know anything about the circumstances surrounding the digging of this hole, please contact the Friends on 0420 334 601. Daniel Boase-Jelinek Derby Road, Shenton Park convener, Friends of Shenton Bushland Inc.

Bush mystery ... Carefully crafted “cubby-hole” in Shenton Bushland.

Cats – the inside story

I share the concerns of all who decry the damage to Australia’s fauna by both feral and domesticated cats.

But over-involvement by local government isn’t necessary to solve this problem.

For the past 50 years I’ve had a cat as a pet, sometimes two. In all that time they have been “inside cats”.  As such, they’ve been absolutely zero danger to Australia’s fauna.

They’ve also been vaccinated, as recommended – a requirement for the occasional times they’ve stayed at the Cat Haven.

I thoroughly clean the cat litter tray daily, using 90% shredded paper, plus 10% cat litter from the supermarket.

It takes a little more effort, but it’s not inconvenient, to have just “inside cats”. Visitors, including tradies, are gently reminded to “not let the cat out”.

The rewards are substantial. Charles Dickens himself said it: “What greater gift than the love of a cat?”

Roy Stall  Rochdale Road, Mt Claremont

We need to rethink ‘private’ land for the sake of tree canopy

Helen  Grzyb (Beware the ‘instant’ route to tree canopy, Letters, February 21) makes a very critical and valid point about new versus established trees.

We know trees take many years, if not decades, to grow, mature and reach deep into a (receding) water table.

We know that our soils are not the most fertile and that our climate is overall dry and harsh for most of the year.

We know about the urgent need (we can’t afford to talk about “benefits” but recognise necessity) to plant, care for and

Western suburb planning defies logic

Once again Planning

Minister John Carey has exhibited a pronounced inability to respect ratepayers and public funds with his disrespectful treatment of communities in the western suburbs (CareyflushesCott’s $500k, POST, February 21).

Throwing away more than half a million dollars in ratepayers’ money does not seem to faze Mr Carey or his colleagues.

Labor leaders have shown no compunction about shifting the goalposts or making a captain’s call on planning issues if it suits them.

The map on the front page of the POST, reproduced at right, with the shaded green areas affected by proposed high density, defies logic.

The proposed areas could

have been labelled “from the river to the sea” but I am not certain if this phrase is appropriate nowadays.

There is now a clear double standard with Labor’s infill policy, because only high-priced units in the western suburbs are attracting property developers.

There is land close to train lines that could easily be developed in other suburbs, but profit levels there are not attractive to developers.

I wonder how Mr Carey will get struggling homebuyers or the homeless into apartments that will have an entry level price of at least $2million each.

preserve both native vegetation as well as other varieties of plants and trees. What follows is compellingly clear.

We need to preserve established healthy trees, everywhere, on private land, on council land, on public land in the city and in the country.

We need to recognise that “private” land is not really privately owned in the bigger picture. We occupy or have custody for such land only for a limited time, like others before us. It gets continuously handed on and needs to support and serve the needs of generations to come.

We  marvel at the ‘foresight of our forebears’ to set aside Kings Park and its rich vegetation. What are we setting aside today with “foresight” for future generations?

Are we continuously creating pocket parks, mini forests in town centres (Yagan Square was one of those missed opportunities for lush tree planting in the heart of the city) or generous green  belts and corridors around and through our suburbs?

Are we ensuring mature trees on “private” land are protected from being needlessly destroyed by a temporary landowner? It is too late to do it yesterday,  tomorrow is unknown, but today is the day we can take action.

G. Gmeinder St Leonards Street, Mosman Park

George Bowden

The Grove, Wembley

Labor has and continues to demonstrate an inability to deal with the housing crisis and ignores anyone with a different view, thanks to the majority it enjoys in Parliament. Arrogance now seems to be ingrained in the way that this government deals with any opponents.

Email le ers to: le ers@postnewspapers.com.au

Perth, lost a tree to shot-hole borer?

It’s time to replant and we are coming to your local area to help you claim your rebate. For information on what to bring along to our community kiosks, search ‘WA Tree Recovery’ or email treerecovery@dwer.wa.gov.au

Find us at the following locations:

March 17, 12.30pm–4.30pm Bay View Community Centre

64 Bay View Tce, Claremont

March 18, 12.30pm–4.30pm Bay View Community Centre

64 Bay View Tce, Claremont

March 19, 12.30pm–4.30pm AH Bracks Library Corner of Stock Road and Canning Highway, Melville

March 23, 9.30am–12 noon Glyde-In Community Learning Centre 42 Glyde St, East Fremantle

March 24, 12.30pm–3.30pm Nedlands Library 60 Stirling Hwy, Nedlands

March 25, 10am-1pm Subiaco Library 237 Rokeby Rd, Subiaco

March 26, 1pm–4pm Nedlands Library 60 Stirling Hwy, Nedlands

Scan to learn more

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Housing complaints double

By JACK MADDERN

Systemic issues with social housing left unresolved by the Department of Housing and Works have led to a near doubling of complaints to the WA Ombudsman.

Failure to manage the violence and drugs within Mosman Park’s Wellington Street social housing has been one of the most pressing issues.

Apartment tenants and neighbouring residents have seen little progress despite pleading with the police, council, and the department for help.

Brianna Lonnie, a principal assistant ombudsman, revealed that complaints about public housing and disruptive tenants had risen by 88%.

Terrified residents of 1 Wellington Street social housing asked to remain anonymous for fear they would become “dead meat” if they were identified.

They say they call the police and submit regular reports to no avail.

Whooo are you looking at?

Tawny frogmouths are often known as “masters of camouflage” for their ability to visually blend into the bark of trees.

The birds are notoriously hard to spot, as they usually choose to roost without moving when they snooze during daylight hours.

One juvenile bird at Herdsman Lake is still learn-

ing the finer points of disguise. “It’s the latest addition to our group of tawny frogmouths at Herdsman that total nine all together … that we know of,” photographer Anne Anderson said.

Tawny frogmouths are sometimes confused for owls, perhaps due to their nocturnal habits.

“We live in fear every day, just walking down the stairways or going down the elevator and not knowing what is waiting for you at the bottom,” one elderly resident said.

“I have been threatened on occasion.

“It gets bad for a few days after the drug dealers get restocked and people come and go.

“Some of us have grandchildren we can’t see and would never invite around here because of all the needles littering the ground.

“The constant violence and threats have seen a lot of good

people with nowhere to go, move out to escape this place, and they are being replaced with people who have issues this place can’t help them with.

“There are lots of people above 55 desperate for a place and not on drugs.

A motion proposed by Gill Vivian for Mosman Park to do more was carried at this month’s electors’ meeting.

“Engagement with departmental leadership has amounted to little more than lip service,” Ms Vivian said.

Mayor Paul Shaw conceded that the quarterly meetings be-

tween the Town, the department, and the police had not worked.

“I think it’s fair to say that the outcome from the meetings and advocacy we have done at the highest levels of state government politicians hasn’t been satisfactory, and that’s reflected in the community being unhappy,” he said.

“We have been saying for a long time that some of the tenants they have in there are not suitable for those tenancies.

“They need to address that, and they haven’t.

“We have suggested other remedies like caretakers, and that’s been refused as well.

“This would all be to protect their own tenants more than anyone else.”

A department spokesperson said they applied the threestrike eviction system, but that it required evidence and was ultimately decided by a magistrate.

“Complaints that meet the criteria for disruptive behaviour are investigated, and any corroborated complaints are recorded as strikes,” they said.

The tenants of 1 Wellington Street, above, are living in fear and waste, below, with little recourse left available to them.

Mammals find sanctuary at Mt Gibson

A project to restore mammal populations at a Mt Gibson wildlife sanctuary will be the topic of a talk next Friday.

Amanda Bourne leads the conservation science program at four Australian Wildlife Conservancy wildlife sanctuaries in Western Australia.

She will be guest speaker at the WA Naturalists Club meeting at the University of Western Australia, where she will talk about the Mt Gibson Mammal Restoration Project on Badimia country, in WA’s Mid-West about 280km northeast of Perth.

The team at Mt Gibson recently celebrated a significant conservation milestone with the release of the 10th locally extinct mammal species, the western quoll or chuditch, into the sanctuary.

The sanctuary is a 7828ha feral predator-proof fenced area.

Amanda will outline how another nine species of mammals released in and around the sanctuary in the past 10 years are showing good signs

of long-term viability.

She will also discuss feral predator control and the project’s opportunities and challenges.

Amanda’s work involves coordinating field-based ecologists who plan, research, carry out and monitor animal translocations.

She focuses on evidencebased decision-making in biodiversity conservation.

The Naturalists’ Club meeting will be in UWA’s Hew Roberts Lecture Theatre on Friday March 6, beginning at 7.30pm. Park on Gordon Street or at the Clifton Street entrance to the campus.

All are welcome. Entry is by a $3 donation for members and $5 non-members, which includes a ticket for the door prize.

For more information go to wanaturalists.org.au/events.

Go for a stroll at Lake Claremont

Free guided walks at Lake Claremont have started up again, with three scheduled during March.

Volunteers from Friends of Lake Claremont will lead 45-minute walks on March 5 and March 23, and a one-hour extended walk on March 14.

A spokesman for the community group said the lake is vibrant after last year’s significant winter rain.

It provides a habitat and breeding ground for the diverse wildlife in this pocket of the western suburbs, and a peaceful haven for visitors.

The walks are described as easy lakeside strolls led by knowledgeable volunteers, and offer more than just a scenic view.

They outline the area’s remarkable transformation from a rubbish tip to golf course and into a thriving biodiverse sanctuary.

The spokesman said the walks are a wonderful way to connect with nature and the local community, whether you are a regular or a first-time visitor.

Discover aspects of the area’s rich history including Noongar and European occupation, examine artworks, and observe native wildlife in this restored

environment.

All walks start at 10am. No bookings are required. Meet at the Tree of Wonder statue on the northern side of the Tee Box Cafe in Lapsley Road, Claremont.

For more information email the Friends of Lake Claremont at folc.wa@gmail.com.

A chuditch, or western quoll, pictured at Dryandra.

A detail from the mural painted on the Friends of Lake Claremont shed, at Lake Claremont.

Photo: Robin Sinclair

Home Open Saturday 28th March 3.00 - 4.00pm | Offers Closing Soon

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Set behind a limestone wall and framed by verdant, established gardens, the home rises gently from the street, creating a sense of arrival and private retreat that is increasingly rare in the heart of any suburb, let alone Cottesloe!

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Julie Fairclough 0407 174 258 jfairclough@realmark.com.au

Mitch Fairclough 0427 386 690

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•Meticulous Property Care - Through regular, detailed inspections and our network of trusted local trades, we keep your investment in top condition.

•Clear & Simple Communication - You’ll never be left wondering, we provide regular updates and straightforward reports.

•Risk Management - Our job isn’t just to collect rent and arrange repairs, it’s to actively protect your asset and manage your risk before it escalates.

Rachel Hannah 0408 415 144

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RAY WHITE COTTESLOE | MOSMAN PARK

When the Vikings ruled the waves

Hear all about the Viking Age when the National Seniors Australia western suburbs branch meets on Thursday, March 12.

Guest speaker Niels Dahl will give an overview of the Viking Age, which was during the Middle Ages from about 800 to 1050CE.

Norsemen collectively known as Vikings launched large-scale raids to colonise, conquer and trade throughout Europe.

They were the first Europeans to reach North America, where they settled in Newfoundland.

Retired geologist Niels was born in Denmark and grew up hearing tales of the Norsemen.

He studied at Copenhagen University and worked in Greenland, Norway and Sweden

Vampire Squid poetry ready for take-off

By SARAH M c NEILL

Author and UWA academic Prema Arasu is the inaugural recipient of a new travel fund award giving debut WA writers the opportunity to promote their work outside the state.

Prema works at the DeepSea Research Centre at UWA and recently published a poetry collection called Vampire Squid (Fremantle Press). The collection blends science and art to create a deeply

personal work inspired by the ocean, the creatures that dwell there, and the people who observe them.

The sponsorship, funded by the Forrest Research Foundation, allows emerging writers to promote their work nationally.

Fremantle Press CEO Alex Allan said travel costs were still a barrier to success for local writers who lacked access to opportunities to network with major industry players.

They could be erudite speakers with important things to say, but cashstrapped writing festivals, booksellers or local libraries were less likely to consider them for panels when they know they were going to have to cough up accommodation costs and airfares from WA.

“This fund challenges them all to look west and explore what our emerging storytellers have to offer,” Alex said. The Forrest Research

Foundation was established in 2014 after one of the largest philanthropic donations in Australian history was made by Andrew and Nicola Forrest through the Minderoo Foundation. The foundation drives research and innovation by awarding Forrest PhD scholarships, postdoctoral fellowships, and creative fellowships.

Vampire Squid is available now in all good bookstores and online.

before migrating to Australia where he worked in exploration and later became a teacher.

National Seniors Australia is a national not-for-profit organisation with more than 200,000 members in branches across the nation.

It aims to advocate for the rights of older Australians.

The western suburbs branch meets the second Thursday of each month at the Mt Claremont Community Centre in Montgomery Avenue.

Members and visitors are welcome from 9.30 for a 10am start.

Entry $8 for members and $15 for non-members, which includes morning tea.

The meeting concludes at noon and parking is free.

For more information phone Joseph on 0429 809 080.

A replica of the Saga Oseberg viking ship pictured in 2019 in Tonsberg, Norway.

Poet Prema Arasu is the inaugural recipient of a new travel fund to help her promote her work.

Your Luxury Coastal Property Expert

Principal Jody Fewster has welcomed Sean Gibson as Head of Sales at Ray White Cottesloe | Mosman Park

With over 15 years’ experience in the high-end, luxury property market and more than $1 billion in sales, he brings a rare international perspective to the local market, one that underpins his strategic, meticulous, and results-driven approach.

As Head of Sales at Ray White Cottesloe | Mosman Park, and a specialist in selling homes right here on our doorstep in the stunning coastal suburb of Cottesloe, you can be confident you have a consummate professional representing you at every stage.

Sean’s career spans director-level roles within award-winning boutique agencies as well as one of the world’s most respected prestige real estate brands. Drawing on experience from both operating styles, he has distilled the most effective strategies into a clear, proven blueprint for listing, creating competition and selling, one that consistently delivers outstanding results for his valued clients.

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Walk through a golden Bold Park

As summer begins to loosen its grip and the evenings grow a little milder, March is one of the most beautiful times to experience Bold Park at sunset.

The Friends of Bold Park Bushland invite all to join volunteer guides for two relaxed and informative sunset walks through the park on March 6 and 17.

The walks are free and there’s no need to register. Just turn up.

Friends member Lisa Robson said there was something magical about sunset in Bold Park.

“The harsh light softens to gold, the sea breeze drifts across the limestone ridge, and the bush begins its evening transition,” she said.

“Day-active birds call noisily as they gather for a final drink before settling into the trees.

“Insects strike up their nightly chorus. If we are lucky, we may even glimpse a boobook emerging to begin its night’s hunting.”

March is when the banksias change.

“The acorn banksias are putting on a beautiful display this year, their orange blooms catching the last of the afternoon light,” Lisa said.

Walks start from the Western Australian Ecology Centre on Perry Lakes Drive at 5.30pm.

Participants are advised to wear suitable walking shoes and to bring a torch to light the path after sunset.

Just be at the meeting point when the walk starts.

For more information go to friendsofboldpark.com.au.

Scholars look ahead

Two students at the University of Western Australia who are striving to create a sustainable future have been awarded 2026 Westpac Future Leaders Scholarships.

Max Coten completed a Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours) in Mathematics and Statistics at UWA last year.

The PhD student is now working to develop ways to better predict marine heatwaves on Ningaloo Reef.

Max, from North Fremantle, is a keen marathon swimmer and won the 35th Rottnest Channel Swim last year.

He reached the island in just over four hours – the eighth fastest crossing ever.

“Some of my fondest memories come from swimming in the ocean – from the freezing waters of the Southern Ocean to long swims off the shores of Rottnest Island – and I have developed a strong and enduring affinity for the sea,” Max said.

“This connection has shaped both my personal interests and my academic career. I am

Build a better, safer, share portfolio

A local meeting of the Australian Shareholders’ Association will hold an investors’ forum on Tuesday, March 3.

Assure Invest director Andrew Doherty will be guest speaker, to discuss how investors can build a high quality, all-seasons portfolio for less.

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He will focus on creating dynamically adjusted portfolios, appropriately diversified across high quality assets, and implemented at a lower cost and reduced risk.

The forum will be in the State Library Theatre in Perth, from 11.45am to 12.30pm.

The Australian Shareholders’

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John YaxleyMax

especially motivated by interdisciplinary research that bridges mathematics and statistics with meaningful real-world applications.”

John Yaxley completed a Bachelor of Science at UWA with a focus on agricultural science and applied human geography.

The Masters student is now developing a data-driven approach to help farmers identify the crops best suited to their land and how they can contribute to the food supply.

He said he had been to rural communities around the world and seen the beauty and hardships of smallholder farming.

“I aim to deepen my understanding of smallholder farming systems in the Asia-Pacific and explore how technology can support farm planning decisions to ensure harvests are sufficient, reliable and nutritious,” John said.

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The scholars receive funding for study and living expenses, plus leadership and mentorship programs.

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Consultations are available to be booked through the QR code.

For more information: visit our website, give us a call or come see us in person.

Coten

Two white-cheeked honeyeaters on acorn banksias.

Photo: Friends of Bold Park Bushland

Talk to a health coach for free

The WA Department of Health and the Better Health Company have teamed up to offer a series of free, one-on-one coaching sessions to improve adults’ health.

Ten phone sessions with health professionals will be available for people aged 18 and over.

Participants can benefit by losing weight, managing stress, quitting smoking, drinking less alcohol, eating a more nutritious diet, being more active or simply feeling better day to day.

The Better Health Coaching Service aims to help people to make realistic and lasting lifestyle changes.

Do you dig gardening?

Green thumbs are invited to apply for one of two new teams of volunteers being set up by the Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority and the Friends of Kings Park community group.

Thirty more people are needed to swell the ranks of the 400 or so gardening volunteers who helped out in Kings Park and Bold Park last year.

One new team will help care for a landscape of resilient plants, and the other will help staff to create a seed orchard.

The opportunities will suit active, mobile people who are comfortable with moderate gardening activities in natural places, in most types of weather.

Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority volunteer program coordinator Inger Thompson said applicants are not required to have a

A WA Department of Health report said in 2022 that one in three adults were classified as overweight and a further 37.9% were obese.

The report also said more than 21% of adults had been diagnosed with a mental health condition in the previous year, and high cholesterol, high blood pressure and heart disease were common.

Smoking, drinking too much alcohol, and a poor diet continued to cause poor health across the state.

For more information go to betterhealthcoaching.com.au or phone the Better Health Company on 1300 822 953.

Windmills to make the fun go round

Epilepsy WA volunteers on Monday with handmade purple windmllls for the fun day.

Hundreds of handmade purple windmills will add to the festive atmosphere when Epilepsy WA holds its Purple Walk 4 Epilepsy WA and Family Fun Day on March 22.

A total of 500 spinning, hand-held windmills were made for children by volunteers who gathered at Epilepsy WA’s Nedlands office on Monday this week.

A spokeswoman for Epilepsy WA said the

deep knowledge of native plants, because there will be on-the-job learning.

But they do need to be 18 years and over.

“Both teams will end their volunteering session by having a chat over a cuppa at the volunteer hub in Kings Park,” Inger said.

“Volunteering is a great way to connect with likeminded people and make

Each week, the POST lists tradespeople who provide every kind of household service, from unblocking drains to unravelling the mysteries of your new television.They’ll do your books, clean or paint your house, landscape the garden, do handyman repairs or build an entire house.

Readers tell us they’ve carried out major extensions and renovations just by using the POST Trades & Services directory near the back pages of every edition. To advertise, email robyn@postnewspapers.com.au

So support POST advertisers - they make your free local paper possible.

friends.

“Many of our volunteers have been working with others in their teams for decades. A bonus is working in the beautiful outdoors. Research says it is good for you.”

The resilient landscape volunteers will meet fortnightly on Monday mornings 8 to 10am.

The other new team will help care for transition beds along the Mt Eliza scarp between the Bali Memorial and the State War Memorial, every

Tuesday from 7 to 9am.

Here horticultural staff are working to develop viable ecological communities, with careful planting to allow a “seed orchard” to develop.

The seeds will be harvested to propagate seedlings for revegetation programs throughout the park.

Expressions of interest must be lodged before March 20, and volunteer induction will be on March 24.

For more information email Inger at volunteer@ bgpa.wa.gov.au.

Don’t be the fall guy

Learn ways to stay firmly on your feet with a talk in Peppermint Grove this Tuesday.

The West Coast Community Centre will present guest speaker Henry Chambers, from the UWA Exercise and Performance Centre.

His talk, titled “Don’t let a fall stop you: Strong, Steady and Safe”, is designed for those who want to feel more confident on their feet.

Henry’s view is that while falls can be common as we get older, they are not an inevitable part of ageing.

He will cover why balance and strength change over time, the benefits of strength training, and how to reduce the risks of falls

in the home.

He will recommend simple exercises attendees can use straight away to improve their balance, and suggest small changes that can help people stay active and confident, to enjoy doing the things they love for years to come.

The talk will be in the Grove Library Precinct Community Room at 1 Leake Street, Peppermint Grove, at 10am.

Cost $12 for members of West Coast Community Centre and $17 nonmembers.

Enrol in advance online by going to westcoastcommunity.com.au and selecting the “Programme” tab, or just turn up on the day and pay at the door.

volunteers’ day was a hive of activity.

Many of the volunteers had a lived experience of epilepsy, which affects one in 25 Australians.

Epilepsy WA CEO Emma Buitendag said the organisation’s volunteers were the heartbeat of the epilepsy community.

“Seeing everyone come together to create these windmills reminds us of the incredible impact our community can make,” she said.

“These small acts will

make a big difference for the children attending our Purple Walk and Family Fun Day.”

Epilepsy WA is in Suite B at The Niche in Lotteries House, 11 Aberdare Road, Nedlands. The Purple Walk 4 Epilepsy WA and Family Fun Day will be at Curtin University’s Edinburgh Oval South on Sunday March 22. For more information phone 1300 660 880, email epilepsy@epilepsywa.asn. au or visit epilepsywa. asn.au.

Bowling

Cambridge

Wednesday Feb. 18: 1st

Phil Werrett, Cliff Racey, Audrey Belotte; 2nd Steve Parsons, Rosemary Goddard, Chuck Belotte.

Friday Feb. 20: Winners Ken Alford, Paula Poynter, Kerry Atherton.

Saturday Feb. 21: 1st Jay Medhat, Steve Parsons, Ted Delaney; 2nd Chris Westergren, Cliff Racey, Pat Lee.

Members and visitors are welcome Friday nights for social bowls and a meal at the Skyline restaurant.

Last Saturday’s theme night was Little Italy and another theme night is in the works.

Hollywood Subiaco

Tuesday Feb.17: Ladies teams played at Cockburn. Margaret McHugh, Jeannine Millsteed, Anne Ormsby, Ron Palmer lost 13-37; Usha Nigam, Dave Leeson, Lesley Langley, Dot Leeson finished 20-21.

Thursday Feb.19: 2Gold travelled to North Beach. David Allport, Jim West, George Sterpini, Glen Morey lost 18-20; George Savage, Jeannette Middleton, Milton Byass, Rob Campbell lost 1422; Craig Hirsch, Mike Basford, Kim Jefferis, Tony Byrne lost 21-27. Saturday Feb.21: 2Gold were at home to Innaloo. Craig Hirsch, Chris Litchfield, Milton Byass, Kim Jefferis won 2516; Billy Gerlach, Mark Wilde, Stuart Porter, Rob Campbell lost 13-20; Beck Byrne, Dan Byrne, David Byrne, Tony Byrne won

22-17; David Allport, Jim West, George Sterpini, Glen Morey won 25-22. 5Gold were at home to Warwick: George Savage, Mark Petterson, Mike Basford, Haydn Lowe won 17-14; Dave Leeson, Ron Palmer, Alan Evans, Wally Graham lost 12-34; Vern Jones, Phil Hobbs, Dot Leeson, Jeannette Middleton lost 13-27.

Last week the club hosted the True North Ladies Masters singles bowls tournament, organised by Lisa Featherby. Each competitor had won a club championship previously. The standard of bowling was very high, and Mosman Park ladies were well represented. In the quarter-finals Kerry Hutchinson defeated Jeannie Gullotti; Therese Hastings lost to Jenny Parker; Ester Forbes lost to Diane Hudson; Lisa Featherby defeated Lisa Smith. Semi-finals: Lisa Featherby defeated Jenny Parker; Kerry Hutchinson lost to Diane Hudson. Final: Diane Hudson beat Lisa Featherby 25-21. Wednesday Scroungers were played under full lights on a lovely evening. Trish de Bouvre defeated Liz Walker in a close final. Ladies Tuesday premier team is second on the ladder. Ladies Div 1 and Div 2 are struggling. Open gender Div 5 White are 4th on the ladder. Only a social membership is required to play mahjong Thursdays 9am. All welcome.

Mosman Park

From left: Volunteer Martin Revell, BGPA executive director Morgan Marsh, Friends of Kings Park president Chris Olney and volunteer Tony Scalzo. Both volunteers are former Friends of Kings Park presidents, who last year celebrated 30 years of volunteering with the Friends.

Health concerns over plastic mulch

A global team of scientists has proposed a major overhaul of the use of plastic mulch in agriculture, to ensure the practice can keep boosting crop yields without harming human health and the environment.

A press release issued by the University of Western Australia said plasticulture, as the practice of using plastic mulch is called, has been hailed as a lifeline for food security because it has increased crop production by up to 30% and improved water efficiency by almost 50%.

It has also been identified as a key technology to meet global food demand by 2050.

“But although the practice has delivered significant gains in yields, land productivity and resource efficiency, the associated pollution has raised serious concerns for ecological and human health,” the press release stated.

“With persistent plastic residues accumulating in agricultural soils and microscopic

fragments entering food chains via soil, water and crops, the technology’s damaging sideeffects have highlighted the need for coordinated responses across scientific, regulatory and farming communities.”

UWA academics contributed to a new global study published in the journal Nature Communication, which sets out six ways plastic mulch could be used in agriculture in a more sustainable way.

The study proposes the use of AI to advise where and when plastic mulches are applied, bioengineered “smart” mulches, and global “plastic offset” mechanisms.

The study was co-authored by the director of UWA’s Institute of Agriculture, Hackett Professor Kadambot Siddique, with collaborators from China, the US, Canada, Morocco, Japan and Switzerland.

If farms used AI to advise where and when to use plastic mulch it “could more than halve plastic use” without compromising on food yield, the study found.

“At the same time advances in material innovation, including biodegradable films and organic-based alternatives, offer the potential to cut longterm soil contamination and environmental impact,” Prof. Siddique said.

The paper also recommended ways to track plastics across farming systems and prevent plastic waste from escaping into the environment.

Go toe to toe with tango

The acclaimed Hyperion Ensemble is to perform at Perth Town Hall in April as part of the Perth Tango Festival.

The full-scale live tango orchestra will play An Afternoon of Tango on Sunday April 19.

It follows a free, onehour dance class for people to give tango a try.

The Hyperion Ensemble is composed of tango musicians from Italy and Argentina and will play from 3pm to 4.30, presented by the Perth Tango Club.

Artistic director Bruno

Fiorentini said this would be the group’s first time in Australia.

Perth Tango Festival director Adriaan Bal said tango orchestras of this scale were not often heard in Perth.

The free tango class will be at 1pm, led by the Juan Rando Dance Academy. Perth Tango Festival will run from April 15 to 22 and include classes, performances and social dances.

For more information, and to book tickets, go to humanitix.com and search An Afternoon of Tango.

March in March against melanoma

Take steps to help save lives from melanoma by joining the Melanoma March on March 15.

This will be the 15th year the Melanoma Institute of Australia has held its annual national fundraising march.

In Perth it will be at Taylor

Reserve in Victoria Park.

The family-friendly day brings people together to help raise vital funds for melanoma research.

An MIA spokesperson said melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer and Australia has

the highest melanoma rates in the world. One person is diagnosed with melanoma every 30 minutes and one dies from the disease every six hours. It is the most common cancer affecting Australians aged 20 to 39 years.

The spokesperson said that less than a decade ago patients diagnosed with advanced melanoma rarely survived more than a few months; today close to 60% of advanced melanoma patients were surviving, thanks to treatments stemming from research supported by MIA.

These included targeted drug therapies, immunotherapies and more recent “neoadjuvant” or pre-surgery immunotherapy. For more information, to register, or to donate go to melanomamarch.org.au.

Find us on Scarborough Beach Road. Look for the dark blue and white building.

Agricultural land topped with strips of plastic mulch. Support research into melanoma treatments by walking on March 15.

Give tango a try at the Perth Tango Festival.

51 Ballyneal Loop, Dunsborough

Great Dame of theatre mourned

Actors and supporters of Wembley Theatre are mourning the death of one of its beloved lead performers.

Theatre company director Bryce Manning said actor Peter Niblett succumbed recently to cancer, aged 59.

Peter was an Englishborn actor who had a natural affinity for pantomimes.

“He was a powerful presence on stage and brought immense joy to many people as he voraciously consumed the role

of the Dame,” Bryce said.

“As they say, Dames are born to the role, not made.

“Peter played the role of the Dame for the Wembley Theatre Company for the past 20 years.

“He was a joy to work with and his gentle teaching of panto skills to others in the cast will be sorely missed.”

Bryce said the community theatre’s pantomime this year would be Cinderella, performed in Peter’s memory.

“His passing has left a void in the theatre company that cannot be filled,” he said.

“Our profound condolences to his loving partner Jo, and his vast family.”

Go global with International Voice Choir

The Perth International Voice Choir invites community members of all ages and backgrounds to join their next rehearsal on Wednesday in Cottesloe.

Whether you’re an experienced vocalist or simply someone who loves to sing, you’ll find a warm and welcoming musical home.

The choir aims to provide a friendly, inclusive atmosphere under music director Evgenia Moore.

No audition is required. New singers are encouraged to come along at 7.15pm on Wednesday, March 4, meet the

group, and experience the joy of singing together.

Genia said members enjoyed the music and the sense of com-

Discover a little more about Bob Hawke College in a See Subi on Sunday free guided walk next weekend.

The walk will be led by school principal John Burke.

Bob Hawke College is built on the site of Kitchener Park and uses Subiaco Oval for its own sporting activities.

It opened in 2020 as WA’s first high-density public secondary school, and is described as aiming to create an innovative learning environment for students, with state-of-the-art facilities.

The first intake of 250 students graduated in 2025, and about 2000 students are attending the school this year.

Walkers are invited to meet at the corner of Coghlan and Subiaco roads, Subiaco, at 1.30pm on Sunday March 8.

munity the choir provides. For more information or to register your interest phone Genia on 0449 192 165.

There’s no need to book or register. Just turn up.

The walk which will take approximately 90 minutes.

Bob Hawke College campus.

LEFT: Peter Niblett. FAR LEFT: Peter, centre, as The Stepmother in a Wembley Theatre production of Cinderella.

Members of the International Voice Choir, pictured, invite others to join the friendly group.

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POST to print Bridgetown newspaper

By Tom Zaunmayr

Bridgetown’s community newspaper will hit the streets for the first time in nearly two years through a printing deal with POST Newspapers’ interests.

Semi-retired journalist

Mark Schneider founded the Bridgetown Greenbushes Star as a digital news outlet in 2020 and moved into print in 2021.

But the paper folded two years later when Mr Schneider could not find a new printer following the shuttering of IVE Group’s press in Mandurah.

He said every country town deserved a professional newspaper.

“I think I have printer’s ink running through my blood,” he said.

“I just love doing news-

McGowan to monitor South Perth council

By Sam Jones

Murdoch University chancellor and Nedlands resident Gail McGowan has become WA’s third local government monitor after being appointed to address issues at South Perth.

Local Government inspector Tony Brown said Ms McGowan, the chair of WA Cricket, would be appointed immediately to oversee the council and administration.

Ms McGowan previously served as director general of the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage.

Her appointment is for two months but can be extended if deemed necessary. South Perth will pay her $900 daily fee.

A monitor’s role includes observing meetings, including closed sessions, inspecting documents, and reviewing governance practices.

It was introduced as part of landmark local government reforms designed to improve accountability, decisionmaking, and transparency across the sector.

Under the reforms, the inspector can investigate complaints, issue

papers, love the writing, the photography, the layout, and having a finger on the pulse.

“I was really upset when the whole thing went belly up.

“When [POST printer] Fair Maiden started I thought about it carefully for about 15 seconds.

“I decided I was going to sell my framing business, which wasn’t going well anyway, and start the Star up again.”

The Bridgetown-Greenbushes Star’s first front page splash on its return will probe the impact of mining exploration between Bridgetown and Nannup.

The Star will be printed by Fair Maiden Press, which was established by the POST last year in the fallout of Australian Community Media’s axing of its four print mastheads in the South-West.

infringements of up to $1000, intervene where potential issues are identified, and recommend the dismissal of a council or council member to the Local Government Minister.

Former Claremont chief executive Liz Ledger became South Perth CEO last year.

That decision led to the closure of IVE Group’s press, which left Seven West Media’s Colourpress as the state’s only facility able to produce newspapers.

The POST, Fremantle Herald and Nine Entertainment were critical of SWM’s newfound print monopoly to the extent that Nine stopped printing the Australian Financial Review in WA, citing an “abuse of power”.

SWM argued at the time printing cost increases were due to high demand for its service, and that the AFR was competing for space with SWM’s regional publications.

POST business manager Louis Bailey said the company was eager to back independent community media outfits.

“We see a critical importance of having these

independent voices in WA,” he said.

“I would also encourage people in Bridgetown and Greenbushes to support Mark’s endeavour, because it is really important to the fabric of the community.”

Fair Maiden Press prints the POST, the Examiner, the Echo, the Fremantle Herald/Perth Voice, The Light Australia, Northam Advertiser and the Bridgetown Greenbushes Star.

Mr Bailey said Fair Maiden was seeking to expand its business.

“We are in a position that we are comfortable with taking on more work and still deliver a high-quality product,” he said.

“The beauty with web offset presses is that they can produce a lot of newspapers in a very short period of time.”

CBC sells West Perth o ices

By Claire Tyrrell

Christian Brothers have sold two West Perth office properties for $22.5million after 40 years of ownership.

The charitable institution sold 16 Ord Street for $15.1million to local investors and 52 Kings Park Road for $7.4million to developer Stati Group.

The Ord Street property is a threestorey office building and is 80% occupied by multiple tenants.

The recently refurbished property has 1050sq.m floorplates and is on a 2164sq.m corner block.

The property was bought by 16 Ord Street Pty Ltd, which ASIC shows is jointly owned by Christopher Glass, Michele and Andrew Mackeller, and Nicholas Heaton.

Urban Investment Group purchased the Kings Park Road asset, which is fully leased to several companies including B Strata and Accru Perth.

ASIC shows that Urban Investment Group is owned by Liana Stati, who is

linked to Bentley-based developer Stati Group.

CBRE’s Nicholas Volk said interest was strong in properties under $50million.

He said the buyers of the West Perth properties would benefit from improving CBD and fringe leasing markets, with office vacancy levels trending down.

The imminent completion of Hancock Prospecting’s West Perth headquarters would also improve leasing prospects and boost local activity, he added.

Louis Bailey manages the Fair Maiden printing press.

Murdoch University chancellor Gail McGowan has become WA’s third local government monitor.

Photo: Murdoch University

16 Ord Street. Photo: CBRE

Sarah McNeill sarah@postnewspapers.com.au

Age-old opera through feminine eyes

SARAH McNEILL

“You’ve got to love suitcases,” said Perth

mezzo soprano Ashlyn Tymms, who will travel between Sydney, Perth and Queensland for opera productions this year, as well as heading to Berlin in April and Europe at the end of the year.

Late last year, Ashlyn won the 2025 Opera Awards, a prize valued at $30,000.

The annual awards, held in Melbourne, attracted the largest field of entrants in nearly 20 years, with an intense process that included a singing audition and an interview.

“I had no expectations,” Ashlyn admitted, “but I thought going through the process of an audition was a useful thing to do.”

The prize is designed

to help opera performers develop their careers, and Ashlyn plans to go to Europe in October to spend more time than she can usually afford, meeting and singing for agents and working with singing coaches, to see what opportunities there are for roles.

She returned home to Perth from London during COVID lockdowns and began singing with WA Opera, one of the few companies in the world that continued with productions during worldwide lockdowns.

In 2022, she debuted in the title role of WAO’s Carmen. She made her Opera Australia debut last year in Cendrillon and later performed the role of Jezibaba in Rusalka, directed by Sarah Giles who also directs WAO’s

production of La Traviata next month.

“Sarah is a very creative director,” said Ashlyn, who returns to Perth to sing the role of Flora in La Traviata, which she performed recently for Opera Australia. “She is innovative and fearless, and tackles age-old operas through the eyes of a woman.”

Sarah says Verdi’s famous opera has always been told from the point of view of the men in the

courtesan Violetta’s life.

“It is a viewpoint which reflects power, privilege, dominance and financial transaction,” she says. “It is very ready to be seen from a female perspective and reclaim the character of Violetta.

“I find that examining the present through the prism of another era is extremely useful. We learn so much about present selves from our collective pasts.”

■ Opera singer Ashlyn

is getting used to living out of a suitcase as she travels the world to perform.

Her feminist version of La Traviata was last seen in Perth in 2022, featuring Swanbourne soprano Samantha Clarke.

Fun with mirrors for SxS

SARAH McNEILL

Claremont artist Andrew Farmer wants his colourful, reflective cube to look as though it has just fallen from the sky on to Cottesloe beach.

In his first entry for Sculpture by the Sea, Andrew has created his first large 3-D work, a plywood timber cube covered with mirrored acrylic sheets. Each side is a different colour – gold, red, teal, rose gold, silver and purple.

It will sit tilted on one edge in the sand, reflecting at odd angles the beach scene, the sky, water and viewer.

“I like the idea that the

viewer becomes part of the art,” said Andrew, who has become well known for his colourful resin mirrors.

He began making art only six years ago after an officebound career with international accounting firm Price Waterhouse Cooper.

“I had just had enough,” Andrew said.

He took time out to spend time with his family and bought himself some cheap paints to amuse himself.

“I lost myself for eight hours painting, and realised that was what I wanted to do,” he said.

Then he discovered resin as a medium and began making

resin mirrors in striking geometric patterns.

He was quickly picked up by galleries in Madrid and Antwerp, and post-COVID is now represented in galleries in Melbourne and Sydney.

When he dreamt up the idea of a mirrored cube, instantly picked up by Sculpture by the Sea, he engaged the help of a friend, artist and fabricator Simon Greetham, to help with the engineering aspects of calculating perfect edges and building a triangled steel brace to bury in the sand to hold the cube on angle.

“He’s my Dr Watson,” Andrew said.

performing from March 14 to 28.

indoor exhibition. Sculpture by the Sea opens next Friday, March 6, on Cottesloe beach.

■ Jessica Blunt makes her debut as Violetta in WAO’s return season at His Majesty’s Theatre,

Tymms

Photo: Dave Fowler

■ Director Sarah Giles views the glitter and glamour of La Traviata from a more feminist perspective.

Photo: Jade Ferguson

Andrew is also making two smaller versions of his Homage to The Cube for Sculpture by the Sea’s

■ “We want this,” Sculpture by the Sea told Andrew Farmer when he submitted an AI version of his mirrored cube idea.

■ Claremont mirror artist Andrew Farmer.

Opera in the movies

SARAH McNEILL

In the movie Pretty Woman, Edward (Richard Gere), takes Vivian (Julia Roberts) to her first opera. It is Verdi’s La Traviata, and Vivian is spellbound when Violetta sings Sempre Libera.

In Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation, the famous aria Nessun Dorma is being sung as Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise), tries to foil an assassination at the Vienna State Opera.

In The Shawshank Redemption, The Marriage of Figaro is played through the prison’s speakers

in an act of defiance.

The passion and drama of opera is a natural pairing with the heightened emotions in movies, and Freeze Frame Opera’s first concert of the year journeys through some of the best and most popular opera arias used in films.

Other iconic operatic moments from films include Priscilla Queen of the Desert, The Untouchables and Gallipoli, with music including Ride of the Valkyries (Wagner), The Barber of Seville (Rossini), Carmen (Bizet) and Lakme (Delibes).

The show stars sopranos Sara Macliver, Prudence Sanders, Hattie Marshall, mezzo soprano Caitlin Cassidy, baritone Lachlan Higgins (The Trial) and tenors Jun Zhang and Kohsei Gilkes, accompanied by cinematic projections and dramatic lighting.

■ FFO’s first performance in 2016 was Opera at the Movies in Fremantle, and the company returns with Opera at the Movies for its 10th anniversary, at Quarry Amphitheatre in City Beach on March 13 and 14. Book through freezeframeopera.com.

Shaking off the bonds of fornication

The story of the 18th Century evangelical Shakers and their founder Ann Lee (Amanda Seyfried) is a mesmerising screen experience, if not quite transcendent.

It’s the work of director Mona Fastvold, who co-wrote with her partner in life and filmmaking, Brady Corbet (The Brutalist), and is an ambitious, visually impressive film that’s all the more unusual in its seamless execution as a period musical.

Its soundtrack of soaring, percussive Shaker hymns (by composer Daniel Blumberg, who won an Oscar for The Brutalist) and Seyfried’s angelic voice is accompanied by rhythmic chest pumps, foot-stomping and wildly choreographed (Celia Rowlson-Hall) ecstatic writhing – none of which for even a moment feels out of place.

It begins with a glimpse into Ann’s childhood, her compulsion to both hard work and devout worship, natural leadership, and quiet horror at her father’s nocturnal grunting atop her mother.

Her spiritual quest leads her to a group known as the Shaking Quakers for

their trembling, vigorous devotional moves and she marries Abraham (Christopher Abbott), but each of their four children dies in infancy.

In her grief, Ann has a revelation: it’s the act of “fornication” that prevents spiritual enlightenment.

It’s a new tenet that her Shaker acolytes, including her gay brother William (Lewis Pullman) take to heart – her husband is less convinced – and they set out from Manchester to America to spread the word.

Fastvold charts a fascinating story, propelled by devotional music but perhaps hindered by the unwavering piety of its central character, which remains static throughout.

According to the end titles, the Shakers – best known for their furniture design – eventually peaked at more than 6000 members. By last year, according to Wikipedia, there were just three; no doubt due to the no-fornication rule.

The Testament of Ann Lee will not convert nonbelievers; it’s a curious, somewhat repetitive experience. But when it comes to the filmmaking vision of Fastvold and Corbet, my faith is intact.

My friend of seven years says he has been in love with me for the past four years. He didn’t date anyone else even though I was married and never reciprocated his feelings. During this time my husband and I had lots of problems, including miscarriages and separations.

In difficult times I turned to this friend because I felt close to him. He always thought we might become romantically involved. But I was never attracted to him as more than a friend. Until lately.

Four months ago my husband and I separated, then a month ago I went back home. That crushed my friend’s heart. Now I’ve decided I want a divorce, but in the meantime my friend began dating someone else.

I never realised I had feelings for him until he started dating her, and I told him I’m ready to give us an honest shot.

To my surprise he said no, because I had disappointed him so many times.

wayneandtamara.com

He is with her all the time, kissing and hugging. Is it possible for someone who supposedly loved you for four years to stop in a month? Or is there any possibility he may give me a chance in the near future?

Terri

Terri, you ask if your friend can be in love with this woman in just a month. Isn’t that exactly what you are telling us –that in just a month you fell in love with him? And that was only after you decided to end a bad marriage. Your feelings are not love, but abandonment, irritation and need.

Over time this man has realised you led him on and used him as a crutch in your marriage.

Wayne & Tamara

• Need some advice? Write to writedirectanswers@gmail.com

The Testament of Ann Lee (M)

PIER LEACH

■ A soaring percussive soundtrack accompanies Ann Lee’s (Amanda Seyfried) spiritual conversion.

■ Sara Mcliver sings for the silver screen.

Hark back to Tudor stylings

The owner knew about this 1928 house with distinctive turrets long before she held the keys.

“She had grown up hearing her mother’s stories of going to parties there – evenings hosted by its then owner, a university professor,” agent Pauline Fermanis said.

So when the property came up for sale in the 1970s, it felt like fate.

“The owner was in medical school at the time, and to cover expenses and survive, she rented out two of the three bedrooms,” Ms Fermanis said.

the rear.

Period-style pendant lights contrast with modern elements such as stone benchtops and a floating, stainless-steel rangehood.

Windows and doors on two sides look out to the back garden with mature trees and enough lawn down the side to kick a footy.

The laundry is often overlooked when renovating, but the owner ensured there was plenty of storage and practicality in the large room near the kitchen.

Ms Fermanis said having a choice of main bedrooms was a masterstroke.

$2.76million SHENTON PARK

27 Coalesce Lane

A lift is among the features of this near-new home on a 205sq.m site in Montario Quarter, the former Shenton Park rehab hospital site.

AGENT: John Hunter, William Porteous Properties International.

$2.85million WEST LEEDERVILLE

79A Blencowe Street

The sale of this duplex with a modern alfresco and pool area set a record for the street, property records show.

AGENT: Tonia McNeilly, Tonia McNeilly Property.

$5.2million MOSMAN PARK

32 Hutchinson Avenue

There are 180-degree river views from this 4x3 on a 569sq.m site in the Minim Cove estate.

The house was built at a time when the local Road Board introduced a bylaw preventing construction in any material other than brick.

ing beams, stained-glass windows and picture rails.

It has elements associated with the TudorRevival style of architecture, which is known for its decorative features such as dark wood ceil-

A series of renovations over the years have increased the size of the home and restored the original features.

The most recent update was about two years ago when the kitchen and bathrooms were refurbished.

Timber-panelled ceilings from the 1928 section flow through to the large, open-plan kitchen area at

Take your pick from a large ground-floor bedroom with period features or the upstairs bedroom which is more like an apartment because it has a living space and study area.

“The flexible floorplan was designed to evolve with every stage of life,” she said.

“It is one of those rare homes that would be ideal for multi-generational living.”

AGENTS: Peter Burns and Sydney O’Connell, Mack Hall Real Estate.

$5.4million SWANBOURNE

11 Saladin Street

This heritage-listed house is on a 1664sq.m site with a separate 3x1 apartment and a renovated railway carriage used for accommodation.

CONTACT:

AGENT: Cam McGregor, Abel Property.

■ Two staircases lead up to two towers in this 1928 home renovated to a high standard by the owner, a doctor.

Pioneering winery up for grabs

Succession planning is a hot topic for farmers and others with family businesses. Who will take over when we retire? It is one of the many dilemmas parents face when it’s time to hand the baton to the next generation. Some families decide to sell – and that’s one of the reasons why Capel Vale winery is on the market. Patriarch Dr Peter Pratten, one of the early pioneers of the WA wine industry, started the Capel winery in 1974. The property in Mallokup Road has a total planted area of 6.04ha that includes malbec, chardonnay, shiraz and merlot. The winery has a crush capacity of up to 2500 tonnes, tank and barrel storage of about three million litres and a bottling line capable of 6300 bottles an hour. A cellar door and hospitality facilities

are part of the package. Selling agent Nick Goode of Colliers said he had received “signi cant” interest from local and national buyers. The 9.72ha property is advertised without a price. For more details, phone 0430 302 825.

UK warning about social inequality

The UK is a basket case, if you believe British economist and author Gary Stevenson who will be at the Regal Theatre in Subiaco on March 2 as part of his Australian speaking tour. He wants to drum up support for his global cause to narrow the inequality gap between rich and poor. “I want to show Australians what is happening in the UK, what is happening in Europe,” he told ABC reporter David Taylor. “Public services being shut down, poverty exploding. That will happen [in Australia] unless we deal

POST Property writer Julie Bailey would like to hear your real estate news. Email julie@postnewspapers.com.au or follow Instagram@juliebailey_property

■ There has been “signi cant” interest from local and national buyers in Capel Vale winery, according to agent Nick Goode.

with inequality.” With 1.5million YouTube followers, Mr Stevenson is passionate about inequality, especially in the housing market. His solution is simple: “If you want housing to be affordable, you need to deal with inequality, and you need to have a tax system that taxes the very wealthy more than ordinary working people.”

Couple pre-empt City Beach auction

A Floreat couple put in a knockout offer to stop a south City Beach house going to auction last weekend. The renovated house at 3 Boscombe Avenue went under offer two days before the scheduled auction, agent Georgia Robertson of Whitefox said. “They wanted their offer to shut the auction down and it did,” she said. The sale price was not disclosed. The mid centurystyle house is in a prime spot on an

812sq.m site opposite Helston Park. Property records show designer Sinead Mills of Sinead Mills Design paid a touch over $2.5million for it about a year ago. A major renovation with a pool, sauna and large indoor-outdoor entertaining area transformed the home in just 10 months. In other results:

DAGLISH: 15 Richardson Terrace went to an Irish doctor and his family for $2.15million. Agent Hayden Groves, of Ray White, described it as a lively auction with the usual crowd of “friends, lovers and others”. The 4x2 is on a 653sq.m site.

DALKEITH: 6 Minora Road was sold for $3.615million, agent Vivien Yap said. The 1939 house on a 1052sq.m site is expected to be demolished.

MtCLAREMONT: 4 Bromilow Green was knocked down to $2.15million. Matthew Yap of Ray White sold the 4x2 on a 564sq.m site.

NEDLANDS: 138 Dalkeith Road was passed in for $5million. Ms Yap is the agent for the 2009 home which was renovated by Melbourne rm Trethowan Heritage.

■ The back

was

Top-to-bottom renewal

3

Branksome Gardens

ers

White

Apassion for renovating and design is woven through this house around the corner from the beach.

Owner Jaime Smith spent three years planning, refining and sourcing highend materials and fittings for her family home backing onto a park and City Beach Tennis Club.

This was no quick cosmetic flip – it was a meticulous, slow-burn renovation where everything from the kitchen to the pool and garden are new.

“The main objective from the outset was to make sure every space was practical and purposeful,” Jaime said.

“This began with combining two smaller bedrooms into one larger, more usable bedroom, along with introducing additional storage throughout the home.

“As the property sits on 582sq.m of land, it was equally important to preserve a sense of openness, ensuring the home remained surrounded by generous garden areas.”

What was a dated 1970s house with small bedrooms is now a contemporary abode with three spacious bedrooms, each with an ensuite and storage.

Striking lights from Mobilia and Alti, Japanese tiles, marble and travertine are on the long list of features Jaime sourced from suppliers popular with architects and designers.

The heart of the home is a kitchen and dining area where industrial-style steel doors and windows look out to an alfresco space with a pizza oven, barbecue, TV and pool.

Plenty of thought went into the design of the garden which has mature dragon and frangipani trees sourced by landscape designer Luke McCarter.

C ONTACT: Emma Milner 0421 213 000.

■ Built-in seats, pendant lights from Mobilia and walnut cabinets are stylish elements in the kitchen and dining area.

■ As well as a new pool, the back garden has a gate that opens to Frinton Park.

■ Steel-framed windows and doors are industrial-style features.

■ A crowd turned out for the auction of a Daglish house that went to an Irish doctor for $2.15million.

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among the features of this south City Beach house, which was snapped up before its scheduled auction.

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River stairway to tread softly

• From page 11

from the approved infrastructure constructed in the public place during the period when any works are being carried out”.

Bluetooth stalker avoids jail

months in prison, but the sentence was conditionally suspended for 18 months.

The Rowe Group – acting for the Frys – wrote to the Trust and Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions last August asking for the indemnity condition to be dropped.

“Providing and encouraging access for the general public to the stairway and landing areas was specifically requested by the representatives from the Swan Canning Waterways Branch and is not resisted by our client,” Rowe Group director George Hajigabriel said.

“Our client also does not resist the requirement for ongoing management and maintenance of the works and landscaping

“Unfortunately, our client is not able to accept an obligation to indemnify the City of Nedlands from damage or injury arising from the works.

“Our client has made enquiries with his insurer and has been advised that they will not provide such coverage.”

The Frys paid $16.5million for the existing riverfront house four years ago, making it the most expensive house sold in WA in 2022.

Nedlands council approved an application for a lavish new house at the Jutland Parade address in January 2024.

The couple made their fortune by supplying Rapid Antigen Tests to the state government during the COVID pandemic.

distress and fear during those periods,” Sen. Const. van Andel said.

Gauvin’s lawyer, Katherine Dowling, said her client was remorseful and embarrassed.

“He sincerely apologises for his conduct and is profoundly embarrassed and ashamed to be in a situation like this,” she said.

“He wishes to get his life back on track with the assistance of the court.”

Gauvin submitted 15 character references including one from his current employer who, despite knowing his charges, said they would continue to sponsor his visa.

Mr Randazzo described Gauvin’s actions as a “very serious case of stalking”.

“Fines and community orders would not mark the seriousness of the offence and would not send a sufficient deterrent message to others,” he said.

He sentenced Gauvin to 15

He also fined Gauvin $750 for assaulting his then girlfriend during an argument at Kings Park in May 2023.

“The accused pushed the complainant, causing her to fall to the ground,” Sen. Const. van Andel told the court.

Mr Randazzo refused the prosecutor’s motion to have Mr Gauvin registered as a family domestic violence offender.

Sen. Const. van Andel argued the sustained stalking constituted repeat offending on its own, but Mr Randazzo said Gauvin’s lack of a criminal record meant he did not meet the threshold.

That meant Gauvin avoided being electronically monitored, but the restraining order prohibiting contact with his former girlfriend remained in place.

Outside court, Gauvin told the POST to “f*ck off”.

Renovating or repairing

• From page 5

He ruined lives

• From page 1

Justice Amanda Forrester said that “while the collision was no fault of his, he feels guilty that Elizabeth lost her life in his car”.

“[Elizabeth’s] father has described the grief that he feels for himself, his wife, and his remaining daughter, and says that none of that had diminished in the year since her tragic death,” she said.

Tracey Pearce, too, said that none of the grief had left her.

“Barely a year has gone by, and it is clear that her loss remains just as raw and devastating as ever, and will continue to be so for a very long time to come,” Justice Forrester told Bellinge.

“Knowing what you did in the leadup to killing her daughter sickens me.”

The judge said Elizabeth’s sister was in the eastern states and “quite alone” when she learned of her sister’s death. She now suffered regular panic attacks.

“Elizabeth’s partner tells of his love for her, her absence leaves him feeling undone and often disconnected from the world around him,” she said.

“You ruined all of those lives, Mr Bellinge, as well as your own.”

Bellinge blew 0.183 – nearly four times the legal limit – at the scene of the crash.

He later returned a blood alcohol level of 0.222 in a hospital blood test, suggesting he had about four standard drinks of unabsorbed alcohol in his system while driving.

An open bottle of rum was found in Bellinge’s car, which he could be heard swigging from in the dashcam footage.

The Pearce family watched in court for hours as Bellinge’s lawyer, David Grace, argued that his client had suffered an “altered mind state” as a reaction to an antidepressant, sertraline, that he had been prescribed to cope with the stress of his marital separation.

“What was happening was a cascading series of events that were exacerbated by his reaction to the sertraline,” Mr Grace said.

Mr Grace suggested that the effect of the sertraline “disinhibited” Bellinge, impairing his judgment about the dangers of drinking and driving.

Bellinge’s stepmother, billionaire Megan Wynne, wrote in a character reference that Bellinge had behaved unusually in the days leading up to the crash and exhibited symptoms of paranoia.

Bellinge told forensic psychiatrist Mark Hall that he suffered “blackouts” since he started taking the drug and could not remember much of the fateful night.

He had been at the football earlier that day with his father, fertility magnate Bruce Bellinge, and told police he was “triggered” when he drove past the home of his ex-wife and two sons on the way back to his father’s Jutland Parade mansion.

“The next thing I know, I’m parked out the front,” Bellinge reported.

Justice Forrester largely dismissed the sertraline explanation, noting Bellinge had failed to mention the supposed blackouts to his general practitioner or anyone else.

“You did not consider stopping driving because of any of your symptoms,” she told Bellinge.

“You were drinking to selfmedicate because of your distress at your marriage break-

down.”

The judge blasted Bellinge for apology letters he wrote to the Pearce family and Mr Usman days before the sentencing, calling them “terribly inapt”.

“At no point do you actually say what you’ve done,” she said.

“I accept that you feel real remorse for the consequences of your conduct.

“I also consider that there is a degree of self-pity in your remorse.

“You do not seem to have acknowledged to yourself the full extent of what you did that night.”

Bellinge, who limped into court after being treated for a spinal injury he suffered in the crash, breathed deeply and looked directly at the judge as she addressed him.

The video shows he drove towards oncoming traffic in the right-hand lane on May Drive, and later reached 103kmh in a 50 zone in Victoria Avenue, Dalkeith.

Bellinge was later recorded on the dashcam recollecting to himself that he had been “really pissed” at the time, but now denies he had been drinking.

He was returned from court to Casuarina Prison, where he is being kept apart from other inmates in protective custody.

His medical licence has been suspended and will almost certainly be cancelled, but he is studying a Master’s degree in a related fertility field from prison and told the court he hopes to work again.

His father, the managing director of Concept Fertility, snapped at media outside court when asked if he had anything to say to the Pearce family.

“Which part of ‘I’ve got nothing to say’ didn’t you understand?” he told a journalist, before he and his family climbed into a waiting van with blacked-out windows.

Her loss remains just as raw and devastating as ever ‘ ’

Elizabeth’s shattered mother and sister stood by her father while he spoke of his daughter.

Road rage over Cott high-rise

• From page 9

Ms Saffioti said in her response that the state government would eventually remove the crossings, but at the time was focused on the Armadale train line.

Ms Brewer said orderly development was essential but it had to be combined with suitable infrastructure.

“Our community supports well-planned provision of more housing for young people and downsizers,” she said. “But it must be done properly.

“The Jarrad Street level crossing is already one of the key choke points in our suburb.

“Locking in development around that intersection before fixing the rail and road interface would be reckless.”

Ms Brewer said infrastructure must be upgraded before density developments could start.

“If Labor rushes through a politically-driven apartment push without fixing the underlying infrastructure,

they will lock in congestion and deliver a poor outcome that will be their legacy for decades,” she said.

“Stirling Highway and Curtin Avenue are critical north–south routes.

“You cannot compromise strategic transport corridors with short-sighted planning decisions.”

Ms Brewer said the western suburbs carried their share of density but were hampered by delayed upgrades to transport infrastructure.

“Every other priority precinct on the government’s list centres on upgraded station infrastructure, yet the three western suburb sites have received no improvements,” she said.

“That is simply unacceptable.

“I have described Cottesloe station as the worst train station in metropolitan Perth and nothing I have seen changes that view.”

The Department of Planning, Lands, and Heritage did not respond to questions.

‘Così è la vita’ (Such is life!)

• From page 16

His father sat in the back of court, listening with the aid of an earphone.

Mr Grace said his client had acknowledged the “indescribable pain” he was “solely responsible” for, attributing his failure to acknowledge his drinking in apology letters to memory loss.

“It’s a product of the mental crisis that he was encountering at the time,” he told the court.

The woman on the receiving end of Bellinge’s profane tirade, ex-wife Julie Bellinge, wrote him a character reference that described the pain his two sons, aged 6 and 9, would experience growing up without their father.

After hours of submissions, the Pearce family finally heard what they had come for.

Justice Forrester sentenced Bellinge to 10 years and six months in jail – eight years for the manslaughter of Ms Pearce, and 2½ for the grievous bodily harm he caused to Mr Usman.

He will be eligible for parole in 2033 – eight years and six months from the date of his arrest.

“Your car was a powerful weapon which you used as an outlet for your anger and aggression,” Justice Forrester said.

“I accept that there were underlying issues, but you knew what you were doing.

“Your conduct was such that a fatal collision, such as the one you caused, was all but inevitable.”

Bellinge’s driver’s licence will be suspended for five years after his release.

He was also fined $1000 for dangerous driving in Kings Park six days prior to the fatal crash, which police discovered from his dashcam and car computer.

Ms Pearce was every bit a western suburbs local, having grown up on Viewway in Nedlands and attended Nedlands Primary and St Hilda’s, before a stint in Melbourne. She appeared in the POST in a 2008 photograph, aged 8, smiling as she poured water into a measuring jug for a story about the school’s watersaving initiatives.

“She was smart, she was witty, empathetic,” her father told journalists.

“All those good qualities of a decent human being.

“She didn’t deserve this at all.”

He left with a parting shot at Bellinge and his lawyers.

“Defence lawyers will come out and they’ll say there’s no winners here,” he said.

“Can I just say that’s an absolute falsehood?

“Just don’t believe a word of it.

“There’s a clear winner, and it’s not Elizabeth.”

The media scrum, used to pursuing people along the footpaths outside the Perth Central Law Courts, held back as the Pearce family crossed the street and walked away.

Dunne clarifies tax views

Peter Dunne, a candidate to become Warden of UWA’s Convocation, has clarified his stand on income tax and higher education fees (Dump uni fees,incometax–communist Dunne, POST, February 21).

He said there can be no taxation without representation and that HECS can only be dropped if replaced by progressive income tax and progressive corporate tax.

1.5km off the beach, in place as the first marker for racers to aim for after they left the beach to find their own support boats.

Some interstate visitors said not doing the channel swim meant they had time to explore.

Danny Rosewood said his team had worn their swim shirts and boat numbers as they relaxed on the Cottesloe foreshore.

“What was totally unexpected were the many people who approached us for a chat and to say sorry the swim was cancelled, total strangers just being bloody nice,” he said.

German swimmer Nathalie Pohl went to Rottnest (on a boat) with her duo swim partner Andy Donaldson and took a selfie with a quokka.

Andy Page was planning to do his 50th solo crossing, but pulled the pin early on Friday morning, even before the race was officially cancelled.

“I think the committee did a fantastic job in organising the event and made the right call in cancelling it,” he said.

“This season has been hit and miss with the weather.”

He is hoping to attempt his next crossing on March 7, if conditions look good.

Cash woes stalk Neds cop

• From page 1

“To become a local government monitor, candidates needed to demonstrate strong eligibility against a number of criteria,” he said.

“The monitors currently appointed to local governments were chosen from this pool of successful applicants and have the required experience and qualifications.

“The decision to appoint a monitor to the City of Nedlands was done with care-

ful consideration of the many challenges they face, including their financial obstacles.”

Local Government Minister Hannah Beazley welcomed Mr Jacob’s appointment earlier this month.

“Albert Jacob has extensive experience in local government, leadership and governance, and will be able to work with the administration and incoming council to ensure the serious issues at the city can be addressed,” she said.

Elizabeth Pearce, aged 8, showing how her school saves water for a report in the POST.

No trouble for double doubles

THE Sporting

Heard of Maddy Darke and Mikayla Hinkley?

You should have, after their unbeaten opening stand of 484 last weekend set a Subiaco-Floreat, WA, Australian and near world record.

The WA and Scorchers pair play club cricket at Floreat Oval around their representative commitments.

Both mature cricketers who were born and began their careers in Sydney before shifting to WA, they had a day out against Perth at Fletcher Park.

Sent in to bat by Perth, who

might have had an eye on the bonus point available for bowling first, the duo carved their way to spectacular double centuries in the 50over innings.

Hinkley’s 243 not out contained 10 sixes while Darke’s 209 not out included 29 fours.

Highlights of the carnage indicate that the bowling attack wilted under the onslaught, but just as Don Bradman once scored a century in three overs in a country match, the sheer magnitude of the performance makes the quality of the opposition less relevant.

Wisden reported that the stand was the second highest ever recorded in any form of women’s cricket, with the only

The WAFL might not be dying the death of a thousand cuts but it is suffering plenty of flesh wounds as it searches for resources and relevance.

The latest slash came with the announcement that the Football Budget, the weekly program that has been a fundamental part of the State league since 1921, has been discontinued.

Cost was the rationale.

It costs about $100,000 a year to produce, publish and distribute the Budget and the 10 WAFL clubs decided $10,000 each to produce the hard copy version was no longer viable.

West Coast, for example, had 2368 people attend their five WAFL home games last season, not only the lowest home crowd ever recorded but a number that meant it cost the Eagles $4 a Budget for every supporter through the Lathlain Park gates.

It is hard to justify that expenditure, given that the Budget’s cover price was just $3. Mind you, this is an AFL jug-

bigger partnership the 552 put on by Sri Lankan openers Shikari Ranahansi and Kaushani Nuthyangana in an Under-19s match in 2022.

The Subi duo also broke the Australian record of 479 shared by Dawn Rae and Jan Molyneux for Olympic Women against Melbourne in 1975.

Budget cut a sign of the times

gernaut that reported earning $3.1million in interest last year amid record revenue of $92million yet could only afford $2million in royalties to its owner, WA Football.

Resources are not the issue in the football ecosphere – it is the distribution of those resources that provides the real challenge.

It is just the same as the dilemma over world famine – there is enough food on the planet to feed eight billion people but, sadly, too much where it is an indulgence rather than an essential and not enough where it is needed most.

The Budget has been a footy staple for more than a century, providing team lists, news, features and the opportunity for the nerdiest supporters to do the most nerdy thing in sport – list the goalkickers and quarter-byquarter scores for contemplation at a later date.

The attached picture shows my Budget from the 2011 grand final with its comprehensive scorecard that includes the chronological progression of

each goal kicked. Beat that. Peter Christie is president of reigning premiers South Fremantle, and chairman of the WAFL’s Council of Presidents.

He also has a Nedlands accounting practice and a clear understanding of what it takes to run a successful business.

“Dropping the Budget is regrettable but that is the reality of what we face in today’s State league footy,” he explained.

Christie knows WAFL margins are razor-thin and retaining $10,000 could be the difference between a profitable year and one recorded in red ink.

Let’s hear it for the mighty Corelords

All surf spots have a Corelord or two, and I’ve known plenty in my time.

Shakas and shoutouts to Skeg, skateboarding barefoot along the Cott beachfront checking the waves with his board tucked under his arm, and Twizzle Stick who never misses a swell at Cove, surfing like a man possessed, no matter how small the offering.

A Corelord is an obsessively dedicated surfer who lives for riding waves, often to the neglect of their job or social life. Who exactly coined the title Corelord is unknown, but its origins in Australian surfing culture might be traced back to when unemployed surfers were considered members of the Bob Hawke surf team.

Beware of becoming one, because to follow the path, the way and the light of the Corelord is not for the faint-hearted since their allegiance to the sea is absolute.

Like the windless glass of the perfect tube, the Corelord’s prime motive is crystal-clear.

The ocean comes first before all other earthly desires and is

the source of everything that matters.

A surfing life measured not in wealth or fame, but in the depth of one’s connection to Nature and the pursuit of waves in the church of the ocean.

Corelords rise before the dawn, paddling through stormlashed waves, and linger long after others have gone.

The trappings of work, relationships and social obligations, all are sacrificed to the surfing odyssey and the spell of the siren’s song.

Tokens of fealty to a truth that few will understand as the Corelord structures life around the waves, not timetables or pay checks.

Corelords reject the idea that they’re conceived as functions on capital’s unlimited human assembly line, but instead they are resurrected surf gods.

This is not reckless or lazy, its commitment, because a Corelord understands that the greatest wealth is not gold or possessions, but baptism in barrels that reveal the soul.

Every Cottesloe dawn patrol, every Isolated winter swell or

lonely vigil on a windswept summer arvo at

a rite of passage and bond with the eternal sea.

and

Dropping the Budget is a rational decision but it is another blow to a 141-year-old State league that has managed to survive plenty of high-profile threats – world wars, depressions, financial crises, COVID and the national competition –but may not be able to overcome indifference and irrelevance.

rational decision but it is another blow to a 141-year-old State league that has managed threats – world wars, depressions, financial crises, COVID –but may not be able to overcome a not-so secret agent for rugby league despite his Claremont upon the league last year when favour of a new summer holiday. from the Grand Final and an opportu-

Premier Roger Cook, perhaps a not-so secret agent for rugby league despite his Claremont upbringing, laid a savage shirtfront on the league last year when he announced that mid-winter WA Day would be abandoned in favour of a new summer holiday. WA Day is the biggest event on the WAFL calendar, apart from the Grand Final and an opportunity to celebrate the league’s great heritage and value on a stage not overshadowed by the AFL. It also pits the two Fremantle and two Perth teams against each other in matches renowned for their ferocity and the size of public holiday crowds.

Apart from the anomalies of 1987 and 2019, when WAFL matches played as curtain-raisers to AFL games were credited with the AFL crowd attendance, and 2023 when 60mm of rain on a 14C day coincided with lightning postponements, the highest seasonal WAFL crowds of the past half-century have all come on the WA Day weekend.

Rita Saffioti, who is Cook’s deputy as well as being Treasurer and Sport Minister, is the most influential person in WA politics and a South Fremantle tragic to boot. South’s great rival East Fremantle were the beneficiary of her deep chequebook when a $35million facility was built for them a couple of years ago. That development has since stumbled from fiasco to debacle to calamity, with the latest selfinflicted woe being a dispute over whether East Fremantle Oval has a fence, which WA Football demands, or has open access which the local council wants and was a condition of the original government funding agreement.

It is likely that Saffioti will put her hand in her WA pocket again if a fence has to be built, whether as a permanent structure or a temporary hessian one for each of the nine home games. Either way, the unflattering affair is simply yet another slice that, if repeated often enough, threatens to capsize the WAFL.

Swanny Beach riding wind chop out of desperation is

The liquid temple in which the Corelord seeks absolution.

Photo: WSL/Bielmann

John townsend

Mikayla Hinkley, right, and Maddy Darke put on an unbeaten 484run opening stand for SubiacoFloreat.

Goals were diligently scored in the 2011 grand nal Budget.

Doodlebug

Use this shape to make a drawing. The best two entries will win.

You could win $10

box on the page, and fill in the entry form. Cut together and send them to POST Kids, 276 Onslow our office by noon on Wednesday. The winning Kids.

How to enter:

Maria-Jose Cailliau (9)

Ryan (6)

Use this shape to make a drawing. The best two entries will win.

Hi Kids,

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:

Address

Phone number:

What have you drawn?:

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

• Pencil

• Glue

• Tissue paper

The circles of last week’s Doodlebug challenge were very popular and there were SO many to choose from.

How to enter:

How to enter:

Mushrooms are mushrooming

Matthew Ryan (6), from Churchlands, is one of our major winners. His panda in the jungle is such a cutie and I love the canopy of flowers in the background.

for thousands of years?

to tackle.

Doodlebug

A troop of mushrooms sprang up this week, like Alice’s bunny on a mushroom, Evie’s fairy mushroom houses, Naomi’s field of mushrooms, and Sophia’s pretty mushroom village.

Puppets can be as simple as a paper puppet or as complex as the awesome Giants that came to Perth last year.

Doodlebugs go in circles Jokes

You could win $10 Doodlebug

Maria-Jose Cailliau (9), from Dalkeith, is our other big winner with a drawing of one super-cool dog. I wonder why more dogs don’t wear sunnies.

Use this shape to make a drawing. The best two entries will win.

Spare Parts Puppet Theatre, which has made over 1000 puppets in the past 30 years, will be joining the worldwide celebrations live on Facebook all day.

But my favourite mushroom is by one of this week’s main winners, Moé Morrison, 11, from Subiaco. Moé has drawn Super-Mushroom flying around to rescue people. I don’t know what superpower a mushroom has, but I love all the details of the disasters it has

Q: What did the grape say when the elephant stepped on it?

A: Nothing. It just let out a little wine.

Q: What did the chicken say to the duck when the duck was about to cross the road?

Q. What do you call

Maria-Jose Cailliau (9)

A: “Don’t do it! They will never let you forget it!”

A. A Fung-Guide to

Q: Why did the scientist put a knocker on his front door?

Our other main winner this week has been super-creative. Julian Obreschkow, 9, from Daglish, has turned the doodle into an upturned ketchup bottle, squeezing sauce onto a plate of chips.

Two fleas were on their way into the city. “Shall we walk?” asked one. “No, let’s take a dog.”

A: Because he wanted to win the no-bell prize.

Use this shape to make a drawing. The best two entries will win.

You could win $10

Other great interpretations of the doodle are Markie’s circus performer, Olivia’s yummy cupcakes, Jocelyn’s delicious ice-creams and Leo’s pink pig.

Q: What’s old, grey and still hiding in the cupboard?

Q. If you divide an orange between six friends, what do you get?

Matthew Ryan (6)

Complete your Doodlebug, drawing in the box on the page, and fill in the entry form. Cut out your Doodlebug and entry form together and send them to POST Kids, 276 Onslow Road, Shenton Park 6008, to arrive at our office by noon on Wednesday. The winning entries will be published in the next POST Kids.

Vouchers will be mailed and valid for 4 weeks.

Did you know that this Tuesday, March 21 is World Puppetry Day when everyone celebrates how puppets have told the best stories

Han Ma, Leo Rovira.

• Craft paper –yellow and orange

• Feathers or pipecleaners

• Felt pen

• Nail scissors

• Googly eyes

A. Sticky fingers!

A: A hide-and-seek champion.

There were heaps of entries this week, especially from our younger artists. Keep up the great work!

Complete your Doodlebug, drawing in the box on the page, and fill in the entry form. Cut out your Doodlebug and entry form together and send them to POST Kids, 276 Onslow Road, Shenton Park 6008, to arrive at our office by noon on Wednesday. The winning entries will be published in the next POST Kids.

Tongue twister

With an adult’s permission, you can go online and watch their rehearsals for Hachiko, and meet the cast. There are also activities, competitions and fun facts and pictures from around the world at www.sppt.asn.au

Q: Why do bees have sticky hair?

Hi Kids, Doodlebugs go in circles

Q. What kind of car does a mushroom drive? A. A spores car!

I saw a kitten eating chicken in the kitchen

Until next week, Jane

ICE-CREAM WINNERS

Make a finger puppet

These Doodlebug contestants have won ice-cream vouchers.

You can make a BEE or a CHICKEN.

Draw around glasses or jars to make two circles, one for the body and a slighter smaller one for the head.

A: Because of the honey combs!

Knock, knock! Who’s there? Ahab!

The circles of last week’s Doodlebug challenge were very popular and there were SO many to choose from.

The circles of last week’s Doodlebug challenge were very popular and there were SO many

Ruby Lorraine, Rachel O’Malley-Sudlow, Beatrice, Lily May Nichols, Skye Martin, Daisy Crumpton, James Sullivan, Sam MacGregor, Ellen Turnbull and Chloe Tyers.

Cut them out carefully and then draw two smaller circles near the bottom of the body circle that are big enough to make finger holes. Glue the head to the body part and then glue on the feathers for the chicken, or tissue paper for the bee’s wings. Use the felt pen to draw on the bee’s stripes. Stick on some googly eyes, or draw them.

Fred fed Ted bread and Ted fed Fred bread

Matthew Ryan (6), from Churchlands, is one of our major winners. His panda in the jungle is such a cutie and I love the canopy of flowers in the background.

Ahab to go to the toilet in a hurry!

Maria-Jose Cailliau (9), from Dalkeith, is our other big winner with a drawing of one super-cool dog. I wonder why more dogs don’t wear sunnies.

Did you know that this Tuesday, March 21 is World Puppetry Day when everyone celebrates how puppets have told the best stories

Matthew Ryan (6), from Churchlands, is one of our major winners. His panda in the jungle is such a cutie and I love the canopy of flowers in the background. Maria-Jose Cailliau (9), from Dalkeith, is our other big winner with a drawing of one super-cool dog. I wonder why more dogs don’t wear sunnies.

Did you know that this Tuesday, March 21 is World Puppetry Day when everyone celebrates how puppets have told the best stories

These Doodlebug

Head to postnewspapers.com.au and lodge your classified online or drop by our o ce at 276 Onslow Rd, Shenton Park.

Ruby Lorraine, Rachel

May Nichols, Skye Sullivan, Sam MacGregor,

Julian Obreschkow (9)

Moé Morrison (11)

Alice James, Evie McCorry, Naomi Fasana, Markie Thompson, Olivia Melders, Sophia Warren, Jocelyn Tozer, Emma Donisi, Zi

These Doodlebug ice-cream

Ruby Lorraine, Rachel Lily May Nichols,

Matthew

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