Latest news with #SwanRiver
ABC News
a day ago
- Politics
- ABC News
South Perth council votes to remove trees on public land after complaints about obstructed views
The City of South Perth will rip up six small trees planted last year on the Swan River foreshore parkland, after complaints they would eventually block residents' "million-dollar views" of the city skyline. The council planted the saplings in Sir James Mitchell Park last winter, but on Tuesday night voted in favour of removing the trees on behalf of residents whose homes face the park and the city skyline beyond. Speaking at the meeting, Cr Nic Coveney said residents on Jubilee Street were simply seeking to protect the value of their homes. "What these residents are asking for is consistency to maintain a similar vista as to when they purchased their property," Mr Coveney said. "They are not seeking to remove mature trees. They are seeking to move juvenile trees before they become mature and which they say were planted without any consultation. "Whilst some may disagree, I don't think it's unreasonable to buy a house or an apartment on the foreshore with a significant view and have an expectation of maintaining that view. "To do otherwise would deny the very real and direct effect of views on property values and amenities." In the council agenda documents, the council staff said views were taken into consideration when the trees were planted and were positioned in alignment with the dividing property boundaries, not directly in front of properties. It also said the species chosen would also help mitigate waterlogging, a problem that appears in the park for extended periods during winter. Most of the young trees were expected to grow to heights of four to 10 metres, and one of the trees, a corymbia calophylla, could eventually grow to 15 — 30 metres tall. Mayor Greg Milner was one of three council members to vote against the motion, telling the meeting many residents had voiced support for keeping the trees. "Cr Coveney tells us that he's been contacted by over a dozen residents on Jubilee Street who are concerned about losing their million-dollar views of the Perth CBD skyline," Mr Milner said. "But I do note that we've all received correspondence from many, many, many other residents. Bronwyn David, co-convenor of the South Perth Tree Canopy Advocates group, slammed the council's decision. "People might think, well, it's just six trees. What does six trees matter?" Ms David said. "But it's the precedent. We are preferencing the views of a very small number of people over the whole of our community, which frankly needs more tree cover to survive. Ms David was also critical of the waste of resources involved in the decision. "It may be that we have just thrown away a lot of money in the City of South Perth, both in putting these trees in the ground to begin with, and then the labour and effort to remove them, find somewhere else and put them in the ground a second time, only to have them die." The City of South Perth declined a request for comment.
The Independent
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Why hosting the first test in Perth will shake up the Ashes formula
Looming over the Swan River the Perth Stadium sits silent and imposing. A massive hulk of brushed metal, intricate curves and sloping framework, Western Australia 's sporting centrepiece truly is a marvel to behold. Officially opened in 2018 after board meetings, design meetings, negotiations and compromises, the Perth Stadium, known as the Optus Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is situated on rejuvenated swamp land and is the main draw of a specifically built area of the city to host, watch, and enjoy a multitude of events from rugby, AFL, and football matches to musical concerts and even the WWE. This winter the multi-purpose stadium will also host its first Ashes test match, taking over from the famous and traditional WACA ground, with fans from both England and Australia flocking to Perth in November to experience the match first hand. Perth Stadium CEO, Mike McKenna, explained how and why the venue was built as an answer to the city's growing desire for improvement and innovation. 'Sometime around 2013 the process started and the debate within WA was about whether we needed a new stadium,' McKenna told The Independent. 'At the same time there were questions about the WACA redevelopment. The WACA had gone down the path of developing the stadium by selling parts of the land to use for commercial and residential development. That was really opposed by Cricket Australia who didn't think that was great for the Western Australia Cricket Association. 'The debate went on; do we need two new venues? One new venue? They decided they wanted one stadium to be a multi-purpose investment.' The decision to make the stadium a multi-purpose venue is clearly evident. Spreading out from the concourse there are tennis courts, a racetrack, cricket nets, plenty of parking and a purpose-built train station to improve public transport usage for matchday fans. 'The public transport service brings people here. Not only are there great bus and train access but they've built a network of routes that serve the venue on gameday,' McKenna clarified. 'We probably get about 77-78% of people who arrive come by public transport in a city that loves cars. It's accessible, it's easy to walk, train or bus. 'When you walk from the bus, train or the city you get caught up in the atmosphere. There's a lot of people coming on foot and you get that buzz that comes with arriving at a great venue. 'If you're wearing Barmy Army gear, you'll get the same reception as someone wearing Australia gear because people want you here and having a good time. There'll be the typical ribbing from both sides but there's not that animosity you can get in other places with cultures clashing together.' Typically, an Ashes series down under begins in Brisbane, at the Gabba in recent times, but this year's tour will begin in Perth. As the Perth Stadium has never held an Ashes test – they missed out in 2021/22 due to Covid restrictions – there is an air of the unknown about the beginning of this series. The Gabba is well known for its hostility, especially for England's players, and a cauldron-like atmosphere from hyped up fans but will that be replicated in a larger stadium built to hold 61,000 people? McKenna believes so. 'The atmosphere of the first ball of the first test of a series is quite incredible,' he revealed with fan-like joy. 'Something always happens. Expect the unexpected for that first ball. Whatever it is, that moment everybody is there together, and you get that roar that is quite different from anything else. 'This is the most passionate group of sports fans in the country. They'll take it out on the English team on the field and that first ball will be a hell of a lot louder than the Gabba. 'If Australia are bowling first, it'll be even more raucous. You wouldn't want to lose the toss here and bat if you're an English team on the first day. This place retains noise well, it's designed and engineered to keep the sound in so if you have 55,000 people here for a first ball and someone running in about to deliver it, it'll be big. 'The Gabba is an old-fashioned design and as you get further away in your seat you're further away from the ground. Here the stands have been built to face inwards, and you feel that in the ground.' And as for the game itself, well, the Perth Stadium was specially designed to accommodate drop-in pitches which have been specially tested and grown to replicate the fast and bouncy conditions that the WACA is known for. McKenna explained: 'Part of the objective when the stadium was built was to replicate the old WACA wickets. The myth of it is that it's fast, bouncy and lots of carry. That's what's been replicated and it's probably better than the WACA wickets were towards the end of their time. 'It doesn't crack up like the WACA wicket used to do, we used to have big, wide cracks running down the wicket, but this one doesn't crack that much. When it does start to crack there's a lot more variable bounce. It'll play fast but like the WACA if you can last and get yourself in you can get runs.'
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Yahoo
Swan River radio staff scared after police say station was intentionally set on fire
The owner of a Swan River radio station says staff are feeling scared after police said the fire that destroyed their studio on Thursday morning was intentionally set. At 5:30 a.m. on Thursday, RCMP officers responded to a building fire at the CJ Radio studios on Main Street in the Manitoba town, located about 380 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg. In a news release on Thursday, RCMP said the cause of the fire was incendiary and it led to extensive damage to the inside of the building. Police have launched an arson investigation. Police said CCTV footage from the area shows an unknown male riding a bike past the building before the fire started. Investigators are working to identify a suspect, police said. "The entire place was aflame in less than a second," said CJ Radio's Bill Gade, who runs five radio stations across Manitoba and Saskatchewan from the building. "We're pretty upset. Everything's destroyed, stations are all off, nothing is good, but we are still alive," he said. Gade told CBC News the station began receiving threats on social media about a week ago, when he posted a social media update about a head-on collision that left three dead near Swan River on Canada Day. Gade said he's usually at the building around 5 a.m., but he was running late on Thursday. He said there is "absolutely no way would have gotten out" had he and his co-host been there. "Our staff are scared to go places. They don't know what's next … We just don't know. We're scared," he said. Gade said he is hoping to start feeding some content to his stations later on Friday, but they won't be up and running again for about two weeks as they try to replace the radio equipment that was destroyed by fire. "It took us 19 years to build five radio stations and get them all networked together and have them working perfectly. It's going to take some time to put them back together," he said.
CBC
12-07-2025
- CBC
Swan River radio staff scared after police say station was intentionally set on fire
Social Sharing The owner of a Swan River radio station says staff are feeling scared after police said the fire that destroyed their studio on Thursday morning was intentionally set. At 5:30 a.m. on Thursday, RCMP officers responded to a building fire at the CJ Radio studios on Main Street in the Manitoba town, located about 380 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg. In a news release on Thursday, RCMP said the cause of the fire was incendiary and it led to extensive damage to the inside of the building. Police have launched an arson investigation. Police said CCTV footage from the area shows an unknown male riding a bike past the building before the fire started. Investigators are working to identify a suspect, police said. "The entire place was aflame in less than a second," said CJ Radio's Bill Gade, who runs five radio stations across Manitoba and Saskatchewan from the building. "We're pretty upset. Everything's destroyed, stations are all off, nothing is good, but we are still alive," he said. Gade told CBC News the station began receiving threats on social media about a week ago, when he posted a social media update about a head-on collision that left three dead near Swan River on Canada Day. Gade said he's usually at the building around 5 a.m., but he was running late on Thursday. He said there is "absolutely no way would have gotten out" had he and his co-host been there. "Our staff are scared to go places. They don't know what's next … We just don't know. We're scared," he said. Gade said he is hoping to start feeding some content to his stations later on Friday, but they won't be up and running again for about two weeks as they try to replace the radio equipment that was destroyed by fire. "It took us 19 years to build five radio stations and get them all networked together and have them working perfectly. It's going to take some time to put them back together," he said.
Daily Mail
07-07-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Human waste spills into major river a SECOND time in a month as residents are issued urgent warning
Perth locals are being waned to shut their windows and stay out of the Swan River after human waste spilled from a burst water main for the second time in a month. Water Corporation crews were repairing a burst wastewater main in the Upper Swan region east of Perth. After encountering a technical issue, the water began to backup which caused it to overflow into the river last week. A public health alert has advised locals to avoid water activities in the Upper Swan between Bassendean and Viveash. Locals are also being urged to avoid outdoor exercise in areas which are affected by the smell of sewage. 'Stay away from all affected water in the area,' the public health alert read. 'Temporary odour may be experienced in the vicinity of the affected area. 'To minimise odours, please keep windows closed and consider using fans or air purifiers if needed.' It comes after a massive sewage leak left several suburbs smelling 'like a toilet' when human waste entered the major river system in June. The spill occurred after a sewer main burst on Hamilton Road in Spearwood, south Perth. The leak made its way into the Swan River, spreading the stench to Beaconsfield, Alfred Cove, Applecross and South Fremantle. Spearwood Park was left inundated by the putrid sludge while the Fremantle commercial and recreational fishing harbour was also affected. Photos shared to social media showed suburban streets covered in inches of waste water as council workers cornered off the areas. Another picture showed the deluge of human waste had overflowed and spilled into Spearwood Park, covering the field in a massive puddle of sewage. Deputy Premier Rita Saffioti said a second spill was 'clearly unacceptable' and that the government would work with Water Corporation to prevent future incidents. 'This is not something that we want to see, or is acceptable,' Ms Saffioti said. 'We will continue to work with that agency to see what else we can do in relation to making sure we prevent these types of spillages.' Opposition water spokesman Peter Rundall has called for an audit on the state's wastewater infrastructure. Mr Rundall labelled the spill as a 'serious public health and environmental threat', claiming locals deserved better. 'Families and communities have been exposed to human waste, and the public is being told to stay away from one of Perth's most iconic natural assets,' Mr Rundall said. 'This should be a wake-up call – the community deserves transparency on how water infrastructure is being funded and where it's falling short.
