WA Road News · 3 August 2008
Every week I do three editorial cartoons on Perth-based news. For one of the papers I ring the editor to get the stories, but for the other two, I closely monitor the news in Perth online.
But since the boom, all the news stories I ever read are entirely roads related. If it’s not a crash, or a car-chase, or a traffic jam, or a buggered overpass, it’s a new road, or a new driving law, or more speed cameras, or more booze buses.
What the fuck? Is anything else happening in WA other than road-accidents? Why is it that every time I log on to thewest.com.au or perthnow or watoday I’m reading the same old story, with new characters every single day?
It’s not since I’ve moved East that I’ve noticed this change. I noticed it quite clearly while I was living in Perth. And whilst living on a main road in Tuart Hill, I noticed the very real effects of the boom on a young generation.
My generation, the Generation Y’s, have been cashing in on the boom in a big way. A lot of young guys like me (and girls too) have gone up North to Karratha or otherwise to work on the mines and earn 6-figure salaries in their early twenties. They come home on their week off, buy up big on property, plasma screens, boats and hotted up utes and V8 Commodores, and rip up the roads like there’s no tomorrow.
Driving in Perth became incredibly dangerous in the last five years after the “three week on, one week off”-ers would hoon around the streets, after having not even driven a car for three weeks, and crash their $40,000 high-powered vehicles into power poles, houses and each other -This even happened outside my own house!
A 22-year old driver was turning a corder at 80kph, was fiddling with his ipod and drove straight into a light pole, RIGHT outside my window. The power box on the pole exploded and he blacked out the entire street. He came running to below my balcony clutching his ribs asking me to call the ambulance, and they quickly came to take him away.
When I spoke to the police downstairs (whom were blocking everyone at my unit complex in) about what happened? He said it was the fourth one that night.
The fourth. And it was 7:40pm!!! What the fuck??
Perth isn’t THAT big, people! 4 crashes in one evening is a LOT.
Why is it so hard to ban young road-users from buying high-powered vehicles, or AT LEAST making it compulsory for them to undertake special driver training before having the purchase authorised. How thick are WA police that every time they buy a new speed camera, they’re pouring hundreds of thousands of tax-payers dollars into revenue-raising and nannying tactics that do NOTHING to deter road-users from speeding or driving recklessly.
Do you honestly think, for even a second, that a 23-year old mine worker on $140,000 a year gives a flying fuck about a $120 speeding fine? The demerit points count for marginal concern for these guys. The hoon laws that were introduced do nothing, and there are barely enough police out in the early hours to see what these guys are getting away with when nobody’s watching. Because nobody’s watching.
(And it’s because of these reckless bone-heads that me; a 23-year old male driver pays more in car insurance than ANY OTHER DEMOGRAPHIC. Thanks for that, fellers.)
I’ve not had the horrible drama of a friend or family-member be involved in a fatal car accident, but I worry every time I log on to WA news sites that I’ll read that same old story, with a character I know in the body of text.
Wise the fuck up, WA. The state’s road toll now stands at 182 – the highest number in over 5 years. If the government isn’t going to take road-safety seriously, and just continues to pour money into revenue-raising tactics, WA road-users will start taking matters into their own hands; and there’s no telling how much more dangerous that’ll be.
Access 31 to Close Down · 11 June 2008
I just read this on Australian-Media.com.au (see below). It looks as though it’s the end of the road for Channel 31 in Perth.
It’ll be sad to see it go. I’ve been a guest on Sweet & Sour a few times over the last 6 months; I’m doing the show next Monday (Airing Tuesday and Friday); and so it appears it’ll be one of the last shows. This is the station that got Rove McManus his start in television; it’s such a shame to see it pack up.
(Australian-Media.com.au)
“Access 31 Perth to shut down”
Article by Ben
June 10 2008, 6:41pm AWST
Perth’s only community television station is set to disappear from the airwaves at the end of this month.
Access 31, broadcast throughout the metropolitan area from the station’s studios in Perth’s east will hold an emergency meeting on June 27 to determine its future.
The station may voluntarily wind up its operations at the conclusion of this meeting.
Currently, the station has 20 paid staff and operations are handled by volunteers.
It produces local programs including Wake Up! WA, The Couch and Sweet & Sour.
The closure of Access 31 will see the end of community television in Western Australia, a fate likely to be expected by other community stations in the country.
The station provides opportunities for media students studying in Perth to produce local content and gain invaluable experience in the industry.
It began broadcasting on June 18, 1999, before moving to its current site in Belmont in early 2002. – - – - – -
Lose yourself in Melbourne... at the West.com.au · 27 February 2008
Jeez, for the Perth’s only daily newspaper, it seems pretty keen on plugging Melbourne…
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Perth Plume · 26 February 2008
Driving down the Mitchell Freeway heading South this afternoon I spotted this massive plume towards the South of the city. It was a major fire in Forestfield, but I’d be lying if I didn’t think, just for a moment, that the Federal Government had tried testing some Air to Surface Missiles on Brian Burke’s house.
10 Points for Vision · 11 February 2008
I usually bemoan the defacing of public property in Perth, but this particular piece of puerile artistry on the “Greens & Co.” signage in Leederville had me giggling like a pre-schooler finding out he could write ‘boobs’ on his calculator.
(They even went to the trouble of putting the same serif on the font…)
Just think:
You’re from out of town. You need some leafy vegetables.
And some cock.
Where do you go?
Heath Ledger - Dead at 28 · 23 January 2008
It’s a real tragedy when a young person dies; even more tragic is when a young person of such enormous success, talent and notoriety dies. Heath Ledger was not only one of Australia’s best actors, but one of the greatest young actors in the world.
Being from Perth, and going to school at Guildford Grammar School before leaving for Sydney to pursue his acting career, Heath became Perth’s favourite son. Any story, success or failure, was front page news, or at least page 3, because it passed as local news. His nomination for best supporting actor for Brokeback Mountain was the highpoint of his career, and Perth was cheering him on from the sidelines like a crazed Aunt.
It was devastating to hear of his passing this morning. Such a young guy with already such a prolific career, again lost to an overdose of drugs. His sister, Kate, who is a family friend of ours absolutely adored her brother, and I’m sure her and her family will be absolutely devastated at the news.
It’s going to be really strange seeing him play the Joker in the upcoming Batman movie “The Dark Knight”, especially considering the dark nature of his role. Not since Brandon Lee was killed in the shooting of (pardon the pun) “The Crow” will audiences have been watching such a mainstream actor up on screen whom died before the film was released to the public.
This will be his swan song, and I’m sure he would have done his usual amazing job on the role.
Heath’s funeral will be right here in Perth, at the Chapel at Heath’s old High School, Guildford Grammar School.
Live Caricatures :: WALGA | The Boatshed, South Perth · 22 November 2007
Minister for Local Government, Ljijlianna Ravlich
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Mayor of Joondalup, Troy Pickard
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MLA | Member for Murdoch, Shadow Minister for Sport and Recreation, Trevor Sprigg
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MLA | Member for Carine, Katie Hodson-Thomas
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John Patterson, OM
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John Cox
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Cr. Paul Kelly
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Live Caricatures :: AIIA | Swan Brewery · 22 November 2007
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Live Caricatures :: VDM | Royal Perth Yacht Club · 22 November 2007
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Look familiar? Guess whose brother he is… I’ll give you a clue
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The Comedy Lounge Moves to the Charles · 15 November 2007
The Comedy Lounge is relocating to The Charles Hotel!
After more than seven fantastic years at the Hydey, the Comedy Lounge have decided that it is time for a change, and are thrilled to announce a new association with Chris Angelkov and his staff at the Charles Hotel.
The Charles Hotel, on Charles Street in North Perth, is one of Perth’s most iconic pubs with a solid reputation as a hub of live entertainment. The Comedy Lounge are excited to make the Charles their new Thursday night home where they’ll join the Perth Jazz Society and the Perth Blues Club who operate from the venue on Monday and Tuesday nights respectively.
The move is still a few weeks away with three remaining Comedy Lounge shows at the Hydey. Things will continue as normal through to Thursday 29 November which is locked in as the last Comedy Lounge show at the Hydey and a celebration of the last seven years of live comedy at the venue. Werzel and Danielle Montague began comedy at the Hydey back in 2000 with Andrew Horabin and Katrina Bercov taking the helm for a time before John and Jane McAllister picked things up in 2004.
They have had a great relationship with the Hydey for the extent of their time at the venue, working for many years with the Higgins family, and more recently, the ALH Group.
It will be sad to end the tradition of live comedy at the Hydey. After all, some of the best comedians in Australia started up there on that big black stage while the bar staff clanged glasses obliviously in the background. Comedians like Rove McManus and Dave Hughes started their careers on that stage, and I’m glad I got the chance to do so as well before the comedy lounge leaves the Hydey. And I got to do it with some of the funniest bastards in Perth! Like:
CLAIRE HOOPER, ANDREA GIBBS, ETHAN MARRELL
JIMMYEATON, SAM LONGLEY, NATALIE LOCKE
STEADY EDDY, ANH DO, DON SMITH, DAVE CALLAN (IRISH)
DARYL MAK BOB FRANKLIN, AKMAL SALEH,
CHRIS DOOLEY,CHRIS FRANKLIN,ZARA&TROY, WERZEL,
NOVAKnGOODE, THE SCARED WEIRD LITTLE GUYS!!
MIKE KING (NZ) THE BEDROOM PHILOSOPHOR, JIMBO,
HALLMARK, JOHN HOWODD, NICK THE NOISE, STEVIE D,
ANDREW HORABIN, ETHEL CHOP, ANDREA POWELL
DAMIAN CLARKE (DAMO) ANTHONY MENCHETTI,
HUNG LE,PETER WILLEY,ANDREW BIRD (UK) MORE (DUO)
BARRY THE BLOODY BORING BUSH POET, JAMES DE LEO
IAN FROM THE HILLS, XAVIER MICHELIDES, POMMY JOHNSON
AUSTEN TAYSHUS, SURESH, JEFF HEWITT, MIKEY G,
JEFF KELSO, NICK THE HIPPY,BAGGAS, NIK COPPIN (UK)
KEITH DONNELLY (UK), ANDREW MCDONALD,
OLLIE RAISON,ROSS VEGAS, JOSH MAKINDA,
RUSSEL TRENNERY. BRAD OAKES, DAN WILLIS
PETER ROWSTHORN (KATH’N KIM) THE DICKSTER
CHARLIE PICKERING, GREG FLEET, DAVE GRANT,
TOM GLEESON, FIONA O’LOUGHLIN, BRENDAN BURNS
MARK ANTHONY/COMEDY HYPNOTIST (UK)
TROY KINNE, XAVIER SUSAI, LUKE BOLLAND, PAUL HANCOCK, and some knob face called BEN RUSSELL.
but they are looking to the future and very excited to become a part of another great Perth pub, the Charles Hotel.
The celebrations will continue on Thursday 6 December for the official launch of The Comedy Lounge at The Charles Hotel.