Tuesday 7 October 2008

Another hoon caught doing burn-outs outside copshop

as posted on WAToday

* Vanessa Williams and Chris Thomson
* October 2, 2008

A 23-year-old Greenmount man was allegedly caught doing burn-outs right outside the new traffic police headquarters in Midland yesterday.

Police Media's Ros Weatherall said that around 5pm, a Traffic Enforcement Group officer was leaving work when he spotted a man allegedly doing burn-outs outside the building.

The car allegedly lost traction and its wheels smoked up.

Ms Weatherall said the officer pulled the driver over. The car was seized for seven days under anti-hoon legislation.

The driver has been summonsed for allegedly causing excessive noise and smoke.

Traffic Enforcement Group only moved from Perth to Midland last week.

The alleged burnouts were the second outside a WA Police station this year.

On February 3, a learner driver was charged for the same offence after police at Cannington station heard tyres squealing.

The police went out to see a 24-year-old Maddington man allegedly spinning the wheels of his Ford Falcon in the station's front carpark.

That man's car was seized for 48 hours.

as posted on WAToday

Investigating underway into another sewage spill

as posted on ABCNews

The Department of Environment and Conservation is investigating a malfunction at a Water Corporation plant which saw thousands of litres of sewage spill into the Southern River at Gosnells.

The Swan River Trust Riverpark operations manager, Chris Mather, says it is the fifth sewage spill in the past three months, but an investigation has ruled out a widespread Water Corporation infrastructure problem.

Mr Mather says the impact of the most recent spill is relatively minor.

"With the amount of water flowing into the river system with rainfalls and ground water inflows the actual affect is reasonably minor when you talk about 25 thousand litres of sewage coming into a system which has much more water in it," he said.

"However, we do continue to monitor each incident we attend and monitor and we also conduct routine testing on the river as well."


as posted on ABCNews

Monday 6 October 2008

Pomersbach starts with ton

as posted on TheWest

6th October 2008, 10:00 WST

Luke Pomersbach warmed up for a month of intense interstate cricket by belting his 11th club century as Gosnells played out a draw against South Perth in the first round of the WACA’s Retravision Shield competition.

Pomersbach’s 107 took Gosnells to 7-276, still 20 runs short of the target set when South Perth batted on to lunch on the second day of the match.

It was the only draw in a round in which defending premiers Scarborough had an easy win against Wanneroo but Fremantle, one of the favourites to grab the title this season, succumbing to Subiaco-Floreat by a whopping 130 runs.

Subiaco captain Steven Glew made a fine 121 in their 264 before pace recruit Simon Branston claimed 5-37 to dismantle Fremantle’s powerful top order.
State opener Shaun Marsh made a duck while State squad mmbers Craig Simmons (26) and Chris Wood (0) had little impact.

Former Test opener Justin Langer was disappointed not to be picked for Scarborough after training with the club on Thursday, only a few hours after he returned from a season with Somerset in county cricket. Langer is likely to play next week.

Mt Lawley overhauled Bayswater-Morley, who were without WA captain Marcus North and managed just 132, with State bowler Paul Davis contributing 77 in the tight three-wicket win.

WA opener Liam Davis scored a century in the second innings for Bayswater.

WA’s Luke Ronchi also failed with a second ball duck as Perth scraped together 177 before Midland-Guildford climbed to 237.

Arron Crawford enhanced his chances of a WA debut this week with 3-48 for Midland.

University’s 204 was not enough against Joondalup who piled on 4-318 with James Newnham making 117 while Melville defended their modest total of 197 against Rockingham-Mandurah for whom Aaron Heal’s 61 was the only substantial score in their 143.

Willetton’s 6-292 was plenty against Claremont-Nedlands who managed just 134 with seamer Chris Lagana taking 7-27.

Matt Johnston hammered 106 for Willetton to be one of three State batsmen to score centuries.

Scorecards

Willetton v Claremont-Nedlands

Willetton
First Innings
Hill st King b Roberts 70
Woods lbw Roberts 41
Johnston c Robinson b Donaldson 106
Elliot b Kelly 18
Silvey c Robertson b Kelly 19
Bond c Brabazon b O'Connell 13
Bancroft not out 4
Whetnall not out 9
Sundries: 12
Total: 6-292 decl
Fall: 69, 176, 220, 251, 273, 280
Bowling: Kelly 32-3-100-2, Robinson 3-1-3-0, Donaldson 18-1-55-1, Roberts 19-7-49-2, O'Connell 20-3-54-1, Mason C 8-0-21-0

Claremont-Nedlands
First Innings
King c Whetnall b Lagana 0
Roberts b Lagana 9
Robinson c Johnston b Lagana 7
O'Connell c Whetnall b Arthur 2
Robertson lbw Johnston 20
Mason S b Lagana 3
Brabazon lbw Lagana 4
Kelly c Silvey b Johnston 43
Mason C not out 27
McFarlane lbw Lagana 10
Donaldson b Lagana 2
Sundries: 7
Total: 134
Fall: 1, 15, 18, 20, 44, 44, 67, 113, 126, 134
Bowling: Arthur 15-4-34-1, Lagana 22.1-10-29-7, Johnston 14-4-21-2, Kent 6-0-26-0, Bond 5-2-14-0, Silvey 3-1-3-0
Willetton won on first innings


Bayswater-Morley v Mt Lawley

Bayswater-Morley
First Innings
Davis c Sanders b Palladino 29
Todd lbw Armstrong 9
Birrell lbw Verco 11
Adams not out 48
Hall b Palladino 0
Robb c Beaton b Armstrong 3
Barr c Rakich b Walshaw 4
Thistle M b Hollins 8
Waterhouse run out 5
Thistle G c Verco b Hollins 5
Francis lbw Hollins 0
Sundries: 10
Total: 132
Fall: 24, 47, 59, 59, 63, 81, 102, 118, 132, 132
Bowling: Davis 19-6-49-0, Armstrong 10-4-16-2, Palladino 12-9-9-2, Verco 7-3-14-1, Walshaw 3-0-15-1, Hollins 6.3-1-22-3

Mt Lawley
First Innings
Meredith c Robb b Thistle M 13
Walshaw lbw Thistle M 5
Brownlie lbw Francis 0
Rakich lbw Francis 2
Beaton c Hall b Thistle M 30
Verco c Robb b Thistle M 2
Sanders c Robb b Waterhouse 33
Davis c & b Davis 77
Hollins c Waterhouse b Thistle M 7
Palladino c Robb b Thistle M 0
Armstrong not out 16
Sundries: 8
Total: 193
Fall: 7, 8, 18, 24, 30, 75, 97, 133, 133, 193
Bowling: Thistle M 21-4-65-6, Francis 18-4-45-2, Thistle G 5-2-25-0, Waterhouse 4-0-11-1, Barr 10-2-40-0, Davis 1.2-1-0-1

Bayswater-Morley
Second Innings
Todd c Brownlie b Armstrong 3
Davis c Hollins b Beaton 110
Birrell lbw Sanders 39
Adams c & b Sanders 7
Hall not out 2
Robb b Beaton 6
Sundries: 2
Total: 5-169
Fall: 5, 135, 155, 162, 169
Bowling: Davis 4-1-4-0, Armstrong 5-1-23-1, Walshaw 2-0-16-0, Palladino 5-3-10-0, Verco 12-4-39-0, Hollins 8-0-40-0, Sanders 5-1-21-2, Beaton 4.1-2-15-2
Mt Lawley won on first innings


Fremantle v Subiaco-Floreat

Subiaco-Floreat
First Innings
Bolton c Fielding b Heath 8
Malajczuk b Heath 16
Murphy c Simmons b Dorey 7
Glew c Dorey b Heath 121
Hansberry C run out 52
Serjeant c Dorey b Wood 1
Monteleone b Heath 13
Townsend c Shuttleworth R b Coulter-Nile 9
Branston b Coulter-Nile 15
Sansalone lbw Coulter-Nile 2
Baker not out 1
Sundries: 19
Total: 264
Fall: 18, 31, 74, 188, 197, 225, 234, 257, 259, 264
Bowling: Dorey 16-4-26-1, Coulter-Nile 26.5-9-66-3, Heath 19-11-24-4, Fielding 17-0-56-0, Wood 18-0-79-1, Simmons 3-2-1-0

Fremantle
First Innings
Simmons lbw Branston 26
Marsh b Branston 0
Milton lbw Branston 5
Shuttleworth S b Baker 2
Wood c Glew b Branston 0
Shuttleworth R c Murphy b Branston 36
Natale c Bolton b Sansalone 1
Dorey lbw Bolton 29
Coulter-Nile c Sansalone b Baker 19
Heath not out 4
Fielding c Murphy b Hansberry C 5
Sundries: 8
Total: 134
Fall: 9, 31, 34, 36, 41, 52, 87, 117, 127, 134
Bowling: Baker 12-1-40-2, Branston 11-2-37-5, Sansalone 3-0-24-1, Bolton 12-7-18-1, Hansberry C 5.3-1-8-1
Subiaco-Floreat won on first innings


Gosnells v South Perth

South Perth
First Innings
Latham c Pomersbach b Duffield 14
Brunner c Bland b Townsend 73
Brown b Leatherday 0
Hood c McKrill b Pomersbach 23
Powis st McKrill b Turner 85
Grobler lbw Duffield 2
Allison c Pomersbach b Abbott 29
Owen not out 20
Thompson run out 38
Sundries: 11
Total: 8-295 decl
Fall: 30, 31, 78, 153, 162, 228, 238, 295
Bowling: Duffield 20-3-62-2, Townsend 17-1-67-1, Abbott 20-7-49-1, Leatherday 14-3-33-1, Pomersbach 10-2-41-1, Turner 9-1-36-1

Gosnells
First Innings
Kipping c Allison b Thompson 3
Bland lbw Guthridge 17
Pomersbach c Latham b Powis 107
Maynard c Thompson b Powis 74
Gauder lbw Owen 12
Duffield c Brown b Powis 53
Abbott c Allison b Powis 0
Turner not out 1
Townsend not out 1
Sundries: 8
Total: 7-276
Fall: 3, 75, 149, 178, 270, 271, 275
Bowling: Edmondson 14-2-41-0, Thompson 12-0-59-1, Owen 10-0-45-1, Guthridge 8-0-47-1, Powis 13-0-81-4
Match drawn


Joondalup v University

University
First Innings
Smith c Swart b Brett 17
Inness c Shields b Sprague 2
Paver c Richards b Brett 64
Mangan b Howell 19
Penter M c Brett b Richards 12
Cameron c Howell b Sprague 33
Hogg lbw Brett 4
Marshall c Swart b Brett 10
Molinari c & b Sprague 13
Penter A not out 10
McFerran b Sprague 5
Sundries: 15
Total: 204
Fall: 7, 40, 71, 114, 122, 131, 151, 171, 198, 204
Bowling: Sprague 21-5-41-3, Boyland 18.4-4-59-1, Leach 12-5-13-0, Brett 15-3-35-4, Richards 14-4-22-1, Howell 7-3-20-1

Joondalup
First Innings
Newnham c Mangan b Smith 117
Swart lbw Hogg 48
Howell lbw Mangan 21
Richards c Inness b Penter M 72
Boyland not out 44
Shields not out 5
Sundries: 11
Total: 4-318
Fall: 94, 121, 247, 296
Bowling: Molinari 14-4-43-0, McFerran 15-2-48-0, Mangan 26-9-74-1, Penter A 13-1-51-0, Hogg 10-3-24-1, Penter M 18-3-62-1, Smith 1-0-7-1
Joondalup won on first innings


Midland-Guildford v Perth

Perth
First Innings
Yardy c Jones b Olsen 36
Barranca c Andrijich b Crawford 2
Patterson c Andrijich b Olsen 7
Walters b Worthington 12
Ronchi c Sutton b Olsen 0
Nicholas c Baker b Olsen 25
Webster c Crawford b Worthington 8
Moir c Jose b Crawford 38
Keenan b Olsen 0
Scali c Jose b Crawford 35
Nelson not out 0
Sundries: 14
Total: 177
Fall: 13, 38, 53, 54, 74, 94, 102, 102, 177, 177
Bowling: Crawford 19.1-5-48-3, Worthington 14-3-27-2, Olsen 13-4-33-5, Crosswell 10-3-19-0, Baker 3-0-18-0, Jose 5-1-22-0

Midland-Guildford
First Innings
Jose c Moir b Scali 8
O'Connor c & b Yardy 93
Blight c Webster b Scali 15
Worthington lbw Scali 0
Sutton c Yardy b Nicholas 21
Jones c Yardy b Nelson 35
Baker lbw Yardy 2
Crosswell c Patterson b Keenan 36
Andrijich run out 11
Crawford not out 8
Olsen lbw Scali 2
Sundries: 6
Total: 237
Fall: 11, 35, 35, 126, 152, 160, 211, 227, 227, 237
Bowling: Keenan 14-1-42-1, Scali 22.3-6-46-4, Walters 18-2-39-0, Nicholas 18-3-37-1, Nelson 7-0-41-1, Yardy 12-2-28-2

Perth
Second Innings
Yardy not out 20
Barranca not out 2
Sundries: 0
Total: 0-22
Bowling: Worthington 2-0-19-0, Jose 1-0-3-0
Midland-Guildford won on first innings


Rockingham-Mandurah v Melville

Melville
First Innings
Meuleman c Whiteman b Loveridge 1
Towers c Whiteman b Parsons 9
Voges c Staines b Parsons 43
Gillies st Whiteman b Parsons 0
Scollay b Sarsero 22
Lillis c Wright b Heal 62
Porter c Heal b Sarsero 22
Magoffin c Whiteman b Sarsero 0
Russell c Wright b Heal 28
Greig not out 3
Platel c Senz b Parsons 0
Sundries: 7
Total: 197
Fall: 6, 20, 21, 69, 88, 128, 130, 182, 195, 197
Bowling: Loveridge 11-1-44-1, Parsons 14.3-4-34-4, Sarsero 13-3-43-3, Senz 6-1-32-0, Heal 5-1-16-2, Perera 2-0-23-0

Rockingham-Mandurah
First Innings
Whisson c Towers b Porter 8
Sarsero c Scollay b Magoffin 0
Heal c Porter b Russell 61
Staines c Russell b Platel 9
Wright lbw Voges 10
Whiteman c Greig b Voges 2
Whiteaker c Greig b Platel 14
Perera run out 1
Senz b Platel 17
Loveridge c Lillis b Platel 0
Parsons not out 4
Sundries: 17
Total: 143
Fall: 9, 15, 52, 104, 106, 111, 118, 139, 139, 143
Bowling: Magoffin 12-2-37-1, Porter 8-4-8-2, Platel 9.3-3-37-3, Gillies 8-1-17-0, Voges 10-2-17-2, Russell 2-0-18-1

Melville
Second Innings
Gillies not out 10
Greig b Senz 14
Sundries: 0
Total: 1-24
Fall: 24
Bowling: Perera 1-0-11-0, Senz 1-0-13-1
Melville won on first innings


Scarborough v Wanneroo

Scarborough
First Innings
Heron c & b Acheson 45
Nowell b Atkinson GS 0
Bandy b Atkinson GS 62
Doropoulos lbw Atkinson GS 11
Johnson lbw Quelch 36
Coetzee not out 107
Gilbert c Fawcett b Acheson 45
Tye c Stiller b Acheson 4
McLauchlan not out 37
Sundries: 8
Total: 7-355 decl
Fall: 2, 83, 111, 141, 187, 277, 291
Bowling: Death 20-1-74-0, Atkinson GS 17-2-68-3, Quelch 8-1-49-1, Acheson 10-0-55-3, Dixon 15-0-82-0, Atkinson GT 2-0-22-0

Wanneroo
First Innings
Charles c Johnson b Tye 33
Richards b McLauchlan 4
Dixon b McLauchlan 2
Fawcett c Johnson b Tye 10
Head lbw Doropoulos 35
Death run out 15
Atkinson GT b Bandy 43
Stiller b McLauchlan 22
Atkinson GS not out 8
Quelch c Slowey b McLauchlan 2
Acheson b McLauchlan 0
Sundries: 8
Total: 182
Fall: 8, 14, 53, 62, 86, 128, 154, 180, 182, 182
Bowling: McLauchlan 15.4-3-38-5, Bandy 13-1-51-1, Coetzee 6-3-12-0, Slowey 5-1-14-0, Tye 7-1-25-2, Doropoulos 9-1-37-1, Gilbert 1-0-1-0, Hopes 2-1-1-0

Scarborough
Second Innings
Nowell b Atkinson GT 57
Heron c Atkinson GS b Death 18
Bandy c Stiller b Death 42
Doropoulos not out 3
Johnson not out 10
Sundries: 2
Total: 3-132
Fall: 43, 112, 121
Bowling: Death 11-0-53-2, Atkinson GS 6-0-33-0, Atkinson GT 5-0-35-1, Fawcett 1-0-10-0
Scarborough won on first innings

PERTH
JOHN TOWNSEND

as posted on TheWest

Friday 3 October 2008

The times they are a’ changin’ in PM’s favour

as posted on TheWest

3rd October 2008, 15:00 WST

It was a comment John Howard famously made a full 10 years before he became prime minister but it’s one that could well be echoing in the offices he vacated for his successor Kevin Rudd.

“The times will suit me,” Mr Howard told an Australian journalist over dinner in a posh restaurant in Washington DC in July 1986.

Back home, then treasurer Paul Keating had told Australians their country was on track to becoming a “banana republic”. The economy was going down the lavatory; the Aussie dollar had been devalued horribly; Australia had lost its AAA rating and the current account deficit was getting uncomfortably large.

Mr Howard’s comment proved untimely hubris, given that he was dumped as Liberal leader three years later. However, eventually the times did suit him and we rewarded his perseverance with 11½ years in the Lodge.

Mr Rudd hasn’t had to wait long at all for the times to suit him.

Under George Bush, a President who will not be remembered by history fondly, the US’s authority on world security, the economy and the environment is at its lowest ebb. Under this President, the US has given the world two unwinnable wars — Iraq and terror — made diplomatic unilateralism a laughing stock, set back action on climate change years and, to top it off, overseen the biggest collapse of the financial markets since the Great Depression.

The Wall Street implosion marks an ironic bookend to the Bush era of neo-conservatism. Absolute faith in the free market to regulate itself has proved disastrous, as much as the Iraq conflict.

As conservative French President Nicolas Sarkozy put it last week to world leaders in New York for the United Nations General Assembly, the “all-powerful market” and the laissez-faire attitudes that have underpinned it are dead.

An era of Big Government has begun, a period of government intervention and greater supervision of the markets. So has a period of multilateralism on world security and climate change.

If there’s one guy in Australia who is Big Government and multilateralism, it’s Kevin Rudd.

Although we love to lampoon the PM as the chief bureaucrat who’s hilariously travelled the world telling everyone how to run their show — NATO on the Afghanistan war, Asia on a new Asia-Pacific Community, China on Tibet, the US on financial regulation and the $US700 billion bailout of Wall Street and the world at large on nuclear disarmament, to name a few — momentum is building for some, if not all, of his ideas.

Where he seemed the precocious, hectoring new kid on the block a few months ago, he now is establishing himself as a potentially influential leader. What with Japan having a new PM and the US a new president next January, he’s also moving up the seniority list of allied leaders.

Of course there’s an inherent danger in Mr Rudd’s pursuit of middle power diplomacy on the world stage unhinging him at home but domestically some of his ideas are starting to gain traction and a heightened relevance. The May Budget, though criticised at the time by the commentariat for not living up to its scrooge publicity build-up, is now looking much smarter, thanks it seems to Wayne Swan’s hurried recalibration of deep cuts following a trip to Washington in March when the Treasurer was advised of the market dramas we’re now witnessing.

The establishment of the multi-billion-dollar infrastructure funds also looks much smarter and more forward-thinking than it did five months ago, given the prospect of recession hitting many of our trading partners and the hunger for our resources dissipating.

Plundering a nice back pocket kitty to redirect economic activity to local projects will have appeal when exports and jobs start sliding.

And at the Council of Australian Governments meeting in Perth yesterday he harnessed the growing public odium for cowboy financiers to push for uniform regulation of credit markets.

This comes from the same songbook he used for his speech to the UN last week which demanded tighter regulations for investment banks, insurance companies, hedge funds and financial clearing houses.

On domestic politics, the Rudd Government also has matured in its handling of interest rates and the banks.

Whereas it began the year trying to score some political points (Mr Swan saying the inflation genie was out of the bottle, for example), it has learnt to check its commentary with the responsibility of government.

Rather than take the populist tack and pressure the banks to pass on the full official interest rate cut expected next week, Mr Rudd and Mr Swan have taken a far more circumspect attitude, indicating that they would forgive the banks if they didn’t.

They’ve calculated that the populace, stretched though it is financially, will understand the need to keep Australia’s banking system strong even if this means extending their pain.

For a Labor Prime Minister and Labor Treasurer to defend the banks would normally be a subject of mirth. The fact it isn’t is a symptom of the times. But even if the times do suit Mr Rudd, problems remain.

He must find a way to show he loves walking the streets of Karratha and Gosnells as much as he does swanning about the corridors of power in London and New York.

All the various reviews and task forces that were set up soon after the election have to be acted upon.

As the furore around pensions policy has shown, sticking rigidly to a predetermined process while people are crying out for action is almost untenable.

You might have all the best policies and plans in the world, but they’re worthless if people stop listening because you’re not acting.

ANDREW PROBYN FEDERAL POLITICAL EDITOR

as posted on TheWest

Thursday 2 October 2008

Red Christmas likely for fraud accused

as posted on WAToday

* Chris Thomson
* October 2, 2008 - 7:47AM

A principal of Perth's Australian Islamic College who was charged with fraud after allegedly obtaining $3 million of state and federal funding is likely to have his passport returned so he can spend Christmas in China.

In June, Major Fraud Squad officers charged Mark Brian Debowski, 50, and his associates Abdallah Saad Magar, 69, and Aziz Magdi, 53, after search warrants were executed at three of the college's schools in Thornlie, Kewdale and Dianella.

In Perth Magistrates Court yesterday, Debowski's lawyer Andrew Maugham asked that his client's seized passport be returned so he could travel to China for business and to visit relatives between December 19 and January 29.

Mr Maugham said Debowski planned to stay in the city of Shantou, which sprawls along the coast of the South China Sea.

Mr Maugham said his client did not pose a flight risk because he had family and business ties to Perth, and a $2 million property in Peppermint Grove.

Debowski last visited China in July 2008, well after the fraud investigation had started, and had returned without incident, Mr Maugham argued.

Debowski has not yet pleaded to the fraud charges but Mr Maugham said they were likely to be defended.

"I believe there are deficiencies in the state's case," Mr Maugham said.

Mr Maugham argued there was no suggestion Debowski personally benefitted from the alleged fraud.

"My submission is the funding was required to keep the school open," Mr Maugham said.

Crown prosecutor Raymond Soh opposed the return of Debowski's passport, arguing the absence of an extradition treaty between China and Australia increased the flight risk.

Mr Soh said the Australian Federal Police, WA Police and Customs Australia had been closely tracking Debowski's movements.

"His travel plans to China are a luxury for a recreational purpose," Mr Soh argued.

Magistrate Stephen Heath adjourned the bail amendment application until November 18.

But he said he would recommend to the magistrate sitting that day that Debowski have his passport returned provided he could pay a $1 million surety, a $100,000 personal undertaking and a $20,000 cash deposit.

as posted on WAToday

Nursing home operators hit a brick wall

as posted on TheAustralian

Victoria Laurie | October 02, 2008

RESIDENTIAL nursing home owners are closing beds and turning down hundreds of new federally funded bed licences in Western Australia, prompting warnings of a looming crisis in aged care in the fast-growing state.

Aged care operators have declined to take up 360 bed licences out of 1000 offered in the federal Government's 2007-08 funding round because they cannot afford to build new facilities or find staff for them. It is thought to be the first time a state has declined to take up such funding.

WA is 2000 beds shy of government targets, and the shortfall is expected to increase rapidly. A Productivity Commission report released last week found that demand for aged care services would rocket in the next 40 years. The number of Australians older than 85 is forecast to increase fourfold.

Stephen Kobelke from Aged and Community Services WA said the industry had spurned once-lucrative bed licences. "I was shocked," Mr Kobelke said. "Normally there would have been competition for those licences, but now the Government can't give them away."

He said several not-for-profit aged care facilities had told him they intended to hand back bed licences because they could not find staff to work in jobs paying less than $40,000 a year.

Construction of new residential care homes had slowed to a trickle, Mr Kobelke said, due to a 9.3 per cent hike in building and operating costs in metropolitan Perth. "There is no business case to set up a new aged care home, even on a charitable basis," he said.

Mr Kobelke welcomed the Senate inquiry into aged and community care facilities announced last week, but said inadequate funding coupled with the WA's resources and construction boom made the state a critical case.

The Productivity Commission found that the number of people older than 85 would increase from about 400,000 to 1.6million by 2047, and that changing health patterns would increase the number of frail older people needing intensive nursing care.

But Amana Living chief executive Ray Glickman, whose Anglican Church body operates 15 residential care facilities, said staff were already in acute short supply in Perth.

Mr Glickman said 40 per cent of shifts in some nursing homes were being covered by costly agency staff, and he was struggling to keep doors open in regions where even agencies could not supply any workers. "Things are too serious now for us to remain silent," he said.

David Fenwick, who runs the 173-bed Amaroo Village in Gosnells, in Perth's southwest, said he had closed his waiting list when it reached 153 people.

"The Government has abandoned Australia's elderly in both pensions and aged care, and we need help to meet the real capital cost in Perth of providing new aged care beds at $220,000 per bed place," he said.


as posted on TheAustralian

Suspicious fire in Maddington

as posted on TheWest

A fire that damaged a two-storey house in Maddington this afternoon will be investigated by the police arson squad after being labelled as suspicious.

The blaze at the vacant weatherboard home on Morley Street was reported to the Fire and Rescue Service at about 12.15pm and was brought under control 20 minutes later.

A Fire and Rescue spokeswoman said the cause of the fire was suspicious with the incident causing an estimated $70,000 in damage.

No-one was injured in the blaze.

PERTH
DALE MILLER

as posted on TheWest

Wednesday 1 October 2008

Calling all Ghost Walkers

as posted on COGsite

If you have a flair for acting, a love of history or a passion for the great outdoors, then why not become a Ghost Walks volunteer?

The City of Gosnells’ popular Ghost Walks series is fast approaching and there are places for fresh faces to join the cast of ghosts and the team of walk leaders.

Ghost Walks is a live theatre performance in the hills of Orange Grove with four walks from November to March.

Leaders take groups of 20 along a 5.5km moonlit track through the bush, which gets interrupted by ‘storytelling ghosts’ from pioneer days.

The history of the 1860s Mason and Bird Timber Mill Company is shared with the audience through colourful performances by volunteer actors.

Up to 20 volunteers fill the roles of ghosts, leaders and sound-effect operators for each Ghost Walk. Previous acting experience is not necessary and all volunteers receive training.

To become a Ghost Walks volunteer, contact Leisure Services on 9452 9901.

Ends

as posted on COGsite

Gosnells Junior Football Club



Gosnells Junior Football Club

Mahmood gets another chance with England

as posted here


11:00am Tuesday 30th September 2008
By Graham Hardcastle »


Former Bolton League ace Sajid Mahmood has been given another England lifeline with a call-up to the Performance Programme squad to tour India in November.

The 26-year-old Lancashire pace bowler, who has played eight Tests and 25 one-day internationals for his country, has been out of the international reckoning since April, 2007.

He played for the England Lions in a one-day friendly against South Africa earlier this summer, and was also named in the provisional 30-man squad for the cancelled ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan.

Mahmood has had an impressive summer for Lancashire, claiming 35 County Championship wickets at an average of 32.77 from 12 matches. But he has been out since August 23 with a left intercostal strain.

However, he will be fit in time to join up with the likes of Joe Denly, Robert Key, Tim Bresnan and Adil Rashid on November 21 when the 15-man squad travels to Bangalore.

The squad will play two matches, a three-day fixture in Bangalore and a four-dayer in Mumbai, while they will also train with the Test squad.

Mahmood leads a whole host of Lancashire players that are spending their winter playing in foreign climes.

Lancashire opener Paul Horton will not be changing his plans to go to Perth for five months, where he will captain grade side Gosnells, after being omitted from the Performance Programme squad.

Steven Croft is on the verge of signing a winter contract to play New Zealand state cricket with Auckland, while the likes of Mark Chilton, Steven Mullaney, Stephen Cheetham and Steven Parry will all play grade cricket Down Under.

Lancashire cricket manager Mike Watkinson said: “We keep tabs on where they are going to make sure they have got the right coaching and strength and conditioning resources. They will hopefully come back improved cricketers.

“Many of them need to grow as individuals. It is also a big part of life development being away from home for six months, standing on their own two feet.

“It is an extra pressure for them to have to perform in a tough environment in Australia or wherever they go.”


as posted here

ALL NINJA (250) R RIDER (SKITTLES) RIDE 5th October


as posted here

Another Skittles Ride, Will Go Coastal Run from Cottlesloe to Scabs, then prolly food somewhere. Then back home

Meet Point
5th October 11:30, Leave 12:00pm

Meet CNR of Wilfred and Nicholson the Baseball Centre Car Park, Thornlie.

The More The Merrier

as posted here

Day one ..

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