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Setback for 'tree man'

18/Feb/2010

By Jaime Shurmer, Comment News

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THE Heritage Council of WA will not register the gum tree at the centre of a suburban stand-off in Thornlie.

The decision, announced this morning, was made after Hume Road resident Richard Pennicuik's lawyer John Hammond lodged the application for heritage listing last week.

Mr Pennicuik (57) has been living in the tree outside his home since December 7 in a bid to have it saved from a City of Gosnells plan to rid the city of potentially dangerous trees.

Council executive director Graeme Gammie said the State Register of Heritage Places was reserved for places of significant cultural value to the State.

After a preliminary review of the application, both the Heritage Council's register committee and full board decided the tree was unlikely to enter the State Register so a full assessment was not warranted and the nomination would not progress further.

Only three trees are individually listed on the register, including the Proclamation Tree in Fremantle, which was planted in 1890 to commemorate the granting of responsible government to WA.

“The removal of trees in both the public and private domain is often an emotive issue, and is periodically of great community concern,” Mr Gammie said.

“However, these concerns most often relate to issues of local amenity and local cultural significance as is the case with the Thornlie tree.”

Mr Hammond said the Heritage Council's decision was disappointing and overly conservative.

"In Richard Pennicuik's view the tree does have cultural significance because of the protest," Mr Hammond said.

"The protest has had a State-wide audience and international audience and I would say more people have visited that tree than any other in WA."

His next strategy is to focus on getting the City of Gosnells to preserve the tree under it's Municipal Inventory.

Mr Hammond said a mulberry tree and orchards in the city were protected by the inventory.

"I would hope the council would look at it impartially without considering the issues they have with Richard," he said.

While he has not spoken to his client for a week, Mr Hammond said Mr Pennicuik intended to stay in the tree until it was protected.

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Police search for triple-0 caller

Updated 3 hours 39 minutes ago

16-year-old Michael Jones was stabbed in the chest at a friend's birthday party in January.

• AUDIO: Detective Senior Sergeant Kevin Bradshaw wants to hear from this triple-0 caller. (ABC News)
• MAP: Huntingdale 6110

Police have released a recording of a triple-0 emergency call made on the night of a fatal stabbing in the Perth suburb of Huntingdale.

16-year-old Michael Jones was stabbed in the chest at a friend's birthday party in January.

In the 20 second phone call to triple-0, a distressed girl says a man is trying to attack her.

The call was made from a phone box near the Huntingdale home about 15 minutes before Mr Jones was stabbed.

Police want to speak to the woman and have called for anyone with information on the call to come forward.

A 20-year-old man has been charged with his murder and is due to appear in court in April.

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Woman found dead in Perth

Updated Sat Feb 13, 2010 11:12am AEDT

Police are examining the house where the woman was found dead.

• Map: Maddington 6109

Police are investigating the death of a woman in the south-east Perth suburb of Maddington.

The 29-year-old was found dead by family members yesterday morning at a house in Maddington.

Her death is being treated as suspicious and officers from the Major Crime Squad are examining the scene.

Tags: crime, maddington-6109

First posted Sat Feb 13, 2010 10:29am AEDT

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Boy faces 7 years jail over bottle throwing

JAYNE RICKARD, The West AustralianFebruary 15, 2010, 2:05 am

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A 15-year-old Thornlie boy faces up to seven years jail if found guilty of throwing beer bottles on to a busy highway yesterday morning.

He is believed to be the first person charged under WA's tough new legislation that makes it an offence to throw an object at or near a vehicle.

Police allege officers on patrol saw the boy throwing items from the Spencer Road overpass on Roe Highway in Thornlie about 1.55am. Broken glass was seen on the road below. No one was reported hurt in the incident.

Police apprehended the boy, who was allegedly found with a number of empty beer bottles.

He was taken to Cannington police station and charged with causing fear or alarm to people in vehicles. He will appear before Armadale Children's Court next Monday.

If convicted, the boy faces a maximum penalty of seven years jail and a $36,000 fine. The legislation, which has the toughest penalties for such offences in Australia, was introduced in November.

Attorney-General Christian Porter said at the time the legislation would provide the community with the strongest protection in Australia.

Under the new laws, prosecutors do not need to show that a person's life was put in danger or that the offender intended to hurt anyone.

Police are appealing for any vehicles that may have been in the area at the time to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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