AS POSTED HERE ---> The daily news: Roaches, mice, dirt: half Perth restaurants will make you sick
Roaches, mice, dirt: half Perth restaurants will make you sick
MORE than half the restaurants and food outlets in the City of Perth failed basic hygiene inspections last year.
And other councils across the state reported poor standards at hundreds of food outlets.
In the worst cases, restaurant workers were caught preparing food in kitchens infested with rats and mice, food was exposed to dust and "foul odours" and diners were expected to use filthy toilets without toilet paper.
One restaurant did not have hot water to clean dishes or for guests to wash their hands.
Health Department bosses - who described the breaches as inexcusable - said restaurants were also keeping food for up to a month when it had a 24-hour shelf life, putting Perth diners at risk of food poisoning.
WA's leading public health expert, Mike Daube, has called for restaurants that flout health regulations to be shut down.
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Of the 700 registered food businesses in the city, 387 were issued with work orders from Perth City Council environmental health officers in the 2008-09 financial year.
Since September 2008, seven city food outlets have been prosecuted and fined a total of $63,500.
The Cloud 9 Karaoke Restaurant in East Perth was among the worst, with dead cockroaches found on a kitchen bench, and dirty walls, floors, cookers and food-handling equipment.
Inspectors said the toilets were filthy and the venue had no hot water.
Owners Eastern Legend International Group were fined $10,000 with $2301 costs in November last year.
The venue - under previous management - had been warned four times to clean up before it was prosecuted.
Eastern Legend is one of a host of companies named and shamed on a Department of Health website.
Perth City Council carries out the inspections quarterly and "health directions" are issued to premises found wanting.
Inspectors make follow-up visits to check the breaches have been rectified.
Perth City Council said it inspected 2303 food premises last financial year.
Health Department food-unit manager Stan Goodchild said he was concerned by the number of breaches, which could cause outbreaks of bacteria like salmonella and listeria.
"We've had incidents like restaurants pre-preparing toppings for food and keeping it for a month where it should have been kept for a day or two at maximum," he said.
"We've had issues where a product has been cooked and it has been a bit dry so to moisten it there has been raw material put back into the product."
Subiaco Council estimated that up to half its 250 outlets required second visits from health officers in 2008-09. The Town of Vincent said about 15 per cent of its 332 food businesses were either issued with improvement notices or were re-inspected after "unsatisfactory findings".
Joondalup Council said 72 of its 702 registered eateries failed inspections in the past two financial years and were ordered to take immediate action. .
Fremantle City Council issued eight work orders for non-compliance in 2008-09, without any prosecutions.
Prof Daube said if food outlets could not comply with basic hygiene rules they should not be in business.
"It is staggering that more than 150 years after WA's first regulations on public hygiene we are still allowing our health to be put at risk," he said.
"This is fundamental health protection.
"We need regular inspections, prompt remedial action and penalties for non-compliance that are tough enough to make food outlets sit up and take notice.
"I don't want to eat at a restaurant where people don't wash their hands, food may be contaminated, and nobody even clears away the dead cockroaches, and I suspect that most Perth residents feel the same."
Prof Daube said restaurants that continually broke hygiene rules should be forced to erect signs out the front listing their failings.
NAMED AND SHAMED PROSECUTIONS IN 2010
Japanese Kitchen, Spencer Village Food Hall, Thornlie.
Worst Breaches: Vermin on premises, failing to maintain clean and sanitary conditions. Fine: $5500
Miss Saigon, Spencer Village Food Hall, Thornlie.
Worst Breaches: Failing to protect food from vermin, dust, animals, offensive fumes and foul odours. Fine: $1200
Hong Kong Chinese Foods, Spencer Village
Food Hall, Thornlie.
Worst Breaches: Failure to protect food, eradicate vermin and to keep the business in a clean and sanitary condition.
Fine: $1500
Straits Cuisine, Spencer Village Food Hall, Thornlie.
Worst Breaches: Failure to protect food, eradicate vermin and to keep the business in a clean and sanitary condition. Fine: $1000
Ya Kwang, Spencer Village Food Hall, Thornlie.
Worst Breaches: Failure to protect food, eradicate vermin and to keep the business in a clean and sanitary condition. Fine: $7500
Dong Hiep Asian Grocery,
70 Marangaroo Drive, Marangaroo.
Worst Breaches: Six offences of failing to ensure food was stored at a safe temperature.
Fine: $3751
Hung Phat Oriental Foods, Shop E2, Koondoola Plaza Shopping Centre,
Koondoola.
Worst Breaches: 12 charges relating to
incorrect food labelling. Fine: $11,426
Thursday 18 March 2010
Tree man Richard Pennicuik looks for deal to end saga, save tree | Perth Now
AS POSTED HERE ---> Tree man Richard Pennicuik looks for deal to end saga, save tree | Perth Now
PERTH’S tree man has put a compromise deal to the City of Gosnells and Premier Colin Barnett in an effort to end the four-month-saga.
Richard Pennicuik’s lawyer John Hammond will today send a letter to the City and the Premier outlining the deal.
Mr Pennicuik has demanded that:
* An independent arborist be appointed to assess the state of the tree.
* In the event that the independent arborist concludes that any limbs of the tree are dangerous the City proceed to remove the limbs of the tree regarded as dangerous.
* The costs of the arborist are met by the City.
* The parties abide the arborist’s report.
* The City desist from any litigation whatsoever against him in relation to his occupancy of the tree.
* In the event that the City has commenced proceedings against Mr Pennicuik, the proceedings are discontinued with no order as to costs.
Mr Pennicuik, 57, has been camped in a tree on the verge outside his Hume Rd in Thornlie since December 7.
The council says the tree poses danger to property and the public and must be cut down.
Mr Hammond said that if the offer was accepted, Mr Pennicuik would immediately descend from the tree outside his home.
But the City today gave little hope of a resolution.
City of Gosnells chief executive officer Ian Cowie said the council would discuss the issue if Mr Pennicuik came down from the tree.
``The constant adding of new pre-conditions by the protestor does not help move the process forward,’’ he said.
``If he wishes to discuss the issue he needs to come down from the tree immediately, as he has been advised to do by his lawyer, his neighbours, the City and the Premier.
``Anyone witnessing the behaviour of the protestor’s supporters on Friday will appreciate negotiations at the tree would be impossible, as the City has said all along.
``The City has a copy of an existing independent arborist’s report commissioned by the protestor or his supporters, which sets out a series of recommendations if the tree were to remain.
``The City estimates the cost of these works to ratepayers would be around $4,000 per tree initially and a total of around $10,000 per tree over a four year period. The City will not inflict these costs on ratepayers.
``The current legal process will continue in regards to the latest structure placed in the tree and in the case of obstruction. These processes will only be reviewed if the protestor leaves the tree.
``Any other people taking up the protest will be subject to the same legal action.’’
PERTH’S tree man has put a compromise deal to the City of Gosnells and Premier Colin Barnett in an effort to end the four-month-saga.
Richard Pennicuik’s lawyer John Hammond will today send a letter to the City and the Premier outlining the deal.
Mr Pennicuik has demanded that:
* An independent arborist be appointed to assess the state of the tree.
* In the event that the independent arborist concludes that any limbs of the tree are dangerous the City proceed to remove the limbs of the tree regarded as dangerous.
* The costs of the arborist are met by the City.
* The parties abide the arborist’s report.
* The City desist from any litigation whatsoever against him in relation to his occupancy of the tree.
* In the event that the City has commenced proceedings against Mr Pennicuik, the proceedings are discontinued with no order as to costs.
Mr Pennicuik, 57, has been camped in a tree on the verge outside his Hume Rd in Thornlie since December 7.
The council says the tree poses danger to property and the public and must be cut down.
Mr Hammond said that if the offer was accepted, Mr Pennicuik would immediately descend from the tree outside his home.
But the City today gave little hope of a resolution.
City of Gosnells chief executive officer Ian Cowie said the council would discuss the issue if Mr Pennicuik came down from the tree.
``The constant adding of new pre-conditions by the protestor does not help move the process forward,’’ he said.
``If he wishes to discuss the issue he needs to come down from the tree immediately, as he has been advised to do by his lawyer, his neighbours, the City and the Premier.
``Anyone witnessing the behaviour of the protestor’s supporters on Friday will appreciate negotiations at the tree would be impossible, as the City has said all along.
``The City has a copy of an existing independent arborist’s report commissioned by the protestor or his supporters, which sets out a series of recommendations if the tree were to remain.
``The City estimates the cost of these works to ratepayers would be around $4,000 per tree initially and a total of around $10,000 per tree over a four year period. The City will not inflict these costs on ratepayers.
``The current legal process will continue in regards to the latest structure placed in the tree and in the case of obstruction. These processes will only be reviewed if the protestor leaves the tree.
``Any other people taking up the protest will be subject to the same legal action.’’
Tuesday 16 March 2010
Woman trapped in Maddington crash - The West Australian
AS POSTED HERE ---> Woman trapped in Maddington crash - The West Australian
Emergency Services have been called to the scene of a serious crash in Thornlie.
The two-car crash, which occurred about 3.45pm on the corner of Burslem Drive and Spencer Road, has left a woman trapped.
Police said she has suspected leg injuries.
Fire and Emergency Services Authority personnel are on scene attempting to cut the woman from the car.
Burslem Drive has been closed to traffic between Olga Road and Spencer Road.
Emergency Services have been called to the scene of a serious crash in Thornlie.
The two-car crash, which occurred about 3.45pm on the corner of Burslem Drive and Spencer Road, has left a woman trapped.
Police said she has suspected leg injuries.
Fire and Emergency Services Authority personnel are on scene attempting to cut the woman from the car.
Burslem Drive has been closed to traffic between Olga Road and Spencer Road.
Barnett tells tree man to 'give up' - The West Australian
AS POSTED HERE ----> Barnett tells tree man to 'give up' - The West Australian
Premier Colin Barnett weighed into the ongoing Thornlie tree man saga, saying it was time Richard Pennicuik climbed out of his tree and let the City of Gosnells cut down his home of the past three months.
The council will be keeping "a watching brief" on supporters of Mr Pennicuik who had been joining him for stints in the tree.
A spokesman said the council "was not going to stand at the bottom of the tree" but if someone was there on a regular basis then they could also be in line for prosecution.
Mr Pennecuik's friends and supporters had called on the Premier to intervene in the long-running battle to save the yellow-scented gum that the council claims is too dangerous to remain standing but Mr Barnett was not exactly on-side.
"What? Climb up the tree and drag him down?" said Mr Barnett when asked if he would intervene.
"That's what I'd like to do. Look, I think he's made his point. I think everyone's getting a bit tired of the tree man."
Mr Barnett said the State Government was not going to get involved in the stand-off but had some words of advice for Mr Penneciuk.
"Give up and let the tree be chopped down," he said.
Mr Pennicuik said he had been joined in the tree with a supporter, who he declined to name, but he had gone down by midday.
He maintained the platform was built over the weekend while he was sleeping.
A Gosnells spokesman said lawyers were still preparing a writ to be been lodged with Armadale Magistrate's Court seeking a fast-tracked court date for a hearing on charges Mr Pennicuik was obstructing the council by remaining in the tree.
Mr Pennicuik said he had no intention to come down in the immediate term. He was not concerned but “annoyed” at the council's prosecution.
Premier Colin Barnett weighed into the ongoing Thornlie tree man saga, saying it was time Richard Pennicuik climbed out of his tree and let the City of Gosnells cut down his home of the past three months.
The council will be keeping "a watching brief" on supporters of Mr Pennicuik who had been joining him for stints in the tree.
A spokesman said the council "was not going to stand at the bottom of the tree" but if someone was there on a regular basis then they could also be in line for prosecution.
Mr Pennecuik's friends and supporters had called on the Premier to intervene in the long-running battle to save the yellow-scented gum that the council claims is too dangerous to remain standing but Mr Barnett was not exactly on-side.
"What? Climb up the tree and drag him down?" said Mr Barnett when asked if he would intervene.
"That's what I'd like to do. Look, I think he's made his point. I think everyone's getting a bit tired of the tree man."
Mr Barnett said the State Government was not going to get involved in the stand-off but had some words of advice for Mr Penneciuk.
"Give up and let the tree be chopped down," he said.
Mr Pennicuik said he had been joined in the tree with a supporter, who he declined to name, but he had gone down by midday.
He maintained the platform was built over the weekend while he was sleeping.
A Gosnells spokesman said lawyers were still preparing a writ to be been lodged with Armadale Magistrate's Court seeking a fast-tracked court date for a hearing on charges Mr Pennicuik was obstructing the council by remaining in the tree.
Mr Pennicuik said he had no intention to come down in the immediate term. He was not concerned but “annoyed” at the council's prosecution.
Monday 15 March 2010
Huntingdale man dies in police custody
as posted here
A PERTH man has died in police custody after twice being taken to hospital for medical check-ups.
Sergeant Greg Lambert said police internal affairs unit would investigate the death of the 33-year-old in the Perth watch-house on Sunday night.
Officers provided first aid before he was taken by ambulance to Royal Perth Hospital where he was pronounced dead a short time later, Sgt Lambert said.
The man, from Huntingdale in Perth's south, was first admitted to the watch-house soon after midnight on Sunday.
``Upon his initial assessment at the watch-house, it was identified that the man had a pre-existing medical condition that required treatment,'' Sgt Lambert said.
``He was assessed by the nurse on duty and was taken to hospital for a further check-up.
``Later the same day he was again taken to hospital for a check-up of his medical condition.''
A report for the coroner will be prepared by the police.
as posted here
A PERTH man has died in police custody after twice being taken to hospital for medical check-ups.
Sergeant Greg Lambert said police internal affairs unit would investigate the death of the 33-year-old in the Perth watch-house on Sunday night.
Officers provided first aid before he was taken by ambulance to Royal Perth Hospital where he was pronounced dead a short time later, Sgt Lambert said.
The man, from Huntingdale in Perth's south, was first admitted to the watch-house soon after midnight on Sunday.
``Upon his initial assessment at the watch-house, it was identified that the man had a pre-existing medical condition that required treatment,'' Sgt Lambert said.
``He was assessed by the nurse on duty and was taken to hospital for a further check-up.
``Later the same day he was again taken to hospital for a check-up of his medical condition.''
A report for the coroner will be prepared by the police.
as posted here
Sunday 14 March 2010
Tree man Richard Pennicuik for mayor?
as posted here
"TREE man" Richard Pennicuik intends to run for City of Gosnells mayor, describing the council as a "shambles".
"The current regime is laughable and unworkable and I want to get in there, if I have enough supporters, to run the council the way it should be run," the environmental crusader said yesterday.
Mr Pennicuik, 57, has been camped in a tree on the verge outside his Hume Rd home in Thornlie since December 7.
The 96-day stand-off reached a climax yesterday when police and council tree-loppers arrived at the scene.
The council says the tree poses danger to property and public and must be cut down. It officially warned Mr Pennicuik to come down within 15 minutes, but he remained defiantly aloft, rejecting even his own lawyer's advice to end his protest.
Mr Pennicuik said he was after an honourable solution with the council, but refused to say what that was.
"I am currently working with my supporters on a solution," he said. "I hoped a couple of days ago to be down within a week, and I do not want to see this drag on, but I will stay in this tree for as long as it takes. It is not coming down."
as posted here
"TREE man" Richard Pennicuik intends to run for City of Gosnells mayor, describing the council as a "shambles".
"The current regime is laughable and unworkable and I want to get in there, if I have enough supporters, to run the council the way it should be run," the environmental crusader said yesterday.
Mr Pennicuik, 57, has been camped in a tree on the verge outside his Hume Rd home in Thornlie since December 7.
The 96-day stand-off reached a climax yesterday when police and council tree-loppers arrived at the scene.
The council says the tree poses danger to property and public and must be cut down. It officially warned Mr Pennicuik to come down within 15 minutes, but he remained defiantly aloft, rejecting even his own lawyer's advice to end his protest.
Mr Pennicuik said he was after an honourable solution with the council, but refused to say what that was.
"I am currently working with my supporters on a solution," he said. "I hoped a couple of days ago to be down within a week, and I do not want to see this drag on, but I will stay in this tree for as long as it takes. It is not coming down."
as posted here
Saturday 13 March 2010
Tree man claims win as opponents retreat
as posted here
Protester Richard Pennicuik, who has lived up a tree for 98 days in a bid to stop it being chopped down, today vowed to stay there and win his fight.
The father-of-two said tree-loppers, police and council officials had "retreated" after arriving at the tree outside his home in Hume Road, Thornlie, yesterday.
Mr Pennicuik said it was a victory in his campaign to save a 20m-plus eucalyptus melliodora, which the City of Gosnells wants to cut down.
After trying unsuccessfully to coax the 57-year-old out of the tree yesterday, the council staff will now seek to take legal action to get Mr Pennicuik out of the tree.
"The council left last night with all their minions," Mr Pennicuik said today. "We were on the battlefield and they left so we won under admiralty law. We don't know what they are going to do next. I'm going to stay up here today."
Mr Pennicuik began his protest in the tree on December 7 after learning it was one of 22 the City of Gosnells planned to cut down. Following failed negotiations, the council ordered Mr Pennicuik remove a makeshift tree house before threatening to take him to court this week.
as posted here
Protester Richard Pennicuik, who has lived up a tree for 98 days in a bid to stop it being chopped down, today vowed to stay there and win his fight.
The father-of-two said tree-loppers, police and council officials had "retreated" after arriving at the tree outside his home in Hume Road, Thornlie, yesterday.
Mr Pennicuik said it was a victory in his campaign to save a 20m-plus eucalyptus melliodora, which the City of Gosnells wants to cut down.
After trying unsuccessfully to coax the 57-year-old out of the tree yesterday, the council staff will now seek to take legal action to get Mr Pennicuik out of the tree.
"The council left last night with all their minions," Mr Pennicuik said today. "We were on the battlefield and they left so we won under admiralty law. We don't know what they are going to do next. I'm going to stay up here today."
Mr Pennicuik began his protest in the tree on December 7 after learning it was one of 22 the City of Gosnells planned to cut down. Following failed negotiations, the council ordered Mr Pennicuik remove a makeshift tree house before threatening to take him to court this week.
as posted here
Same schools, different rules
as posted here
SCHOOLS with comparable literacy and numeracy rates teaching similar groups of students are treated differently under the $540 million partnership between the federal, state and territory governments intended to improve pupils' skills.
Even being in the same town with similar student test results does not ensure schools are selected for the crisis funding package, which is distributed by the state and territory governments and school sectors.
At Queensland's Bundaberg Central State School, more than half the students -- up to 60 per cent in Year 7 -- perform at or below minimum benchmarks on national literacy and numeracy tests, yet it received no funding.
But Bundaberg North State School, where up to 45 per cent of Year 5 students struggle in reading, and Avoca State School, also in Bundaberg, which has slightly better results, both got money.
ICSEA (index of community socio-educational advantage), the measure of social and educational disadvantaged used on the My School website, is lower for Bundaberg Central at 913 than for Bundaberg North at 935 or Avoca at 974.
Similarly, at Queens Park Primary School in Perth, more than half the students are at or below benchmark -- and as many as 80 per cent in some years -- but it received no funding, while south of Perth, Maddington Primary School with similar results was granted extra funding. The ICSEA measure for Queens Park is 890, while Maddington's is 902.
In the Northern Territory, Bakewell Primary School in Palmerston, where 30-40 per cent of students are at or below the benchmarks, received no funding while Braitling Primary School in Alice Springs, with a similar proportion of struggling students, is included in the literacy and numeracy partnership.
Education Minister Julia Gillard said the bulk of the funding, $350m, was reserved for reward payments to states and school sectors and would be paid on their ability to improve the literacy and numeracy results in their schools.
"The Rudd government is rightly proud of doubling the funding to schools," she said. "This government is putting more money into school education than ever before."
NT Education Minister Chris Burns said the partnership funding would work in tandem with education programs and increasing school attendance as well as more housing, health and early childhood development programs to help boost results.
And Education Queensland regional director for the north coast Greg Peach said Bundaberg Central was receiving additional support to improve its literacy and numeracy results.
as posted here
SCHOOLS with comparable literacy and numeracy rates teaching similar groups of students are treated differently under the $540 million partnership between the federal, state and territory governments intended to improve pupils' skills.
Even being in the same town with similar student test results does not ensure schools are selected for the crisis funding package, which is distributed by the state and territory governments and school sectors.
At Queensland's Bundaberg Central State School, more than half the students -- up to 60 per cent in Year 7 -- perform at or below minimum benchmarks on national literacy and numeracy tests, yet it received no funding.
But Bundaberg North State School, where up to 45 per cent of Year 5 students struggle in reading, and Avoca State School, also in Bundaberg, which has slightly better results, both got money.
ICSEA (index of community socio-educational advantage), the measure of social and educational disadvantaged used on the My School website, is lower for Bundaberg Central at 913 than for Bundaberg North at 935 or Avoca at 974.
Similarly, at Queens Park Primary School in Perth, more than half the students are at or below benchmark -- and as many as 80 per cent in some years -- but it received no funding, while south of Perth, Maddington Primary School with similar results was granted extra funding. The ICSEA measure for Queens Park is 890, while Maddington's is 902.
In the Northern Territory, Bakewell Primary School in Palmerston, where 30-40 per cent of students are at or below the benchmarks, received no funding while Braitling Primary School in Alice Springs, with a similar proportion of struggling students, is included in the literacy and numeracy partnership.
Education Minister Julia Gillard said the bulk of the funding, $350m, was reserved for reward payments to states and school sectors and would be paid on their ability to improve the literacy and numeracy results in their schools.
"The Rudd government is rightly proud of doubling the funding to schools," she said. "This government is putting more money into school education than ever before."
NT Education Minister Chris Burns said the partnership funding would work in tandem with education programs and increasing school attendance as well as more housing, health and early childhood development programs to help boost results.
And Education Queensland regional director for the north coast Greg Peach said Bundaberg Central was receiving additional support to improve its literacy and numeracy results.
as posted here
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