Delay of childcare centre among issues arising as Nedlands fails to reach quorum for monthly council meeting
The West Australian
exclusive
Delay of childcare centre among issues arising as Nedlands fails to reach quorum for monthly council meeting
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Perth Now
2 days ago
- Perth Now
Putrid sewage floods Perth homes, contaminates Swan River
Foul-smelling human waste from a burst sewerage main has flooded at least one Spearwood property and impacted several others, the putrid fluid also seeping into the Swan River. On Friday, the sewerage main had a major burst in Spearwood, causing waste water to flood residential areas, parks and roads. Four days on from the initial burst, Water Corporation crews have stopped the waste overflowing at the Spearwood site, along with further flows in Beaconsfield, Alfred Cove, Applecross and South Fremantle. Your local paper, whenever you want it. Waste water in Applecross and Alfred Cove was flowing into the Swan River, sparking a warning for river users. Spearwood resident April Peck said she could not escape the stench and had been left frustrated by a lack of communication to residents. 'Despite having all our windows and doors closed since Friday, the stench continues to permeate our home,' she said. 'It's now coming up through our sinks, toilets and shower drains. The smell is constant and unbearable. 'We are unable to let our children play outside. We can't enjoy our own backyards or even hang out our washing due to the overwhelming stench and potential contamination. 'We've had no reassurance or information from authorities about the possible health risks. The spill in Westonia Park in Spearwood. Credit: Kelsey Reid / The West Australian 'The lack of transparency and communication is deeply concerning. Residents deserve answers and urgent action.' The burst is also impacting businesses, with road closures and the general smell turning people away. Coogee Beach Bakery owner Jackie Mayoss said business was suffering. 'We were working at the time, it was very early in the morning and we couldn't tell what the smell was,' she said. 'We thought maybe it was chemical until a customer came in and told us what was happening out on the street. 'They said it was sewage, it was shocking and disappointing to hear this was happening. 'We are down about 25 to 30 per cent of sales easily because people just aren't coming in, one side of the road to get to the bakery is completely blocked, we are missing out on that passing trade and no one wants to eat when they can smell sewage.' A Coogee Continental Deli worker, who did not want to be named, said they had experienced a reduction in customers. 'On Friday, people were driving through but its obvious we have had less customers today and Monday since the road closed,' they said. 'We can't smell it in the shop because we can smell our food but as soon as you step outside it is horrendous, there's no better way to describe it other than it smells like poop.' Workers are on the scene cleaning up the mess. Credit: Kelsey Reid / The West Australian Repair works in Spearwood will take most of the week while the Beaconsfield repair is even more complicated with no time frame known yet. A Water Corporation spokesperson apologised for the inconvenience and said work was being done to remediate effected areas. 'Today, crews have continued cleaning the affected verges and perimeter of the overflow area and sucker trucks are recovering contaminated water from two small ponds,' they said. 'The affected areas of grass will initially be cleaned, disinfected and, where necessary, covered with clean sand while a thorough remediation plan is developed in consultation with regulators and local government authorities. 'We wish to sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused and reassure nearby residents that crews are working as quickly and safely as possible to complete repairs.' Waste water was also flowing into Fremantle Harbour at the Fremantle Sailing Club, cancelling some activities. A City of Fremantle spokesperson said testing was being done on water samples in the area. Shadow water minister Peter Rundle said Labor needed to 'get basic infrastructure right'. 'It's very concerning that it's taken four days now, it's very concerning that we've had this spillage also into the fishing boat harbour in Fremantle, so this is an absolutely urgent issue,' he said. '(The) Water Corporation and the State Government need to get on top of it right now. 'The number one issue is safety and people's health and the community's health, that's the number one priority.' On Tuesday morning, Premier Roger Cook said Perth's size and extent of its network meant some areas were worn. 'In those inner suburbs and older suburbs, that network needs ongoing care and maintenance,' he said. 'Occasionally, you will see a situation where there's a rupture or a breakage, how you respond to that is the important part and they've responded very well in this particular incident.' Mr Cook said that he was not aware of what compensation was available to impacted residents. A State Government spokesperson said work was being done to restore safety to residents in the area. 'Water Corporation is working closely with the WA Department of Health and the respective LGAs to ensure areas affected by wastewater are made safe and amenity is restored,' they said. 'We appreciate it has been disruptive for the affected residents, however, Water Corporation is working with them to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.'
Perth Now
4 days ago
- Perth Now
Study reveals issues most impacting FIFO worker wellbeing
Wellbeing begins in the bedroom for fly-in, fly-out workers with a first-of-its-kind study revealing the design of private living quarters had the most impact on morale. The study, led by West Australian architectural sociologist Jack Tooley, surveyed workers from around the country in a bid to discover how FIFO camp design impacts worker productivity, morale, presenteeism and retention. Leading the list of gripes for FIFO workers was a lack of sound insulation in bedrooms, bed and mattress quality, room size and the quality of furnishings. A lack of cleanable surfaces, not enough laundry facilities, and the inability to personalise rooms was also impacting wellbeing. Architectural sociologist Jack Tooley is conducting a landmark study into how FIFO camps impact the workers' wellbeing. Credit: Supplied Shotbythom2025 Dr Tooley, who is the Monash University head of spatial design, said the results were 'totally understandable'. 'While gyms and other facilities are really important the study has shown by magnitudes that the best thing you can do for FIFO workers is give them comfortable, well-insulated bedrooms with a decent sized bed and a good quality mattress,' he said. 'If you're working 12 hours a day in extreme temperatures and conditions and using your body you don't just want but need a decent bed and a good nights sleep to be able to wake up the next day and perform. 'People just want rest, recuperation and to feel clean.' The impact of FIFO camp spatial design on workers' wellbeing. Credit: Jack Tooley The study revealed the design of FIFO camps reduced workers' morale by more than 15 per cent and decreased productivity by 12 per cent. Retention was also reduced by more than 11 per cent and presenteeism was down by 9 per cent as a result of bad camp design. Workers who didn't identify as white, heteronormative males reported that camp design had up to 15 per cent more impact on their wellbeing. Dr Tooley was now calling on FIFO workers to complete a second survey for the landmark study. He said the results of this would allow him to develop a first-of-its-kind return on investment calculator, which would allow companies to forecast the ROI from specific design upgrades. 'Mining companies could help so many people with just a few tweaks here and there,' Dr Tooley said. 'The ROI calculator would be available for use by mining companies who are refurbishing existing camps or building them. 'This has the potential to change FIFO workers' lives.' Some construction companies including Grounded Group were already engaging with the data to produce mining villages that improve staffs' wellbeing. FIFO workers can fill in the second survey at
Sky News AU
04-06-2025
- Sky News AU
‘Proper midwinter stuff': Coldest days of the year so far arriving in Adeliade and Canberra, while Brisbane and Sydney to see chilliest mornings yet
Most Australian capitals will continue to feel the winter blast as temperatures plummet around the country in the days ahead, with Canberra and Adelaide set to experience their coldest conditions so far this year. Meanwhile, mornings in Brisbane and Sydney are forecast to be the chilliest they have been yet in 2025, with lows for Queensland expected to enter single digits. Winter has firmly set in on the east coast this week, with Sky News meteorologist Rob Sharpe explaining Wednesday was Sydney's coldest day of the year so far by a 'considerable margin' with the city seeing a maximum of just 14.1C. Sharpe said the chill in New South Wales' central east was due to southerly winds brining rain and cold air as it rolls through the area, and Sydneysiders are now facing their coldest mornings of 2025 so far as the week progresses. Sydney is set to see daily lows drop to single figures for most of the next seven days and the Bureau of Meteorology has forecast a chilly 6C for Friday morning. 'I'm not sure it's going to be quite that cold on Friday, but we will be feeling the chill and then we'll be having another cold belt, Monday, Tuesday, with daytime tops again back to just 16 degrees,' Sharpe said. Brisbane could drop to 9C on both Thursday and Friday mornings and Sharpe said the forecasted lows are 'easily the coldest we've seen so far this year' for Queensland's capital. Temperatures in Brisbane are looking more mild for Saturday through to Monday, but another cold dip could arrive as early as Wednesday next week. Canberra has been forecast to plummet to a freezing low of –4C on Thursday and Friday morning is also set to be below zero, reaching a low of –3C. Wet weather is looking set to roll into Adelaide from Thursday, with the city also likely to see its coldest 2025 day yet this weekend. 'With temperatures as low as 13C on Sunday, easily the coldest day of the year so far there as well. So, proper midwinter stuff coming through,' Sharpe said. Sharpe said Monday next week could be Canberra's coldest day of the year so far, with a high of just 9C and a low of 0C forecast. Windy and cold conditions are expected for Melbourne and Hobart over the next seven days and the Victorian capital could dip to just 4C on Thursday. It will be a different story in Perth and Darwin, however, with the West Australian capital largely avoiding the nail-biting temperatures sending a shiver down the east coast. 'The cold temperatures have really avoided the region and the showers that we've been seeing constantly, they're going to be gradually clearing. So, an improvement in the weather on the way there,' Sharpe said. Darwin appears set for balmy conditions over the next seven days, with Sharpe saying the northernmost capital 'seems immune' from the cold spell. Daily highs of 31 are expected in Darwin for the next week beginning Thursday, with the city projected to drop to a seven-day low of 20. Rain, strong winds, thunderstorms, and even hail and snow have been forecast in parts of the country's south-east by the BOM, as a strong cold front hits southern SA, NSW, Victoria, and Tasmania from Saturday afternoon into next week.
