Schools fighting the filth

Armed for Life director Adam Przytula discusses issues with Georgia Owen , Brad Engelbrecht, Hannah Pillinger and Ben Trezona. Picture: Theo Fakos Source: PerthNow

WA schools are holding workshops to fight pornography addiction in students as young as 14.

In some cases students are using school computers at home to surf the web for explicit images into the early morning, even though they know their usage is monitored by teachers.

It comes as research shows a large number of teenagers rely on pornography to learn about sex, making them more likely to engage in risky behaviour, get pregnant and use drugs.

Elizabeth Handsley, president of the Australian Council on Children and the Media, said children could be exposed to "hardcore" pornography by searching innocent terms on Google such as "puppies".

A recent study by the University of Canberra found that more than 90 per cent of boys aged 13-16 and 60 per cent of girls had seen pornography online.

And research by the Australian Youth Affairs Coalition and Youth Empowerment Against HIV/AIDs found 64 per cent of young people learnt about sex via pornography.

Kennedy Baptist College chaplain Adam Przytula has visited six WA schools to discuss pornography addiction.

His company Armed for Life runs school workshops for struggling students. He set up the company after he was alarmed by the number of teenagers struggling with bullying, low self-esteem, and pornography addiction, problems he faced when he was young.

"(One Perth school) said students that had devices provided by the school, even though they knew the school was monitoring what they were doing, were staying up to anywhere between 4am and 6am looking at porn because they needed to, because there was an addictive drive to do it," Mr Przytula said.

He shared his personal demons with students to make them comfortable enough to ask questions about pornography.

"Kids are going to be talking about it and if we don't talk about it and advise them on what's healthy and how destructive it is, then they're going to have no idea," he said.

"They're going to be making decisions without direction."

He said parents should buy computer programs such as Netbox Blue or Net Nanny that blocked inappropriate content. Curtin associate professor Rosemary Coates said the impact of pornography on a child's development was largely unknown.

Researchers were reluctant to expose young children to it then re-assess them as adults.

But she said pornography definitely left viewers with unrealistic expectations of relationships.

"(It fails) to provide useful tools for negotiating relationships and making informed decisions about engaging in sexual activity," she said. Sex education was the best way to prepare children for healthy relationships and allow them to "dismiss the nonsense that is presented in pornographic material".

Australian Youth Affairs Coalition deputy director Josh Genner said most young people got sex education through pornography, though just three in 10 believed it was an appropriate source.

He said young people were happy to learn about sex at school, but it was taught too late and the content was too narrow. It had to be more than just teaching students how to use a condom.
"It's not just about which bits go where and how to not contract diseases," he said.

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Barnett: Why I'm right on councils

WA Premier Colin Barnett believes history will prove him right on council amalgamations. Picture: Supplied Source: The Australian

HISTORY will prove he is right on controversial council mergers, Premier Colin Barnett has declared.

The Premier is prepared to wear heavy flak from opponents of the plan, but said people would look back in five years time and wonder what all the fuss was about.

"I realise it's not necessarily going to make the Government or myself popular but it is the right thing to do," he said.

The Premier said the moves  to reduce the number of Perth councils from 30 to 14  made sense on so many levels that councillors privately admit the changes had to occur.

"Privately, as I travel around WA, councillors say to me, 'We know it's got to be fixed', 'You've got to fix it up'. They won't say it publicly, they'll say it privately," he said.

Mr Barnett said much of the heat this week came from "vested interests".

He said it was ludicrous that there were 320 councillors in Perth, with 69 looking after the western suburbs alone.

"You've got more people managing the western suburbs than you do managing Western Australia in the State Parliament Lower House," Mr Barnett said.

The system was unable to deal with the problems of a growing city and was deeply flawed.

He said many people would be surprised to learn that 13 council chief executives were paid more than himself and 23 earned more than a state minister.

"It really does beg the question: Is running a local authority more significant than being the Premier or a senior minister," Mr Barnett said.

His changes would also address the unbalanced level of amenities in many local government areas.

Ratepayers in some council areas were subsidising facilities for residents in neighbouring areas, he said.

"You might find one council builds a recreational sporting facility and you might find that half of all people using it might come from outside that local government area," he said. "I don't think that that's fair."

Though there was no guarantee mergers would reduce rates, Mr Barnett pointed to several bigger councils that had lower rates and equivalent services to their smaller neighbours. East Fremantle had rates of about $1681 last year and bigger Melville had rates of just $1233, he said.

"That's about $450 and I would have thought Melville and East Fremantle were much the same," the Premier said.

 Though vested interests were generating some noise, Mr Barnett said he had not detected any public backlash.

"I don't see any great groundswell (of opposition) from the population," he said. "The only people who have come up to me in the street so far have supported it.

"That's not a general sample, but I think what it's showing is that if people aren't directly involved in local government, most people don't really care all that much."
 

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Why this man should be banned

Mitchell William Walsh-McDonald has been given an extraordinary licence. Picture: Lincoln Baker Source: PerthNow

SERIAL drink-driver Mitchell Walsh-McDonald's application for an extraordinary licence was opposed by the Government but still granted by the courts, it can be revealed.

The Transport Department said that 69 per cent of the 3152 applications for an extraordinary driver's licence last year were successful.

Opinion: E-licence should be the exception, not the rule

This is despite attempts by the Barnett Government in 2011 to make it harder for drivers to secure the licences and data that show 40 E-licence drivers are convicted every month for breaching their conditions. Walsh-McDonald was granted the extraordinary licence despite his horror track record on the road, which includes knocking down and killing schoolgirl Jess Meehan in 2003 when he had a blood-alcohol reading of 0.165.

The 29-year-old's latest run-in with the law saw him charged last week with three driving offences, including driving with a blood-alcohol level above 0.08.

He has already been convicted of drink-driving six times and will face court on Thursday on the new charges.

Transport Minister Troy Buswell said his department opposed the granting of Mr McDonald's extraordinary licence last year.

"However, the court made the decision that it should be granted," he said. "The DoT is currently examining its options to see if it can make an application to revoke the licence."

It's a criminal offence for a person to breach the conditions of an extraordinary licence, however, the court can allow for that person to keep the licence in special circumstances.

Under the law changes made in 2011, drivers could no longer argue hardship and inconveniences were a reason to be granted an extraordinary licence.

Instead, they must prove to the courts they needed it for medical reasons or it deprived them of principal means of obtaining an income.

WA Police Union boss George Tilbury said it was obvious that drivers such as Walsh-McDonald should be banned from the roads.

"It is a privilege not a right to hold a driver's licence and as far as I'm concerned he doesn't deserve one," Mr Tilbury said. "Our members should not have to be chasing this serial drink-driver around. He should not be on the road full stop."

Walsh-McDonald was acquitted of dangerous driving causing Jess Meehan's death.

But he admitted driving under the influence and driving without a licence. It was his third conviction at the time for drink-driving. He was fined $1700 and banned from driving for two years.

His acquittal prompted new laws to be passed, which mean anyone involved in a fatal accident and with a blood-alcohol reading above 0.15 is automatically charged with dangerous driving causing death. The new law became known as "Jess's Law."

In 2010, Walsh-McDonald copped a nine-month suspended jail sentence after he pleaded guilty to four counts of driving under suspension.

Outside court this week he said he had changed since Jess's death and hardly drank.

The plasterer said he had consumed just half a beer before driving and police did not follow correct procedures. He said the publicity caused by his latest indiscretions would impact on his business.

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Blues fail finals test

Pest ... Hayden Ballantyne was at his irritating best against Carlton. Source: Getty Images

THIS was a statement game.

Carlton, again, failed to make it.

On a season-defining night it was a Blues performance that has defined their season - not hard enough for long enough.

Blues loss fight and match

It is a well-worn phrase, but never has it been more appropriate than to sum up Mick Malthouse's debut season at Visy Park.

A side that has lost more 'coulda, woulda shoulda' games than just about any other in 2013, last night lost to a weakened Fremantle side that was there for the taking at Etihad Stadium.

The Dockers won a physical, sometimes spiteful and see-sawing contest 17.14 (116) to 12.8 (80).

Fremantle, without Matthew Pavlich, Luke McPharlin and late withdrawal Garrick Ibbotson, booted five goals to one in the last quarter to keep its top-four hopes very much alive. For the Blues, who lost Andrew Carrazzo to a quad injury in the first quarter, finals are highly unlikely now.

The Dockers play this game like no other. They drag four quarters of football into a battle of desire.

Carlton, desperately needing to claim the scalp of a top-tier side, couldn't match the desire of a visiting team down on personnel.

Ross Lyon's men won the contested ball 153-140, clearances 41-35 and dominated the inside 50s 58-42. It was 31 scoring shots to 20. It was comprehensive.

Marc Murphy was silenced by the game's No.1 attack dog, Ryan Crowley and limited to just 13 touches and zero influence. Murphy had just one kick at quarter-time.

In-form forward Lachie Henderson (two goals) was kept in check by Zac Dawson, but when the Blues lose the microscope often falls on three men.

So often the barometer, forward trio Eddie Betts, Chris Yarran and Jeff Garlett failed to fire - the former two particularly quiet.

Betts, demanding more money than Carlton are willing to pay on a new contract, had seven disposals and no scoreboard impact. Yarran had 12 touches and kicked a behind.

Carlton's electricity instead came from rugged Irishman Zach Tuohy, who was involved in the game's most intriguing match-up with best afield Michael Walters.

Tuohy kicked three brilliant goals, two of them back-to-back 50m bombs to the Lockett end as the Blues made their charge in the third quarter.

But Walters finished kicked a goal each quarter to finish with a bag of four from 17 disposals and was brilliant throughout.

Carlton's twin taggers Jarryd Cachia and Ed Curnow went to work on David Mundy and Stephen Hill respectively and did a reasonable job.

But the slack was picked up by a marauding Nathan Fyfe (31 disposals, seven clearances), typically irritating Hayden Ballantyne (17 and 3.3) and Lachie Neale (24 disposals, 18 uncontested).

This was a game engulfed in trench warfare in the first half before exploding to life in the second.

Carlton sprang out of the blocks to monopolise possession and after Garlett kicked the game's second goal to make it 12-0 after eight minutes the Blues lead disposals 30-12.

But the Dockers would awake from their slumber and worked their way back into the contest with a rugged determination that is becoming their trademark. They kicked the last three goals of the first term to lead by eight points at quarter-time.

The game then descended into slog that meant the highlights came around about as often as a Melbourne taxi on a Saturday night.

Those that came were worth talking about and there were few better than a sizzling Stephen Hill, who took a handball from Walters at speed and drilled one from 35m half way through the quarter.

The Dockers controlled both the contested ball (48-31) and clearances (13-7) in the second term to go into the main break with a nine-point lead.

But any feeling the visitors had this one in that vice-like grip of theirs were soon blown out of the water. The Blues opened the third term with renewed vigour - lead by Tuohy's rugged brilliance - and kicked the first two goals.

It was the first of several momentum swings. Fremantle rattled off five unanswered to lead by 28 points 20 minutes into the third before Carlton responded with another two, the latter from Garlett after the three quarter-time siren.

The last half hour began with the Dockers holding onto a 10-point lead. It appeared a vulnerable advantage, but this had been a war of attrition and this mob don't lose games like this.

Fremantle just kept coming. Carlton, not for the first time, didn't.

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Vomiting outbreak on Qantas flight

THIRTEEN hours in the air, eight toilets, and 26 passengers violently ill with gastroenteritis.

That was the scene when an international flight became the trip from hell after 26 passengers fell sick during a Qantas flight.

The group, believed to be a tour group travelling together, were sick before they embarked on the 13 hour and 51 minute flight from Santiago, Chile yesterday.

"The people were sick prior to the flight," a Qantas spokesman said. "It was a tour group that had food poisoning so it was contained to them."

A statement from the NSW Ministry of Health said the group had developed "vomiting and diarrhoea on the plane" consistent with norovirus infection, which is a common cause of outbreaks of gastroenteritis in Australia and elsewhere.

The flight was aboard a Boeing 747-400 which has a total of seven  toilets located on the main deck and one on the upper deck.

A statement from the NSW Ambulance service said the 26 passengers were assessed at the scene.

"Of those, 16 patients required transport to hospital, three of whom were stretcher patients," the statement reads.

A total of 10 patients were transported to the Prince of Wales Hospital, the remaining six were transported to St George Hospital.

"Ambulance will assess the sick passengers, and if well enough to leave they can be cohorted through the airport with minimal exposure to other passengers," a Spokesperson from the Ministry of Health said.

"NSW Health has provided Qantas with a letter and factsheet about viral gastro to distribute to all departing passengers, as well as advice for cleaning and cabin staff."

As a precaution, other passengers have been advised to keep a close eye on their health over the next 24 to 48 hours and seek medical advice if they become unwell.

Scores of family members were left high and dry in the arrivals hall with no official word from Qantas over the incident.

David Sanhueza and his family from Mount Druitt were left waiting two hours for his mother-in-law, Carmen Caro, visiting from Chile.

"They don't give you any information, there's nothing out of the speaker. I went and saw customer service but they wouldn't give me anything," he said.

Her granddaughter Jennifer Sanhueza said the family only found out what was going on from the news.

"We weren't told much, we only heard from a phone call that it was all over the news," she said.

Mrs Caro said the the group that got on in Brazil had been vomiting the whole flight.

"A whole lot of kids got on the plane at Brazil and they were all vomiting and sick," she said in Spanish translated by her granddaughter.

Bernie Herrenberg was left waiting balloons in hand for the return of his 23-year-old daughter Stefanie.

"I've been waiting and all I know is what my daughter SMSd me," he said.

The SMS shown to The Daily Telegraph read: "Woo just landed! So our plane is being quarantine because there were heaps of people with a bad virus on it. I have no idea how long it will take but it will definitely delay us."

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Treated sewage gets ok for drinking

The State Government has signed off on a plan to pump recycled water into Perth's drinking water supply. Source: AFP

RECYCLED water from showers, washing machines and toilets will be pumped into Perth's underground drinking water supply after the State Government today officially signed off on a plan by the Water Corporation.

Seven billion litres of treated sewage will be added to Perth's drinking water supply every year, Water Minister Terry Redman said today.

The Sunday Times first reported the Water Corporation claimed the trial was a success - and the State Government would approve the scheme - in March.

Mr Redman said the $116 million project was an Australian-first and would "drought proof" Perth's water supply.

"This is only the first stage of three stages to go from seven gigalitres up to 28 gigalitres," he said.

"I'm very confident we can move towards potentially supplying 20 per cent of Perth's drinking water supplies through this process.

"This process will come online and be injecting into the aquifer in June 2016. Stage two, hopefully with Government support by 2018, stage three in 2022."

What do you think about drinking treated water? Leave a comment below.

It comes after three-year trial that saw 2.5 billion litres of wastewater from a Craigie treatment plant treated to Australian drinking standards and then injected into an isolated aquifer in Leederville was concluded last year.

Despite the trial finishing in December, the plant has continued to recharge the aquifer with treated sewage.

The same technology would be used to treat seven billion litres of wastewater from the Beenyup Wastewater Treatment plant that would then be injected into the aquifer and eventually end up in Perth homes.

Currently, water from Beenyup is discharged into the ocean.

The Water Corporation have repeatedly claimed water injected into the aquifer during the trial was "isolated" from Perth's drinking water supply.

However, Mr Redman said today it had in fact already entered the interconnected system.

"When you talk about how long until someone drinks this, this has been injected under the ground as part of the trial for the past three years so there is water in the ground now that has been highly treated going into the interconnected system," he said.

Mr Redman said the trial had been a "resounding success."

"The trial recycled 2,533 megalitres of water - that's the equivalent of 1,000 Olympic-size swimming pools - and returned an outstanding result in terms of meeting water quality guidelines," he said.

"All of the 62,300 water quality samples that were taken met the required strict health and safety guidelines."

He said he was "highly confident" there was strong community support for recycled water for drinking.

WaterCorp manager for water source planning Nick Turner told PerthNow in March there could be no 100 per cent guarantee, but he said the plant was designed to shut off immediately if water purity was compromised.

The Minister's statement also repeats claims there is 76 per cent public support for recycling wastewater for drinking.

However, PerthNow revealed in May the majority of Perth householders would prefer desalination.
 

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Father, son mauled by dog in Como

The 11-year-old victim of a dog attack in Como recovers in hospital. Picture: Andrew Nelson - Nine News / Twitter Source: PerthNow

A father and son were mauled by a dog in Como yesterday. Source: adelaidenow

A MAN and his son were taken to hospital after being mauled by a dog in Como yesterday.

The attack happened outside a house on Wooltana St about 4.15pm.

Police and St John Ambulance attended the house, where the 33-year-old man and his 11-year-old son both suffered injuries.

The boy was rushed to Princess Margaret Hospital and his father was treated at Royal Perth Hospital.

It's believed both suffered lacerations to their hands and arms.

City of South Perth Chief Executive Officer Cliff Frewing said the council was assisting police with their investigation.

"The attacking dog is registered as a Staffordshire bull terrier cross and was seized by the City. The dog was detained for police forensics and impounded by the City," Mr Frewling said.

"The City is currently investigating the attack and until complete, an outcome cannot be determined. The City takes dog attacks seriously and will prosecute if required."
 

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Asylum seekers refuse to turn back

Labor's advertising campaign, recorded in eight different languages, warns asylum seekers that if they come to Australia by boat they will not be allowed to stay.

Would-be asylum seekers are helped off a Sri Lankan naval craft at the northeastern port of Trincomalee after their boat was intercepted off the island's eastern coast. Source: AFP

A NEW influx of Sri Lankan asylum seekers is defying expensive government measures to turn them back, amid revelations $30 million in taxpayers' cash could be spent advertising the PNG deal.

The new spending emerged a day after the Government sent 40 single adult men to Manus Island for resettlement in PNG with families to remain in Australia, potentially for months, while facilities are improved.

Almost 2000 Sri Lankans have arrived on boats so far this year with the new influx coming after the government spent hundreds of thousands of dollars flying hundreds home to Colombo in the past 12 months.

The turn backs by air had been declared successful but in addition to the arrivals, Sri Lanka's Navy has intercepted or rescued almost 700 people attempting to leave the country this year.

Other Sri Lankan families have been devastated in boat tragedies this month with multiple deaths, including of children.

Almost 200 people, including babies and children, have been rescued from stricken vessels close to Sri Lanka in the past two weeks.

The Navy said in one incident involving a boat carrying 17 children that without the quick response of a merchant vessel "precious lives would have perished in deep sea."

"The shift in policy that matters isn't whether or not some people are flown back, it's whether or not a new rule can be applied to everyone. And that's why the Government is determined that none of the people who come by boat without a visa will ever be settled in Australia," Immigration Minister Tony Burke said yesterday of the new Sri Lankan influx.

Mr Burke defended the huge advertising spend on the PNG deal, calling the first $2.1 million wave of spending out of a potential $30 million, "an effective and targeted way of ensuring individuals who are in the pipeline for people smuggling operations hear about and understand Australia's new rules."

He has authorised $4.59 million be spent but a letter from the Auditor-General to Independent Senator Nick Xenophon confirmed the total spending could reach $30 million.

"This is targeted to the vote people, not the boat people," Mr Xenophon said.

Opposition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison said the new Sri Lankan influx was not surprising.

"Just as well Sri Lanka is prepared to turn back boats, because Labor never will. Labor haven't lifted a finger to help Sri Lanka turn back boats," he said.

"The Coalition understands you need to put all the measures in place to stop the boats, including turn backs and Nauru, and not just rely on one element like PNG.

"Labor's PNG bluff is a two page election fix that has already cost Australian taxpayers almost $500 million in hospitals, roads and universities in PNG, without resettling one person. It makes the five for one Malaysia people swap look like a good deal."

The Opposition in PNG yesterday launched a new legal challenge against the Manus Island processing centre after a previous attempt came to nothing.

A new vessel with 75 on board, almost twice the number sent to Manus Island, arrived by boat yesterday.

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New era: Metro councils slashed from 30 to 14

WA Premier Colin Barnett announces council merger plans on Sunday. Picture: Kerris Berrington Source: PerthNow

John Gangell, Mayor of the Town of Bassendean. Picture: Richard Hatherly Source: PerthNow

Colin Barnett has done a deal with Brendan Grylls to force some city councils to merge.

The proposed Metropolitan Local Governmen boundaries, released today by the Premier. Source: PerthNow

THE landscape of local government in Western Australia has been transformed, with the number of Perth's metropolitan councils to be slashed in half.

After years of wrangling, Premier Colin Barnett today unveiled the state government's plan for the state's councils, with WA's 30 metropolitan councils to be reduced to 14 by July 1, 2015.

Having said during the March election campaign they would not support forced amalgamations, Mr Barnett revealed nine new super councils would be formed.

See how your suburb is affected here

The plan includes the merging of seven of Australia's most affluent areas in Perth's western suburbs, which could save up to $2 million.

South Perth and Victoria Park will join forces, as will Cockburn and Kwinana; Melville, Fremantle and East Fremantle; Armadale and Serpentine/Jarrahdale; Bayswater and Bassendean, Swan and Mundaring; Canning and Gosnells; and Belmont and Kalamunda.

``Today is decision day, and we intend to act with speed,'' Mr Barnett said.

``Perth is the fastest growing city in Australia but our local government structure dates back to the late 1800s.''

The Premier said the reform plan redefined outdated local government boundaries to create councils with improved economies of scale and provided better co-ordination across the metropolitan area.

It would create nine new local government areas through a series of mergers.

Mergers not forced - Barnett

Despite repeated accusations from mayors of forced mergers, both Mr Barnett and Mr Simpson insisted the moves were voluntary.

"I said we won't have forced amalgamations and we have not got forced amalgamations, in 2015 in the unlikely event this is not in place then we will reconsider that position," Mr Barnett said.

"A forced amalgamation would be if we brought in a piece of legislation into parliament next week, redraw the boundaries putting it through parliament and achieving it in a week.

"This is about bringing about what is long overdue."

Wanneroo, Joondalup, Rockingham unchanged

The Wanneroo, Joondalup and Rockingham local government areas would remain unchanged. Perth and Stirling would undergo boundary adjustments. Vincent residents would become ratepayers of either Stirling or Perth.

The Premier added: "The key objective is to create stronger councils to provide the best possible services to residents with maximum efficiency - and modern councils to meet the needs of a rapidly growing city.''

"We need local governments with the scale and capacity to deal with these challenges. Council reform will deliver a more strategic, co-ordinated approach across the metropolitan area for issues like planning, road networks, waste management, the Swan River, recreation, housing and health.''

Before the state election in March, Mr Barnett said there would be no forced council amalgamations, but confirmed in The Sunday Times that the state's 40 councils would be reduced in number.

David Templeman Opposition local government spokesman, said: "Tony Simpson, I've got to say, he himself made an apology back in February this year that the Liberal Party does not support forced amalgamations, he got it wrong and it was his mistake."

"He just needs to be upfront, this is forced amalgamations, there's no other word for it."

"I am appalled by what he said today, and this has created I think a huge amount of chaos in councils throughout the metropolitan area.''

Mr Barnett today said that a further $2.5 million has been allocated to assist councils in the merger process.

The Premier said he did not expect the amalgamations to hinder any developments in progress under Directions 2031, but would help such developments.

Defending the planned mergers, Mr Barnett said 69 councillors for the Western Suburbs was way too much.

State Labor leader Mark McGowan and federal candidate Alannah MacTiernan yesterday criticised the merger plans.

'Changes don't suit Fremantle' - Mayor

Fremantle Mayor Brad Pettit was one of the first council leaders to leave the meeting and said the changes did not suit the area.

"Fremantle alway's been a centre that's had a unique character and watering it down with suburbs all the way to the freeway doesn't really suit our needs, especially when key parts like North Fremantle are being removed " he said.

Mr Pettit said he would be arguing for changes more in line with Directions 2031 that had Fremantle as a centre.

He said with Fremantle merging with other councils, it may no longer be treated as a regional centre and heritage could suffer if resources weren't allocated correctly.

The Urban Development Institute of Australia (WA) today welcomed the government's release of the new council boundaries.

"Whilst the detail of where the lines on the map have been placed are bound to dominate discussions, achieving economies of scale and a more robust planning and approvals system is the goal for the industry," said Debra Goostrey UDIA (WA) Chief Executive Officer.

The Metropolitan Local Government Review final report (Robson Report) said that "the fragmented approach to local planning results in a system that is unnecessarily complicated, uncoordinated and lacking in strategic focus.''

Industry is on record as saying that the biggest delays in the system occur in the structure planning process which is largely controlled by local authorities.

"The current fragmented planning system has seen dramatic variations between local authorities including engineering conditions that to a large extent should be consistent," said Ms Goostrey.

"Our rapidly growing population demands a planning and approvals system that is efficient and effective if affordable housing is to be achieved in Perth."

Earlier today criticism of the planned mergers started to flow in the lead up to this morning's official announcement by the state government.

Yesterday Opposition Leader Mark McGowan and City of Vincent Mayor Alannah MacTiernan raised questions about the process.

This morning those questions continued from Town of Bassendean Mayor John Gangell who predicted his council would be forced to merge with Bayswater, despite wanting to join the City of Swan.

"We decided to take the front foot, go and analyse, speak to our residents and community and see which was the preferred option, Swan or Bayswater. Clearly it was Swan," Mr Gangell said on ABC radio.

"Unfortunately despite both councils unanimously voting and supporting and taking that position to the advisory panel, the State Government is going to completely disregard that, it's quite astonishing."

Mr Gangell said he had already been told that merging Bassendean and Swan would be "too hard" and leave Bayswater standing alone.

Mr Simpson will announce the local government reforms later this morning.
 

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Fade to black: Amy's last days

TWO years after her death, Howard Sounes delves into the tragic life of Amy Winehouse.

Amy discharged herself from the Priory clinic on May 31, 2011, angry with those who had persuaded her to go there.

Neither her brief stay, nor her doctor's written warning, altered her behaviour. Amy joked about Dr Cristina Romete telling her that her drinking was putting her life in danger.

"She'd joke and laugh about it," says drummer Troy Miller.

"We'd all laugh - not in a sinister way - she was genuinely joking about it. It's not that she knew it was going to happen, but she was sick."

He means she had psychological problems. "She had a dark sense of humour."

Amy was in no state to sing at a family bar mitzvah, let alone give a concert, yet there were plans afoot for an 11-date European tour, starting in Belgrade, Serbia, on June 18.

Her father, Mitch Winehouse, says Amy wanted to tour, despite the misgivings of her manager.

She ordered new suits for her band and arranged to give a private warm-up show at the 100 Club in London on June 12. It was at this show she betrayed warning signs

of the disaster that was to follow.

Amy had been sober for several days - some say weeks - prior to the 100 Club gig.

But on the day of the performance she was gripped with stage fright, craved a drink and became very bad-tempered.

British singer Amy Winehouse performs at the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm, in Glastonbury on June 28, 2008. AFP PHOTO/BEN STANSALL Source: AFP

Finally she was able to perform and the show went tolerably well. But if Amy had got herself into this state at a club gig in front of family and friends, what would she be like on tour?

Five days later, on the eve of the tour, Amy told her father she didn't want to perform. He asked why, but couldn't get a lucid explanation.

The following day she changed her mind and boarded the private plane leased for the tour.

The first show was an open-air event in the grounds of the Kalemegdan fortress in Belgrade. On a hot summer night, Amy and a cast of support acts drew an audience of 20,000 from across Serbia and neighbouring countries. Once again

Amy was gripped with stage fright. Mitch Winehouse (who wasn't present) said she became agitated before the concert and asked her manager for a drink.

"So Raye [Cosbert] allowed her one glass of wine to help her calm down."

Unless that glass was as big as a bucket, it wouldn't account for the state Amy got into.

Either she drank a great deal more than one glass, or she mixed alcohol with medication, or both.

Amy Winehouse performs at the Brit Awards 2008 in London. Source: AP

She was out of her head by showtime and didn't want to perform. But 20,000 people were yelling her name, so finally the band was given the signal to begin.

Amy let the audience sing most of the first verse of Tears Dry on Their Own, while she danced with backing vocalist Zalon Thompson, shouting the occasional line. The song was about ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil, and one of the songs she found difficult. She roused

herself to sing a couple of the most vivid lines about their doomed love and then gave up.

The next moment she seemed to nod off, stumbled and grabbed the mic stand for support. People were laughing. Throughout the show Amy alternated between inebriation, pathos and schoolgirl cheek.

The stage manager helped Amy offstage as the crowd howled and booed, furious that they'd paid to see a fiasco. There were no encores.

The tour party left for Istanbul, where the next concert was due to take place. But the show was cancelled, along with the rest of the tour. Amy would never perform a concert again - her career ended in Belgrade.

In a spooky parallel to fellow tragic talent Jimi Hendrix, Amy was booed offstage at her last gig - an open-air concert in a foreign land.

She checked in to theWHotel in Istanbul and was later joined by boyfriend Reg Traviss.

By the time he arrived, she was sober and contrite.

Director Reg Traviss, a close friend of Amy Winehouse is comforted as he looks at flowers left by mourners in Camden Square outside the house following her death, in Camden, northern London. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis) Source: AP

"She was taking it seriously. She was like, 'Aw, f*ck, what did I do?'" he says.

Amy and Reg returned to London on June 22. She watched amateur footage of the Belgrade show on YouTube. It was unusual for her to look at herself online, though she did so more than once in her final days.

Amy was sober for several days, then started drinking again, possibly triggered by news that ex-husband Blake had been given 32 months in prison for burglary.

Reg spent Tuesday night, July 19, at Amy's house in Camden Square, leaving for work the next morning at the time Amy's bodyguard, Andrew Morris, returned after a break. Reg said Amy was sober when he left the house, though she got up early to make breakfast.

Morris told the police that when he arrived at 10am he realised she'd been drinking, "Because of the way she was speaking to me." He wouldn't say she was drunk - he'd seen Amy drunk too many times to use the word lightly.

British singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse performs at the 46664 charity concert in honor of Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday in London. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis, File) Source: AP

Amy was going out that evening, to hear her goddaughter, Dionne Bromfield, sing at the Roundhouse venue. It was her last public appearance. Dionne, only 15 but a confident performer with a strong voice, introduced Amy to the audience. She came onstage

chewing gum and looking edgy. Dionne gave the signal for the band to play Mama Said, appearing to want Amy to join her, but Amy merely danced around the stage, looking evasive and high. Still, she hugged Dionne at the end and exhorted the crowd to cheer.

Mitch called by Amy's house on July 21 and found her looking at family photos. He was flying to New York and didn't see Amy alive again. Amy called Reg, who was busy at

work and couldn't come over. Amy disliked being alone and several people she normally counted on for company were unavailable.

Amy's mother, Janis Winehouse, visited at lunchtime on July 22 with her partner.

"When we left, she hugged me and said, 'I love you, Mummy.' She was always calling me that and telling me she loved me. Amy never really grew up. She was like a little girl, permanently fixed in time as a kiddie."

Amy drank throughout the day. In her search for company, she Skyped childhood friend Ricardo Canadinhas.

Cover of Back to Black by Amy Winehouse. Source: News Limited

"When she was on Skype it was because no one was there," says Ricardo, providing an insight into how lonely Amy had become. "She was like,

'Talk to me, talk to me.'"

Attempts to reach others failed. "A lot of people had missed calls. Basically everyone was out," says local publican and friend Doug Charles-Ridler. "Kelly [Osbourne] said she tried to Skype. Naomi [Parry, her stylist] had missed calls. Everyone had missed calls. No

one picked up, and she was alone."

To comfort herself, Amy drank. She drank vodka more or less constantly the last three days of her life. But her GP was satisfied she wasn't suicidal. "She specifically said she did not want to die," Dr Romete told the police.

Amy Winehouse's father Mitch Winehouse (C) and brother Alex Winehouse (R) look at floral tributes left at her house by fans on July 25, 2011 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images) Source: Getty Images

Amy was alone at the end, in her bedroom suite, although Morris was in the house. It's not known for certain what she did in her last moments, other than drink more vodka, judging by the post-mortem evidence and empty bottles. So she drank to forget herself and her problems, as drunkards do. She drank herself into a stupor in the early hours.

Flowers, pictures and messages are left in tribute to late soul music and pop star Amy Winehouse, near the house in north London where her body was found the previous day, on July 24, 2011. AFP PHOTO/CARL COURT Source: AFP

Then she curled up to sleep as the sky lightened with the dawn. She may not have meant to die, but she'd been living dangerously for a long time. Death had been shadowing her for years, sometimes coming close, sometimes retreating. We can imagine death

materialising at the foot of her bed as the vodka bottle slipped from her grasp and the last grains of sand ran through the hourglass.

This is an edited extract of Amy, 27, by Howard Sounes (Hodder &Stoughton).

Amy 27 by Howard Sounes (Hodder & Stoughton) Source: Supplied

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