Perth Evolving to be Style Capital Says Josh Goot

PERTH is evolving into Australia's style capital, according to one of the country's hottest designers.

Internationally adored, Sydney-based designer Josh Goot said Perth had a growing fashion culture and a "captive consumer".

"There is a burgeoning domestic market in Perth, as well as tourist dollar that I'm sure is alluring established international brands," Goot, who flies into WA next week to open the new-season runway show for high-end fashion boutique Ricarda, said.

"Perth, like Sydney and Melbourne, has great relevance as an Australian style capital.

"It has a unique and Australian identity, plus great proximity to the rest of the world."

Goot's comment comes as Leederville  one of the metropolitan area's emerging centres of cool  prepares to hold its first fashion festival on Thursday night.

Vincent Mayor Alannah MacTiernan said the event, "Constellations", was a chance for up-and-coming local designers to show their work. Models will replace mannequins in shopfront windows displaying the latest fashions from a selection of WA designers from 5pm.

A fashion runway show will also be held in the Laneway between Funky Bunches and Kailis Restaurant at 7pm.

Among the emerging designers in the festival are Ariana Davis, Stott & Sims, On A Whim, SeaWolf Design, Katherine Young, Emily Murco, Dear Maurice, Chaka Leyla, ARA, Nicole Marrington and Jewel Designs.

The designs will be showcased by models from SCENE Models.

There will also be an after- party upstairs at the Leederville Hotel from 8.30pm-10pm.

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Packer Bets on Perth Crown

JAMES Packer continues to gamble heavily on luring Asian tourists to his Australian casino resorts, with Crown announcing plans yesterday to spend $568 million building a six-star hotel at its Perth casino. The deal with the West Australian government also includes a boost to its gambling facilities.
The announcement comes as Crown seeks permission from New South Wales and Queensland gaming regulators to lift its stake in Echo Entertainment from 10 per cent to 25 per cent.

The Echo investment is part of a plan to engage its local rival in a joint venture focused on Asian VIP gamblers. Crown intends to create a billion-dollar luxury destination at Sydney's harbour showpiece, Barangaroo, but needs Echo's casino licence - and money - to do it.

Crown announced yesterday it had an in-principle agreement to pay the WA government $60 million for land for the hotel development.

The government has agreed not to oppose an application for 500 additional gaming machines at the Perth casino and 130 additional gaming tables, according to Crown. The application will include plans for private VIP gambling salons.

The hotel, to be known as Crown Towers Perth, adds to the $2.2 billion Crown is spending on its two Australian casino resorts to attract Asian gamblers from the strong competition in Singapore and Macau.

''Our goal is to create an integrated resort capable of competing with the best in the Asian region,'' Mr Packer told a Perth audience late last year.

He has made no secret of the need to invest heavily in luxury accommodation and facilities to compete for China's lucrative tourists, who are displaying an appetite for travel, gourmet food and gambling.

A third of Crown's Australian revenue last year, about $800 million, was generated from international visitors.

Most of this revenue comes from high rollers and other international customers. But the recent opening of two casino resorts in Singapore has affected Crown's business, especially in Perth.

The increase in gambling facilities in Perth would be phased in over the next five years subject to the approval of the Gaming and Wagering Commission of Western Australia, Crown said.

Construction of the 500-room hotel on a property adjacent to the casino will begin early next year and take three years, according to Crown.

The development is expected to include restaurants, bars, resort and convention facilities.
The company's shares closed 2¢ higher at $8.47 yesterday.

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Surf Aussies Head to Perth in 2014

 

•    Scarborough Beach to host around 6,000 surf lifesavers
•    More than 11,000 visitors to WA expected
•    Huge boost for local tourism and hospitality industries

Scarborough Beach is set to host one of the world’s largest multi-discipline participation events after Western Australia secured the rights to the 2014 Australian Surf Life Saving Championships.

Tourism Minister Kim Hames said the week-long championships, commonly known as the Aussies, were expected to attract more than 11,000 interstate visitors to WA.

“The Aussies are on the same scale as the Commonwealth Games in terms of numbers of competitors. It is a massive event, and getting it back on the west coast in 2014 is a coup for Scarborough, Perth and the State as a whole,” Dr Hames said.

“When the Aussies were last held at Scarborough in 2009, an estimated 81,000 spectators and competitors descended on the beach during the six days of competition.

“The boost to local tourism and hospitality industries in 2014 will be enormous, with a forecast benefit to the local economy conservatively put at more than $20million.

“Scarborough Beach has ideal conditions for the Aussies and was widely praised by competitors and organisers when it last hosted the event in 2009.”

The State Government, through Eventscorp, in conjunction with Surf Life Saving WA and the City of Stirling, is proud to support the return of the Aussies to WA in 2014.

“Hosting an event of this size will also help activate the Scarborough beachfront, which is a tourism development priority for the State Government,” the Minister said.

Perth Enter 26th Straight NBL finals

Perth coach Rob Beveridge believes the Wildcats can claim to be arguably the most successful sporting organisation in the world after making the NBL playoffs for a staggering 26th successive season.

The order of the top four was finalised on Friday, when minor premier and defending champion New Zealand scored a 76-69 away win over Townsville (15-13), which ensured the Crocs finished fourth and would meet NZ again in the semi-finals.

Their best of three series starts in Auckland next Friday and continues in Townsville on April 5, with a potential game three decider pencilled in for Vector Arena two days later.


Second-placed Perth (19-9) will host Gold Coast in game one of their series next Sunday, with the teams to meet on the Gold Coast three days later, with a possible decider scheduled for April 7 at Challenge Stadium.

None of the other three semi-finalists had even started up the last time Perth missed the playoffs in 1986.

"I'm not too huge on the facts, but apparently we may be the most successful team in the entire world in sporting organisations in making finals 26 years in a row," Beveridge told AAP.
He will have both Matt Knight and Cam Tovey back from injury for game one.

Beveridge said his team couldn't have asked for a better preparation for the playoffs than the tough 72-71 away win at Melbourne (11-17).

Keen to maintain Perth's reputation for defensive excellence, Beveridge wants to fine tune their offence.

"I just feel at times we get too bogged down offensively, so we've got to have better ball movement better flow and play a lot more freely," Beveridge said.

He is wary of Gold Coast, who beat the Wildcats 2-1 in their season head-to-head split, with the home team winning each game.

Townsville lost all three regular season games to the Breakers and Crocs' coach Paul Woolpert concedes New Zealand may have a psychological advantage.

"I think there could be, but I think we're pretty confident that we'll come up with a game plan and hopefully execute it," Woolpert said.

He identified two areas his team needed to improve in heading into the finals against a Breakers side he believes has no weaknesses.

"We need to limit our turnovers and we need to rebound the basketball better than we have throughout the season," Woolpert said.

"They are a hell of a basketball team. We've got our work cut out for us, but we're looking forward to the challenge."

Adelaide (8-20) finished with the wooden spoon for the second time in three seasons after losing 79-75 to Cairns (15-13) and 92-78 to Wollongong (9-19).

Wollongong won 77-68 the previous night at Sydney (11-17).

Gold Coast (17-11) completed a confidence boosting home 94-71 home win over New Zealand (21-7).

The Breakers were scorched by a Blaze team that shot at 63 per cent from three-point territory.

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'Flawed' Waterfront Lacks Community Touch - Perth Development

THE community was left out of Perth waterfront redevelopment planning, resulting in it being "fundamentally flawed", a lobby of prominent architects and urban planners claims.

In a last-minute intervention, architect Linley Lutton, who heads up the newly-founded City Gatekeepers group, has spoken out about the flaws in the $440 million project, which he says the community does not support.

Major works for the waterfront project are due to start in April, with the State Government planning to transform 10 hectares of the foreshore into a new precinct linking the CBD to the Swan River.

An island will also be created within the inlet and connected to the waterfront by a pedestrian and cycle bridge.

Dr Lutton, director of Urbanix Design and Australian Institute of Urban Studies WA vice chair, told PerthNow it was not too late to put pressure on the State Government to alter the proposed redevelopment.

Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons - Perth Show - Australia

Legendary American pop music icon Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons will perform in Perth on Tuesday, March 27 at the Pioneer Women's Memorial, Kings Park & Botanic Garden from 4pm.

Coming to fame in the 1960s Valli’s is stronger than ever in the 21st Century.

Fans can expect to hear Valli and his band The Four Seasons perform much loved hits on their national tour of Australia, including songs such as Sherry, Let’s Hang On, Bye Bye Baby (Baby Goodbye), Big Girls Don’t Cry, Walk Like a Man, Rag Doll, Can’t Take My Eyes Off You and Working My Way Back To You.

The band has had 71 chart hits in the US including 40 in the Top 40, 19 in the Top 10 and eight reaching number one.

Valli has toured constantly since 1962 and his songs have featured in such movies as The Deer Hunter, Dirty Dancing, Mrs. Doubtfire, Conspiracy Theory and The Wanderers.

As many as 200 artists have done cover versions of Valli’s Can’t Take My Eyes Off You from Nancy Wilson to Lauryn Hill.

Tickets are on sale now for $109 at www.ticketmaster.com.au or 136 100.

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Worldwide Television Coverage for Perth 2011

More than 25 international and national broadcasters have signed up to take television coverage of the Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships next month.

The championships will be televised in more than 60 countries. Live coverage in Australia will be featured on the Ten Network and its high definition channel, One.

The Perth 2011 broadcasts will include the latest developments in animated tracking and graphics to show the positions of boats on the water as well as 3-D graphics that will complement the live television coverage.

Spectators in Fremantle will have the ability to watch the medal races close to shore in Bathers Bay or to follow the racing on more distant courses on the large screen located at the Worlds Village in Fremantle's Esplanade Park, complete with explanatory graphics and commentary.

Perth-ect Aussie Farewell for the Queen

The 'Big Aussie Barbecue' was the State of Western Australia's 'sizzling' farewell to the Royal couple who were in Perth for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).

Held at the Perth Esplanade on the banks of the picturesque Swan River, event organisers couldn't have wished for a more perfect day with the sun shining brightly, clear blue sky and a top of 25 degrees.

Crowds gathered steadily throughout the morning, with the sound of The Swan Bells ringing out from the Bell Tower as The Queen's motorcade arrived.

The Queen paid tribute to the beauty of WA's Margaret River region and the Kimberley in her address to crowds and congratulated Premier Colin Barnett and the WA community for hosting CHOGM.

"Over the years I have seen how this State has developed; Western Australia has evolved in its own unique style which is distinctive yet complementary.

"I can think of no more fitting way to end my visit here than in this idyllic Swan River setting which I have enjoyed on so many occasions.

"The rich diversity of this vast state has never been more apparent, from Margaret River wine to the rugged beauty of the Kimberley.

The Queen also made comment about Western Australia's economic potential and professionalism as the host city of CHOGM.

"And, your proximity to Asia has created opportunities for Western Australia to lead the nation's economic future in this region.

"This past week the world has come to Perth as host of the 2011 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

"You have endeared yourselves to the international Commonwealth, showing them a state of professional excellence, generosity and good will," she said.

The historic event was beamed across Australia and to the United Kingdom.

(Source: Travmedia.com)

World's Best Kite Surfers Heading for Perth

Two of the fastest kite surfers in the world will be in Perth this December to compete in the Red Bull Lighthouse to Leighton Kite Surfing Race.

Current and former world speed sailing record holders Rob Douglas from the United States and Alex Caizergues from France have entered this year's race. In addition, 100 kite surfers, including 50 international and national competitors, will also be participating.

The State Government, through Eventscorp, is proud to sponsor the event for the next three years and has also commissioned the production of a half-hour national and international television program.

(Source: Talking Tourism)

Perth Airport Opens New Waiting Area

A new waiting area has opened at Perth Domestic Airport in response to escalating complaints about thousands of illegally parked cars causing havoc.

Drivers will now be able to wait with their cars for up to 90 minutes for the cost of a gold coin donation, which will be donated to a children's charity.

Perth Airport chief executive officer Brad Geatches said it was hoped the new park-and-wait area would stop the 63,000 drivers who illegally park along Brearley Avenue each year.

The number of people flying into and out of Perth Domestic Airport is growing at the highest rate of any Australian capital city - by almost 10 per cent last financial year.

The number of vehicles picking up and dropping off passengers is now about 900,000 each year, according to the airport.

Mr Geatches said there was a growing trend for motorists to park along the road shoulder on Brearley Avenue to wait for passengers arriving on a domestic flight.

"Perth Airport has responded to the many complaints from motorists and cyclists about near misses due to illegally parked vehicles pulling out into traffic lanes from the road shoulder," he said.

"Now there are no more excuses for parking illegally and motorists have options to do the right thing.

"All short-term car parks at Perth Airport are free for the first 10 minutes and the new park-and-wait [area] is for people wanting to park and wait with their vehicle in a safe area for up to 90 minutes."

There are 50 bays in the park-and-wait area, which can be doubled to meet demand.

Profits from the gold coin entry will go to children's charities including Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation and Youth Focus.

The new car park follows the airport's recent announcement of a $1 billion upgrade to accommodate the escalating number of people using domestic and international terminals.

Source: http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/perth-airport-opens-new-waiting-area-20111012-1lkmf.html#ixzz1acW5fszi

2011 Perth Royal Show - Perth Tourism News

The annual Perth Royal Show is back again, kicking off at Claremont Showgrounds this Saturday October 1 and running until October 8.

Events this year range from food demonstrations, fashion parades, wood chopping events and art and photography exhibitions.

There are also plenty of events for animal lovers including pat-a-pig, pat-a-bunny, dog show judging, alpaca displays, goat milking demonstrations and an Ask-a-farmer session.

At the sideshow there is plenty for young and old, with the haunted hotel, mega drop, the orbitor, python loop and the ranger among the fast paced rides, and the more sedate chair lift, cup and saucer and dumbo rides for something a bit more relaxed.

This year all children under the age of 12 will receive free entry to the show, when accompanied by an adult, making it a cheap way to occupy young children during the school holidays.

Tickets are available online from www.perthroyalshow.com.au for $22 for adults, $10 for children aged 13 to 15, $54 for familes of two adults and two children or one adult and four children, $10 for pensioners and $15 for seniors.

Tickets are available at the gate for a slightly more expensive price.

Read more: http://www.watoday.com.au/entertainment/about-town/2011-perth-royal-show-20110929-1kyis.html#ixzz1ZJlErK7s

Exciting festival to be held during CHOGM Perth 2011

The State Government has launched a program of outdoor concerts, world-class exhibitions, art, films, street theatre, and more than 70 free activities as part of the Commonwealth Festival Perth.

The eight-day festival, to be held alongside the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in October, will celebrate the people and cultures of the Commonwealth.

Artists and performers from Australia and 16 Commonwealth countries such as India, South Africa, Barbados, Singapore, New Zealand and the United Kingdom will help the Perth Cultural Centre become the People's Space.

The People's Space will be a central location where the Perth community and visitors can experience live music, markets, multicultural food, displays by Commonwealth organisations, outstanding exhibitions, street theatre, kids' activities, a Speakers' Corner, and films. The festival runs from October 23-30.

Fashionista’s Ready to Soak-Up Style

Perth is fast becoming a fashion mecca - and with iconic events like Perth Fashion Festival there's little wonder why. Each year, thousands of fashionistas make the pilgrimage to Perth to experience high fashion events at a range of unique venues. Now in its 13th year, Perth Fashion Festival has 'come of age' with its 2011 calendar. With world-class runway shows, styling workshops, fashion lunches and an international model search, this year's line-up is being touted as the most sophisticated yet.

Fashion followers can soak-up styles from more than 130 designers from around Western Australia and across the country - like WA's Aurelio Costarella, Story By Tang, Ae'lkemi and S2, not to mention national designers Magdalena Velevska and Yeojin Bae. Celebrating its silver jubilee, iconic WA label Wheels & Dollbaby will put on a spectacular show at His Majesty's Theatre to close the Festival. Dressing everyone from Deborah Harry to Katy Perry, this iconic range offers the perfect fusion of fashion with good ol' rock 'n' roll.

Don't miss this year's calendar of more than 40 free, ticketed and invitation-only events from September 21 to 27 2011.

This edgy, evolutionary fashion festival is set to sizzle.

W: perthfashionfestival.com.au

Major New International Aquatic Event for Perth

Perth will become home to a unique new international swimming and water polo event to be known as the BHP Billiton Aquatic Super Series.

The series will become an annual feature on the international sporting calendar from 2013 and will see the Australian swim team take on the Chinese and South African national teams in a world-class program of events that will thrill spectators, and national and international television viewers alike.

There will also be international water polo matches featuring the Australian men’s and women’s teams, and elite and mass participation open-water events.

Perth Airport in $700m Makeover

Westralia Airports Corporation, owner and operator of Perth Airport, has revealed further details of the $700 million expansion of the domestic and international terminals.

The new $120 million Perth domestic terminal located adjacent to the international terminal has been designed to meet the needs of air services for regional Western Australia, including the booming mining towns.

Some 11.5 million passengers travelled through Perth Airport during FY 10/11, which saw domestic growth increasing by 9.6 percent and international by 9.1 percent.

Skywest, Alliance Airlines, Strategic and Tiger Airways will relocate to the new terminal in early 2013. Qantas and Virgin will remain in the current domestic terminal, which will be refurbished.

In addition to the new domestic terminal, there will be a major expansion of the international terminal with a new arrivals area and domestic pier, improved transport links, expanded car parking and increased capacity for more aircraft.

Construction of the international terminal expansion will commence later this year.

(Source: travelmole.com 25th August 2011)

Barnett Promises Sunday Trading in Next Term

The Western Australian Premier, Colin Barnett, has told the Liberal Party state conference that, if re-elected, the party will deregulate Sunday trading hours.

The next state election is due in March, 2013.

Mr Barnett says shops in the Perth metropolitan area will be able to trade from 11:00am until 5:00pm.

"I think this is right and I think it meets the needs of the public," Mr Barnett said.

"People do want to go shopping on a Sunday."

The President of the Independent Grocers Association in WA, John Cummings, says the announcement is not good news for small business.

"In this depressed retail trading that we're in, with a number of small, independently owned retailers in suffering the worst sales for years, I think the last thing they need is the added expense of being open extra hours," Mr Cummings said.

A spokesman for the WA Nationals leader, Brendon Grylls, says the party's anti-deregulation stance has not changed.

Perth Development Gets Underway

The Western Australian government has appointed project management company Appian Group to oversee the Perth Waterfront redevelopment.

Planning minister John Day said the Appian Group had the relevant experience in major developments in Western Australia to deliver key outcomes for the project.

"Planning is proceeding at full pace in preparation for commencement of substantial earthworks on the site due to start early next year," he said. "The Perth Waterfront brings to the market major opportunities for investors in the business and tourism markets and the exposure it will receive at ANZPHIC will help to attract significant investment opportunities into Western Australia.

"The project will provide for 1700 residential, hotels and serviced apartments, 150,000 metres square of office space and 39,000 metres square of retail space and will be key in triggering short-stay accommodation development in Perth to cater for this growth."

(Source: accomnews, 21^st July 2011)

Tourism WA to Triple Chinese Visitation

THE boss of Tourism WA wants to more than triple WA's share of the lucrative Chinese visitor market with a five-pronged strategy.
Delivering an overview of the agency’s strategic agenda last week, TWA chief executive Stephanie Buckland said the key to growing the State’s share of the burgeoning Chinese market hinged on securing a deal with China Southern Airlines.

As previously reported by The Sunday Times, Asia’s biggest airline is currently finalising an agreement with the State Government which would see direct flights commence between Perth and Guangzhou.

“The objective will be to significantly increase our share,” Ms Buckland said.

“Right now we’ve got about 3 per cent of all Chinese visitors to Australia.

“The aim is to grow that to about 10 per cent.”

In 2010, 12,000 Chinese visitors came to WA, an increase of 32.1 per cent on 2009, and they spent $80 million last year, an increase of 135.3 per cent from $34 million spent in 2009.

Ms Buckland said TWA representatives will travel to China this week to “make sure Western Australia is promoted as one of their key feature destinations”.

Beyond enhancing trade and consumer marketing efforts and working closely with the local tourism industry, she said strategic partnerships with other non-tourism related sectors, such as producers of premium products like Margaret River wines, South Sea Pearls and pink argyle diamonds, would be invaluable.

“One of the things we will be leveraging with consumers is some of the very premium products we have in Western Australia that can’t be found elsewhere,” she said.

“All those types of luxury and premium products do appeal to Chinese consumers who are very brand conscious.”


GOLDEN TOUCH: Vicki Tang has presided over a jump in Chinese tourist numbers in her role as north Queensland tourism manager. Now WA hopes to increase its share of the lucrative market. Picture: Tom Lee

Qantas begins Boeing 747 service between Sydney-Perth Today, with Skybed Business Class

Qantas will commence a daily Boeing 747-400 service between Sydney and Perth this morning, taking on challenger Virgin Australia over the popular coast-to-coast service.

Virgin Australia began its own daily Airbus A330 flights with business class seats and service last week, as detailed in our report on the flight and service .

The Red Roo 747-400 will run as QF581, which departs Sydney at 10.10am for arrival in Perth at 1.05pm; and the partner QF582, which is wheels-up at Perth at 2.35pm to reach Sydney at 8.20pm.

The jumbo sports Qantas' original two-class configuration, so there's no premium economy cabin – just 56 business class seats and 356 economy. (If you're looking to book this flight, check out our guide to the best of those business class seats as well as the ones to avoid if possible).

Business-class passengers will be issued with 'noise-reduction' headsets.

A Qantas spokesman told Australian Business Traveller that the flights will serve one meal each way: lunch on QF581 out of Sydney and dinner on QF582 out of Perth. "Meal times are based on natural feeding time per time of day" the spokesman offered, "but also with the time difference, what time of day it is when passengers land and whether it is a natural time to eat again or not."

However, he was quick to assure us that the much-enjoyed ice-cream will also be served on both flights in business and economy.

The first week of the 747 service is not heavily booked, no doubt partly reflecting the high excess capacity of the 747-400 over the A330-200 which Qantas usually runs on this service – which has just 36 seats in business class and 265 in economy.

An overall 120-seat surplus will allow Qantas some headroom to undercut Virgin Australia on fares, especially for business class, as well as allowing selective upgrades for high status frequent flyers travelling in economy.

Qantas' spoiler strategy is aimed at keeping lucrative business-class corporate accounts flying with Qantas rather than defecting to Virgin Australia, which is spruiking the 62 inches of legroom in its new A330 business class as being the most generous on any domestic service.

Qantas' 747 will still fall just two inches short of this, with a 60 inch pitch in business class, but that's still plenty more than the 37 inches in the Airbus A330-200 which the 747 will replace.

And of course, these are the international-grade Skybed cocoons first created for the longest of long haul flights.

They're actually the first-gen models which go into a fully-flat mode on an angle rather than lying flat to the horizontal, but that's still going to offer extraordinary cross-country comfort.

(What's the difference between angled, lie-flat and fully-flat seats? Read our story on The Lie-flat Lie.)

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce has previously trumpeted that "Increasing the premium service we provide business customers flying from east to west will help further cement our position as the ‘Best for Business’ airline."

“Our competitors can simply not match the service that Qantas offers, particularly the Skybeds, which provide increased comfort on the longer routes between the eastern states and Perth."

For his part, Virgin Australia CEO John Borghetti considers the pointy end of his new A330s as being "the best domestic business class in the market" adding that "it's here to stay – it won't come in and out of routes like other large-body aircraft", unable to resist taking a shot at Qantas.

Perth wins two awards

Perth has scooped two awards in as many months in the UK. It was voted a hero in the Sunday Times Travel Magazine Reader Awards (circulation 66,000) under the best city category.

Readers of Wanderlust, the UK's leading independent travel magazine, also listed it in its top five favourite cities this month, beating Tokyo and San Francisco in the satisfaction ratings.