Bruising, burns but no breaks at Motorplex

A drag car driver has escaped serious injury after crashing his car at more than 400km/h at the Perth Motorplex last night.

A DRAG car driver has escaped serious injury after crashing his car at more than 400km/h at the Perth Motorplex last night.

South African jet dragster driver Pieter De Wit "suffered a high speed racing incident during last night's final round of drag racing at the Kwinana complex, according to Perth Motorplex's Facebook page.

"After initial parachute issues, De Wit hit the sand-trap area at high speed causing significant damage," it said.

"Despite this impact, De Wit responded alertly to all safety crew in attendance and was communicating with them until he departed the venue."

The South African was taken to Royal Perth Hospital for observation by the RAC rescue chopper.

He escaped without any broken bones but did experience some significant bruising and burns to his back.

WACA security take disabled man's cutlery

A man with severe cerebral palsy who requires his food finely chopped was humiliated when WACA security guards seized his cutlery as "weapons". Picture: Jason Busch Source: Supplied

A MAN who needs his food finely chopped because he has severe cerebral palsy had his cutlery confiscated by security guards at the WACA Ground and was told they could be used as "weapons".

Clint Carter, 48, went to the Australia-West Indies game with his companion earlier this month, when they were told to hand over a knife, fork and spoon or they would be refused entry to the ground.

His mother, Lorraine Hitt, said her son would have felt "totally humiliated" by the incident and called for security personnel to undergo disability awareness training.

"My son who has a significant disability, can only use one finger and needs his food chopped finely had his knife, fork and spoon confiscated and not given back, so he couldn't eat his lunch," she said.

"He was treated poorly. What do they think he was going to do with one finger?

"We usually pre-empt any issues by always making sure he's got a plastic bottle of cool drink instead of a glass bottle and he has never had a knife, fork and spoon taken away from him when attending Patersons Stadium, Perth Arena or Kwinana Motorplex.

"Despite the security guards' thoughtfulness in letting him through the gates promptly because the weather was hot and he was in a wheelchair, disability awareness training must be provided by the companies employing them if people with disabilities are to be treated with humanity and respect."

A spokesman for the WACA said it was "disappointed to hear of this incident and regrets that common sense wasn't used in this instance".

While there are strict conditions of entry that stipulate "weapons of any description or anything that can be potentially used as a weapon is prohibited", he was disappointed that staff "didn't use their discretion" in this case.

"The WACA expects staff to use common sense and we will reinforce this message when briefing them in the future," he said.

This incident follows two similar cases involving a blind 17-year-old girl and a wheelchair-bound teenager at last month's Big Day Out festival.

Disability Services Minister Helen Morton said "it is unacceptable that this man's outing to the cricket was compromised".

"It is up to all of us to make sure that inflexible attitudes do not create barriers to people with disability. ," she said.

"Employers and event organisers have a responsibility to make sure their staff are appropriately trained and know how to use common sense in interpreting guidelines or rules." 

Ski zones, clean toilets and sharks

Locals Mark Lees, left, and William Pope want more ski zones on the Swan River, calling the current set-up "a death trap." Picture Theo Fakos Source: Supplied

VOTERS in the western suburbs have demanded more skiing areas in the Swan River, more cleaners for their public toilets and extra midweek shark patrols so they can swim safely.

Debate ahead of the state election elsewhere across the metropolitan area has been dominated by day-to-day issues.

In the northern suburbs, voters want more police and better public transport. In the east, residents are asking for cheaper power and blasted politicians for ignoring them.

But voters in the most affluent electorates of Nedlands, Churchlands and Cottesloe want the amenity of the western suburbs and the lifestyle on offer preserved and improved.

The Sunday Times canvassed residents across the three Liberal stronghold electorates this week.

Merete Black, Manager of Blue Waters at Cottesloe wants the state government to act on a plan to turf over the main beach car park. Picture Theo Fakos

While Premier Colin Barnett has held Cottesloe since 1990 and romped home with 63 per cent of the vote in the last election, university students Bridget Thwaites, 19, and Meg Green, 19, said they "hated" Mr Barnett's "arrogance" and his plan to merge western suburbs councils.

Instead they said Opposition Leader Mark McGowan would win their vote for his Metronet rail plan and his pledge to build a series of ocean pools.

"I'm not a fan (of Mr Barnett). He wants to merge the councils together and force it on us, even though no one wants it," Ms Green, who is studying marine biology, said.

After a swim at Cottesloe, executive assistant Karina Costello, 38, said she wanted more midweek aerial shark patrols so she could feel safe in the water with her daughters Katie, 5 and Lily, 6.

Western Suburbs locals Meg Green, left and Bridget Thwaites said they "hated" Mr Barnett's "arrogance" and plan to merge councils. Picture Theo Fakos

"We don't swim out to the pylon since the attacks," she said. "We used to never worry about sharks, but it's a threat now."

Subiaco's Joanna Bartle said more cleaners for the "dirty, smelly, unclean, disgraceful" beachfront toilets were essential and she wanted the State Government, as well as the council, to address the issue.

"Clean up the toilets. They're not fit for human habitation. You can't even go in there. They are just disgusting. We're trying to promote tourism, but I cringe every time I go in there," the law student, in her mid-50s, said.

Fly-in, fly-out electrician William Pope, 26, said his biggest concern was the lack of ski zones on the Swan River, creating dangerous conditions on weekends when many boats used the designated ski areas.

Karina Costello said she wanted more shark patrols so she can feel safe in the water with her two young daughters. Picure Theo Fakos

"It's really dangerous. Something needs to be done," he said.

"There's plenty of river and I want the politicians to open more of it up for waterskiing and wakeboarding."

His mate, apprentice diesel fitter Mark Lees, 25, agreed that ski zones were a "death trap" and called for areas to be doubled where skiing was permitted.

"It's only a matter of time before someone is hurt or killed," Mr Lees said.

Cottesloe General Store owner Simon Cassell said the beach strip was "currently in a good place", but Bluewaters cafe manager Merete Black said she wanted the Barnett Government to spruce up the foreshore and act on a plan to turf over the main beach car park.

Claremont schoolteacher Genevieve Ellison said better mental health services and public transport were her top priorities, and while she would vote for Mr Barnett, she said western suburbs voters should not be stereotyped.

"We all live here and we all vote Liberal but my friends and I do a lot of charity work and we've worked hard to live in the place we live," Ms Ellison said.

"People denigrate the western suburbs but we do our share, as we should."

In the seat of Nedlands, local mayor Max Hipkins will run as an independant against Environment Minister Bill Marion while Mr Barnett faces a challenge from staunch critic and Cottesloe mayor Kevin Morgan, also an independant.

In Churchlands, candidates including the Liberals' Sean L'Estrange - a former military operations analyst with the Australian Defence Force in Afghanistan - will battle it out for the seat vacated by Liberal-turned-independant Dr Liz Constable. 

Kids to get shark class

WA kids are set to learn more about sharks through special school classes. Source: Supplied

CHILDREN will be given shark education classes to counter WA's culture of fear, with students to be taught the animals are not "man-eating machines".

Classes will be offered to metropolitan schools next semester.

The green group West Australians for Shark Conservation is running workshops, which involve a slide show and discussions about how much of a threat sharks actually pose.

The Education Department says it is up to individual principals to decide if they want their school to host shark classes.

WASC president Ross Weir said children were growing up with a disproportionate fear of sharks and his classes were aimed at putting the threat into perspective.

"There's a real need for it," Mr Weir said. "We need to counter this hype and get it out there that sharks aren't man-eating machines.

"They are very selective, intelligent hunters. It's crucial to address the negative publicity that West Australians are being bombarded with.

"It's crucial the younger generation are educated as to the real nature of sharks. We are not on the menu, we simply sometimes get in the way."

Mr Weir said six schools so far had indicated their interest.

WASC is recruiting a marine biologist to host the classes so the presentations are given by experts.

Education Department director-general Sharyn O'Neill said more knowledge about sharks was "desirable".

She said public schools were moving into an "era of greater independence" and "individual principals and teachers are best placed to decide whether shark-education classes could benefit their students, in consultation with their school community".

"While schools can play a part, the key role in informing children and young people about issues such as sharks must be played by parents and the wider community," Ms O'Neill said.

Police Minister Liza Harvey has announced that shark-spotting helicopter patrols will be extended across the South-West to give beachgoers more peace of mind on the March long weekend and at Easter.

Ms Harvey also released figures showing the number of sightings this season would eclipse last year's record.
Surf Life Saving WA's helicopter patrols spotted 247 sharks to the end of March last summer, while this year 246 sharks, including 22 great whites, had been spotted to the end of January.

Premier Colin Barnett has funded $300,000 towards a shark watchtower at Cottesloe Beach and Opposition Leader Mark McGowan said, if he won office in next month's state election, Labor would fund a series of ocean pools to give swimmers a risk-free alternative to the ocean.

'For years, I felt like no one believed me'

Christ Church Grammar School, where the victim attended. Picture: Richard Polden Source: PerthNow

THE WA man who was sexually abused by a former Christ Church Grammar School teacher when he was a boy says he feels relieved his abuser will be behind bars.

In an exclusive interview with The Sunday Times the father, who cannot be identified, almost broke down several times as he revealed the anguish he suffered at the hands of Lindsay William Hutchinson, who was this week found guilty of the horrific crimes and will be sentenced on April 5.

He said for decades he felt ashamed, but this week finally felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders when a District Court jury unanimously found Hutchinson guilty.

The married former student, now in his 40s, was repeatedly raped and sexually abused by Hutchinson, the former musical director at the prestigious school, in the 1980s.

He said Hutchinson robbed him of his childhood, destroyed his love of music, affected his relationship with his parents and shattered his confidence.

He turned to drink and drugs in his late teens, then found the courage to come forward about his ordeal when he was 21, revealing his story to the school's chaplain and director of ethics, Canon Frank Sheehan.

While the man said he was able to build a loving relationship with his wife and children, the torture he endured as a boy had left some deep scars.

He said also he felt let down by the school and Canon Sheehan.

During the trial last week, the victim told the court that when he approached Canon Sheehan for advice he was told to "forget about it and put it behind me and...that I need to get on with my life".

This week Canon Sheehan released a statement saying he never said or inferred the man should forget about what had happened.

"During the meeting it was obvious he was in great mental anguish and understandably, extremely angry about his treatment by Hutchinson," he said in his statement.

"My firm recollection is telling him first and foremost that I believed he was telling the truth and reassuring him that he had done the right thing in speaking out.

"I was especially conscious of the need to offer a listening ear and do whatever I could to help this stricken young man regain his dignity and sense of worth.

"We talked about the fact that, given the horrific nature of his ordeal, his mental recovery would take time and I anticipated the need to be available to provide ongoing support."

Canon Sheehan said he never went to police with the allegations because he understood the father of another former student, who has also pressed charges against Hutchinson and had organised the meeting between the victim and himself, was doing so.

"That was all I heard of the matter until three years ago, when the police came to see me and asked for my assistance in their investigation of complaints made by this former student about Lindsay Hutchinson," he said.

Canon Sheehan said he had tried to contact the victim numerous times after the initial meeting.

 "I had a phone number by which to set up another meeting but despite repeated attempts thereafter, I was unable to speak again to the young man," he stated.

"Over the next two months, I made repeated attempts to call the number with no success. Attempts via other avenues also failed to draw any response."

The victim said he was not trying to "denigrate" Canon Sheehan, but was disappointed by his statement.

"I know he has done some good things in the community, but he did not call me after that meeting," he said. "My parents lived in the same house for 48 years, their phone number was the same in all that time."

The man said he hoped the result this week would encourage others to come forward.

"I am ecstatic he (Hutchinson) is in jail," he said.

"For years I felt like no one believed me but on Thursday, 12 others believed me. I now hope that other victims will now be able to come forward."

Perth gas buses checked after second fire

PerthNow reader Raymond Porteous captured this image of a gas-powered bus destroyed after it caught fire, the second one to do so in two months. Source: PerthNow

The back of a gas-powered bus that caught fire yesterday. Picture: Raymond Porteous Source: PerthNow

THERE are no plans to suspend Perth's gas bus fleet despite two vehicles catching fire in two months.

A Transperth bus driver ordered about 20 passengers off a bus on Saturday afternoon when he saw a warning light on the dashboard.

The driver turned off the gas valve but the back of the bus soon caught fire.

It followed another incident on December 14 where a bus was engulfed in flames.

Transport Minister Troy Buswell on Sunday said there were no plans to suspend the fleet's 500 gas buses.

He said a report on the first bus fire was delayed because it was "difficult, bordering on impossible" to determine what caused the blaze.

"That bus was effectively reduced to molten metal and that's an issue," Mr Buswell said.

"Yesterday's fire wasn't as catastrophic for the vehicle, so I'm very hopeful that we'll be able to get a better understanding."

Mr Buswell said he had implemented a five-point plan that included an inspection of all buses before they go out on Monday, an increase from one to two inspections a week, an examination of the capacity to improve fire suppression systems, an investigation into the latest fire and a meeting with the drivers union and the Public Transport Authority.

"As a person who has driven buses in a prior life, I can understand why the drivers and our customers are concerned, that's why we've implemented this five point plan," he said.

Would-be axe robber flees empty handed

POLICE are on the hunt for a would-be robber who tried to hold up a Subiaco chemist wielding an axe this morning.

The armed man entered the Rokeby Road business just after 9am this morning.

The man was armed with an axe and was wearing a motorcycle helmet but fled empty handed.

He is described as slim and was wearing a fluorescent jacket also.

Anyone with information should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Thunderstorms coming in new heat wave

Perth can expect thunderstorms to develop tomorrow as the mercury climbs past 40C. Source: PerthNow

PERTH is officially in a heat wave with temperatures expected to hover around 40 degrees for the next few days.

A maximum of 41C was forecast for the city today, but the temperature topped out at 38.8C just after 3.30pm.

The mercury expected to remain high on Monday and Tuesday but it won't be beach weather.

The Bureau of Meteorology says thunderstorms are likely to develop at the start of the week but will clear by Wednesday when the temperature slips slightly.

Temperatures for the rest of the week are expected to remain around the low to mid-30s.

With hot days and warm nights expected, the Health Department is reminding people of the risks associated with heat stress.

People over the age of 65 and children younger than two years are especially at risk, as well as women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, people with heart disease or high blood pressure, and those on certain drugs such as medication for mental illness.

People who work outside or who are not used to the heat, such as overseas travellers, may also be at a higher risk.

Although the human body can cope well in temperatures less than 32C, higher temperatures can make it hard for the body to cool itself, the department says.

"The body loses heat by sweating, but when temperatures are consistently high, sweating isn't enough to cool down adequately," the department warns.

The effects of heat stress can be mild and include muscle cramps, weakness and headache.

Medical advice should be sought if a person experienced high body temperature, nausea, dry hot skin or a rapid heart rate, the department said.

To avoid heat stress, people are reminded to remain hydrated, wear loose fitting clothing and stay indoors.

PERTH FORECAST

Monday 11 February - Min 25, Max 41.
Partly cloudy. Isolated showers and thunderstorms extending from the north in the afternoon and evening. Winds easterly 15 to 25 km/h turning north to northeasterly in the late morning then becoming light in the early afternoon.

Tuesday 12 February - Min 25, Max 41.
Partly cloudy. Isolated showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. Winds easterly 15 to 20 km/h tending northeasterly during the morning then becoming light during the day.

Wednesday 13 February - Min 24, Max 40.
Sunny morning. Isolated showers and thunderstorms over eastern suburbs during the afternoon. Winds easterly 15 to 20 km/h becoming light during the morning then becoming west to southwesterly 15 to 20 km/h during the day.

Thursday 14 February - Min 21, Max 30. Partly cloudy.
Friday 15 February - Min 18, Max 33. Mostly sunny.
Saturday 16 February - Min 20, Max 34. Sunny.

TO PREVENT HEAT-RELATED ILLNESS:
-Check on older, sick and frail people who may need help coping with the heat
-Never leave anyone in a closed car
-Drink plenty of water and fluids
-Limit or avoid alcohol
-Reduce physical activity
-Stay indoors, if possible in air-conditioning
-Take a cool shower or bath
-Wear lightweight, loose-fitting clothing
-Apply sunscreen at regular intervals while outdoors
-Avoid outdoor activity and exercise during the hottest part of the day
-Stay in shaded areas when outdoors, if possible
-Don't rely on fans unless there is adequate ventilation
-Seek medical attention if necessary.

Meet the people the pollies forgot

Voter and Wycombe resident Allan Annetts says he and his mates couldn't care less about politics. Source: The Sunday Times

VOTERS in Perth's 'forgotten' suburbs are utterly disillusioned with politicians and many have no idea an election is now less than a month away.

In a clear sign the public is disengaged, voters across the eastern suburbs said they don't care who wins the state election because there is little difference between the "hollow promises" of Liberal leader Colin Barnett and Labor's Mark McGowan.

Many don't even know who Mr McGowan is and said they wouldn't recognise him in the street.

Others said Mr Barnett would only get their vote on March 9 because "the devil you know is better than the one you don't".

The Sunday Times canvassed residents across the eastern metropolitan electorates of Midland, Forrestfield, Armadale, Bassendean, West Swan and Kalamunda in an ongoing series looking at the big local issues and what the political parties could do to win your vote.

Five of the six seats are held by Labor, including the marginal Forrestfield, which is a must-win if the party has any chance of winning government.

Voters overwhelmingly said they were fed up with politicians, had completely tuned out of the election campaign and had no faith election promises would be fulfilled.

Young people, in particular, said they weren't engaged in the campaign because the major political parties and their local members had neglected them.

"I didn't even know there was an election and it doesn't matter who you vote for anyway, they're all the same," High Wycombe mining equipment manufacturer Allan Annetts, 27, said.

"I honestly couldn't care less about politics. All my mates think exactly the same way.

"I go to work, I go to the gym, I enjoy my weekends. Politics is the last thing I have time for."

At the same High Wycombe gym, 18-year-old Brodie Davis said he would be voting for the first time in March.

'Tighten sports betting laws'

WA Premier Colin Barnett has called for tougher laws on sports gambling to protect young people.
Source: News Limited

PREMIER Colin Barnett says there is too much betting in sport and wants tougher controls on gambling, saying he has had enough of betting agencies and bookmakers "bombarding" fans and children.

He said viewers were flooded with betting advertisements during televised AFL, rugby, cricket and soccer games, while betting was encouraged by constantly "flashing odds up" on the TV screen leading to addiction and financial ruin for some families.

Mr Barnett said this week's "appalling" revelations of widespread drug use, organised crime links and possible match-fixing had been fuelled by the high-stakes world of sports betting.

In a veiled reference to online betting agency Tom Waterhouse, he said "men in stylish suits" were behind the "enticement to bet continually", convincing fans they needed to bet on sport to enjoy it.

"That's where the regulation is needed. It's too much in our face," the Premier said.

"We've got children watching all these big games and I don't think they need to be deluged with enticement about gambling. They may well grow up to be gamblers. It's gone too far.

"They flash the odds up, make it look attractive, men in stylish suits (saying) 'This is what you do, it's cool'. Well I don't think it's cool. There is too much emphasis on gambling.

"Imagine someone sitting down watching a game, maybe having a couple of beers with their mates, then suddenly they start betting and gambling beyond what they can afford."

The Australian Crime Commission on Thursday released a bombshell report uncovering widespread doping in Australian sport as well as the involvement of organised crime and potential match fixing.

Mr Barnett said his Government was in caretaker mode ahead of the March election and would not cut any sports funding, but he admitted fans were sick of drug cheats and taxpayers did not want money spent on bent sports.

He warned clubs, after the election and if he was returned as Premier, that he would consider axing or reducing funding if codes or teams were found to be endorsing performance enhancing drugs.

"A lot of taxpayers' money goes into sport. The wider community will question it. The clubs, if they've been found doing the wrong thing, need to immediately change that," he said.

Despite the question mark hanging over WA's sporting heroes, Mr Barnett said he didn't want players named and shamed.

"Let's protect these young players. I don't think they need to be brought out in the public because they probably didn't know what was going on. They were just doing whatever they were told to do for the team... being told to inject this or swallow that," he said.

"Now for those young kids to know they may have been injected with some drug or supplement... that is so unfair. There's literally thousands of parents around Australia today saying: 'What's happened to our son or daughter? Have they been injected with growth hormones or whatever else?' That's a real breach of trust."

He urged children to continue to revere their sporting heroes and remember sport was ultimately about fun.

Opposition leader Mark McGowan said if he was elected Premier, a Labor Government would "have a good look at what resources are devoted to this issue and make sure we look at laws" to stamp out drug cheating.

WA's road toll reaches 'horrific' level

The scene of the crash that killed three men in Morley. Picture: Alf Sorbello. Source: PerthNow

DRIVERS have been urged to slow down and take responsibility after Western Australia's road toll reached 25 on the weekend, with three deaths in one crash.

Driver Jason Lee Cook, 43, and his passengers Steven James Formato, 31 and Craig Leslie Kenney, 34, were killed when their car smashed into a tree in the Perth suburb of Morley on Friday night.

That three deaths took the state's 2013 road toll to 25 - almost triple that of the same time last year.

Police Minister Liza Harvey made an impassioned plea to all drivers to take more care of themselves and others while on the road.

"It has been nothing short of horrific, our road toll this year," Ms Harvey said.

"We need to get the message out there to people that this is a partnership in the community, and drivers out there need to slow down, drive to the conditions and think about their family and the consequences when they get behind the wheel of their vehicle.

"Slow down, take care and drive to the conditions. It is not rocket science."

Even as Ms Harvey was speaking, a 22-year-old woman was having surgery at Royal Perth Hospital for critical injuries after her car collided with a truck at Beeliar early on Sunday.

Ms Harvey said after the horror start to the year on WA roads, she was considering more advertising to hammer the road safety message home.

"There are 1.6 million people who have driving licenses in WA, and the government cannot be in the car with all those people," she said.

"We need people to take responsibility for their actions."

'One teacher per classroom' promise

Education department director Sharyn O'Neill has promised one teacher per classroom as almost 6000 extra students  file into WA schools this year.
Source: The Sunday Times

EDUCATION chief Sharyn O'Neill has assured schools there will be a teacher in every classroom this week as the department "works around the clock" to address staffing issues.

In a letter to all WA principals this week, Ms O'Neill said her department would automatically assign a teacher to classrooms if principals had not finished the job.

But some principals said that could result in teachers turning up without the specific skill-sets required by schools.

Almost 6000 extra students will file into WA schools this year, with 273,220 kids expected to start school tomorrow.

To deal with the student population growth, eight new schools will open and transportable classrooms will be used to deal with overcrowded year groups.

An Education Department spokesman said every public school classroom was expected to have a qualified teacher.

"Vacancies arise all the time, even right up to the first day, so the department is working around the clock to make sure there are no vacancies on day one," the spokesman said.

In December, WA Primary Principals Association president Steve Breen said principals would be working through Christmas to clean up the "mess" of teacher placements caused by complicated and inefficient processes.

This week, Mr Breen said principals had been working feverishly to overcome the ineffective system.

"Principals have been working overtime throughout the holidays to ensure that the process is in place for the new year," he said.

"Hopefully all classes will have a teacher in front of them on day one. The time has been all-consuming for principals."

WA Secondary School Executives Association president Rob Nairn said staffing issues would become more difficult once schools realised exactly how many students had turned up.

"Some parents don't enrol their kids until the first day of school," Mr Nairn said. "The schools which get significant numbers of enrolments on or after the first day will have to adjust timetables and perhaps put on additional staff that will be the challenge.

"The crunch time will be (tomorrow), when schools know how many bums are on seats.

"Staffing is more difficult in some areas such as technology, maths and science."

The rush to fill vacancies comes as the State School Teachers Union of WA demands the Education Department take control of staffing next year to reduce confusion as Year 7 students transition to high schools.

In the lead-up to the March state election, the SSTU has also demanded that the annual expose of the best and worst WA schools be removed from the internet and is seeking improved conditions for school psychologists in remote areas.

In her letter to principals, Ms O'Neill urged schools to make staffing the "top priority".

"Any vacancy where you are still considering the redeployment pool, that is not completed by midday (Wednesday) will be finalised on your behalf by staffing consultants," she wrote. "This means that, as per the process in previous years, you will be required to accept the redeployee who is allocated centrally."

Teen 'broke free of cell in minutes'

Police on King Street in Bayswater in search of two escapees from Banksia Hill Detention Centre. Cells in a new unit were found to be so insecure that a teenager was able to push out a window in minutes during a riot.
Source: PerthNow

CELLS in a new unit at Banksia Hill Detention Centre were so insecure that a teenager was able to push out a window in minutes during a riot.

Sources have told The Sunday Times that CCTV footage of the January 21 incident shows the young offender forcing out the glass within three minutes as dozens of detainees ran rampant through the centre.

They also warned that a staircase outside the unit has no middle hand rail, there are no safety strips on the edge of each step and that water puddles on each step, raising further concerns about safety and security.

The revelations come after 60 juveniles caused extensive damage to the facility, forcing the Department of Corrective Services to shut down part of the site while it carries out repairs.

As a result, all male detainees will be taken to Hakea Prison. About 70 were transferred last week and the remaining 110 are expected to move by the end of this week.

This is despite concerns from children's advocates that the adult remand centre is not appropriate for young offenders.

Corrective Services Minister Murray Cowper has announced three separate inquiries to examine the riot, along with other concerns about Banksia Hill.

One is being done by the independent prisons watchdog, which will investigate problems such as the security and integrity of the cells.

Custodial Services Inspector Neil Morgan said he would not be drawn on specific incidents that were not yet investigated, but revealed he would be bringing in experts from interstate to help with the inquiry.

The State Government merged Rangeview Remand Centre and Banksia Hill last year to make way for a low-security facility for 18 to 24-year-old prisoners. New units were built at Banksia Hill and the juveniles were moved there in November.

A Department of Corrective Services spokeswoman said all units were commissioned and safety and security checks were carried out before the juveniles moved in. But she would not comment on the riot because it was subject to an independent inquiry.

She said Commissioner Ian Johnson would re-examine the way young people are managed in detention.

The department has been given until the end of June to fix the facility, but a spokeswoman said it could not guarantee the time frame.

Community and Public Sector Union branch secretary Toni Walkington questioned whether the unit had been "compromised" to meet a commercial arrangement with private contractor Serco.

Nurses act on pay row

Starting with Royal Perth Hospital on Monday, nurses will stop stripping beds, answering phones and cleaning floors in a bid for more pay. Picture: Nathan Edwards Source: The Daily Telegraph

WA hospitals will be hit by industrial action from tomorrow - with nurses refusing to complete duties such as disinfecting beds as they ramp up their wage rise campaign.

Australian Nursing Federation state secretary Mark Olson said the Barnett Government had not made a decent pay offer to nurses, so they would simply stop doing what they were not being paid to do, in their first major action in 12 years.

Mr Olson said the action would start at Royal Perth Hospital tomorrow, followed by Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital on Tuesday and all other metropolitan hospitals within a week.

"These are duties nurses shouldn't be doing anyway but have been doing because our hospitals are so under-resourced,'' Mr Olson said.

"It's a ban on a range of duties including cleaning theatres, cleaning floors, cleaning beds before patients arrive, cleaning beds after patients leave, moving patients, restocking of stores, moving beds, stripping beds, answering phones, collecting non-urgent medication.

"It will be starting at Royal Perth Hospital on Monday, and will be moving through the hospitals as we have our stop-work meetings.

"On Tuesday it will be Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital . . . followed by Fremantle, working our way through the metro area, so within a week the bans would be in place at all the metropolitan public sector hospitals and then into regional hospitals.

"And it will continue until they come to us with a reasonable offer. This is the business end of an industrial campaign.''

Mr Olson said the union had received hundreds of emails from its 10,500 public nurse members with suggestions of types of non-nursing duties they would like to see banned.

"This will slow down things and certainly cause major inconvenience to the hospitals, but we will absolutely ensure patients are safe, that's why we're putting a ban only on non-nursing duties,'' he said.

"And the thing about nurses and the Government needs to be very wary and previous governments have learnt the hard way, is that once nurses put in bans, it's very difficult to get them to lift those bans.

"It will take for the Government to come to the table and make them a decent offer on the enterprise-bargaining agreement, which is up in June, and the parking fees. Or else, the only thing the Government has to look forward to is nurses ramping up the industrial action.''

Mr Olson said he had met Health Minister Kim Hames this week and had found that "the man hasn't a clue about what's going on in his health system.

"He's put three per cent a year on the table,'' Mr Olson said. "But it will take five per cent a year for three years from July to get nurses to be the highest paid in the country. If they can do it for physios, doctors, teachers, police, why can't they do it for nurses, given this is the most expensive state to live in?''

Dr Hames said: "No formal offer was put forward to the ANF. Negotiations are continuing."

But The Sunday Times has seen a letter from Health Department health industrial relations service director Marshall Warner saying the Government had been seeking a new industrial agreement "which will provide a wage outcome of between three per cent and 4.25 per cent in each of the three years."

Whistleblower's bombshell confession

Ashton Foley spent several months in jail in the United States after lying on a credit application to lease a car Source: The Sunday Times

PEEL Health Campus whistleblower Ashton Foley spent several months in jail for being "dishonest" on a credit application to lease a car.

While insisting she is at the centre of a concerted smear campaign over her allegations of corruption at Mandurah's largest hospital, Ms Foley has revealed she was charged in 2008 for claiming to be employed when she was not.

Ms Foley was held on remand for several months, but says she was never convicted.

Premier Colin Barnett, who in December launched an inquiry into the hospital after a parliamentary committee raised concerns about alleged corruption and political intrigue, this week asked Public Sector Commissioner Mal Wauchope to investigate allegations against Ms Foley.

Mr Barnett said he had asked Mr Wauchope to "consider" information about Ms Foley given to him by PHC, in the context of the inquiry into the hospital.

The dossier of information given to Mr Barnett reportedly claimed Ms Foley, who is due to appear at the inquiry this week, was wanted in the US for deception, fraud and identity theft in 2008.

When confronted by the claims, Ms Foley released documents showing she was not in the US at the time.

But yesterday she told The Sunday Times that she was in fact charged after she claimed to be employed on a credit application, when she was not, in order to lease a car.

She said this occurred while she was holidaying in the US, pregnant with twins.

Ms Foley said she served several months in jail waiting for the matter to be dealt with and was released on a bond in 2008.

She left the US late in 2008, but her case came up in 2011, while she was in Australia, and the matter had not been dealt with.

"Several years ago, while expecting my second set of twins, I made a mistake of being dishonest on a credit application by misrepresenting my employment status, and was charged," she said.

"I re-emphasise the fact that I have no criminal convictions."

Despite the damage to her reputation, Ms Foley said her "personal life" did not change the "serious allegations" against the Peel Health Campus because the evidence was there "for all to see" in emails between senior people at the hospital.

Ms Foley, who resigned as PHC's chief operating officer last September because of concerns about its operation and testified to a parliamentary committee, also said there were other witnesses who provided the committee with evidence, who could appear again at the inquiry.

She said many of the allegations against PHC related to events before her employment there and though there was "never anything in it for me" except the risk of harming her family and career, she had testified at the committee last year.

Ms Foley also shot back that Jon Fogarty, the main shareholder in Health Solutions WA, which runs the publicly funded hospital, had been charged with stealing $430,000 from HSWA. The charges were later dropped.

Opposition health spokesman Roger Cook said the Government appeared to be "trying to shoot the messenger".

"It's extraordinary that the Premier is so quick to launch an investigation into a whistleblower, but that he had to be dragged kicking and screaming to launch an inquiry into serious allegations at PHC," Mr Cook said.

Mr Barnett said yesterday that "some serious allegations" had been made about Ms Foley.

"They have been forwarded to me at my office," he said.

"I haven't seen them deliberately and they have been forwarded on to the Public Sector Commissioner. What he does with it I don't know. He might involve the Corruption and Crime Commission. He may involve the police, but clearly they are serious allegations and they need to be checked."

The CCC told The Sunday Times last month it "can only investigate where a WA public officer has allegedly engaged in misconduct".

Mr Barnett also said the latest developments would delay the completion of the PHC inquiry until after the election.