Grub

Perth has become the second fastest growing capital city in Australia, outstripping Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra.

The latest figures based on the 2001 census released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics show Perth is growing at 7.2 per cent, nearly 1 per cent faster than Sydney.

The statistics also show Perth has become more multicultural with a third of people living in WA born overseas.

Launching today's statistics in Perth, the parliamentary secretary to the Treasurer Senator Ian Campbell says higher tertiary education levels, access to technology and home ownership are driving the city's growth.

"You've got tertiary education going right up, it's becoming more affordable, more accessible to people across the suburbs and I think the other great trend is that Australia is leading the world in terms of Internet use which I think is fantastic," he said.

pommie bastard

You are easy pleased no manufacturing and higher unemployment than rest of Australia , arse end of no where no wonder everyones on the internet sod all to do, lots of new comers like these boys .


But migration often has consequences "because of unemployment and the social tensions of immigrants coming in, especially if they are very different than the host country in terms of language, ethnic background and culture,"




African car-jackers on crime spree

By Luke Eliot and Cian Manton



POLICE believe a gang of African youths may be responsible for up to nine car-jackings in Perth in recent weeks.

The gang have become a prime target for police after three brazen robberies in three days. A 16-year-old male with links to the gang was last night charged with unrelated weapons and stealing offences. Police were trying to find other members of the gang for questioning.

Police believe anywhere from two to eight people may be involved in the car-jackings. Gang members have usually confronted the owners of the vehicles and threatened them with violence, including weapons, before stealing their cars.

In one attack, gang members used a stolen Honda Civic to stage a crash and steal a new-model Holden Monaro worth $100,000.

Several of the vehicles stolen have been luxury sports cars. The stolen vehicles have been involved in other crimes, including fuel theft from metropolitan petrol stations.


Judge raps teen violence

By Anne Calverley



VIOLENT youth crime was becoming too prevalent on Perth streets and had to be stamped out, acting Children's Court president Judge Lindy Jenkins said yesterday.

People who tried to break up violent street brawls among juveniles wielding dangerous weapons also needed to be protected, she said.

The judge was sentencing an 18-year-old man to 12 months jail, suspended for 12 months, for attacking an off-duty police officer with a sword scabbard at the Planet Internet Cafe in Bentley on June 8. The offender is not named because he was 17 at the time.

A fight broke out at 4am when his 16-year-old friend threatened another man in the cafe with a 30cm sword.

The officer seated nearby grabbed the armed youth by the shoulders when the 17-year-old struck him over the head with the scabbard. He sustained a 2cm gash to his forehead.

Soon after, the man originally under attack picked up the sword and fatally stabbed the 16-year-old in the chest.

Police prosecutor Sgt Harry Wiltshut said the revenge attack followed violent clashes between two Asian gangs.

He said while it was difficult to prove the offender was a gang member, he regularly associated with members of the Spider Boys.

Defence lawyer Mark Gunning denied his client was a gang member. He said the teenager barely knew the dead youth and had never met the man who killed him.

Plans to hold a trial on disputed facts fell through this month when three prosecution witnesses refused to testify.

Judge Jenkins said the lack of evidence meant she could not accept the prosecution's version of the offender's role in the fatal attack.

But courts needed to do more to protect the community from escalating violent crime.

"Courts must do what they can to stop this occurring and must also protect those people trying to stop the fights," she said.

JustArrived

"12 months jail, suspended for 12 months, for attacking an off-duty police officer with a sword scabbard"

renth

Outrageous.

Right, you've got this gang of Africans doing car jackings. Arab types raping German backpackers and the same threatening people with handguns up near Carnarvon.

How do these people get in? are they illegals, kids of legal immigrants or what?

I don't want to seem racist or naive, but how does a gang of African youths end up in Perth?

Renth

UDS

How did pommie bastard end up in Perth? Africa is a good deal closer to Perth than the UK is.

My (subjective) impression is that signficiant numbers of Africans are migrating to Perth these days. Of course, most of them are white.

renth

I get it!

The carjackers are white Zimbabweans. I guess the victims must have noticed their accents.

UDS

Renth, in an earlier post you say “I don't want to seem racist or naive, but how does a gang of African youths end up in Perth?�. But when I point out that large numbers of white Africans are migrating to Perth, you seem to think that’s irrelevant, and it’s somehow amusing that I raised the point.

But the impression I’m left with is that you’re not all all suprpised to find white Africans, in Perth, only black Africans. If white Africans can migrate to Perth, surely black Africans can migrate on the same basis? And why should we be surprised to see this happening? And, if you do consider white migration unremarkable but black migration requires explanation, well, I hate to say it, but you do come across as racist.

renth

I've just not noticed that many non-Aboriginal black people in Perth that's all. However you do meet a lot of white South Africans and Zimbabweans.

So who are these car jackers? are they the very naughty children of Doctors, engineers or IT consultant immigrants?

I'm just curious, that's all.