LegoMasters legend Brickman is descending on Perth, and he’s bringing Jurassic World with him.
TV judge Ryan McNaught is bringing a dinosaur-themed exhibition to the city, featuring 50 exhibits and made from more than six million LEGO bricks.
A dream come true for any dinosaur enthusiast, McNaught’s brainchild is the biggest LEGO exhibition in Australian history, with some of the creations weighing a whopping 400kg.
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Ryan ‘Brickman’ McNaught. Credit: Supplied/Supplied
“Perth fans will be blown away by the scale of the experience,” McNaught said.
“Some of these models are the most complex and challenging ones we have made to date, so being able to bring them to Perth is just fantastic.”
Brickman shows off one of his creations. Credit: Brickman
Some of Brickman’s previous exhibitions include Brick Wrecks, Sunken Ships in LEGO Bricks, and Wonders of the World, as well as Towers of the World and Brickman Experience.
Brickman tells how he sees it as his mission to bring childlike wonder to as many people as possible.
Brickman and a Jurassic Park vehicle made from LEGO. Credit: Brickman
“We have created and used new techniques and committed thousands of hours to build these models that I am personally incredibly proud of,” McNaught added.
Some of the models in this exhibition include the iconic Jurrassic World gates at four meters tall, a life-size Brachiosaurus, a baby dinosaur enclosure and, of course, the T-Rex.
The collection can be seen at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Center from September 24 until February 5 next year.
Two Perth businesses are sprucing up their shopfronts with help from the City of Perth.
West Perth’s Gangemi’s Fine Wines & Food and the Comedy Lounge on Murray Street are two of several Perth businesses which have been awarded City of Perth business improvement grants this financial year.
Gangemi’s owners Edward Johnson and Tobias Goyder-Ewan told Perth Now this week the $20,000 grant would go towards a major redevelopment of the well-known corner bottle shop and liquor store on Hay Street.
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The duo said they believed their business was the first metropolitan standalone liquor store to trade in Perth, having been open since 1911.
Co-owners Tobias Goyder-Ewan and Edward Johnson, Gangemi’s Fine Wines. Credit: Andrew Richie/Perth Now
The historic establishment will receive an interior facelift to turn it into an 80-person small bar with indoor dining, an alfresco area and European style charcuterie food on offer. Drinks will be served until 10pm.
The business will also build a coffee window which will be open from 7am.
“We have been liquor retail and wine retail and we’re going to be wine retail and liquor retail-focused with the addition of being able to sit down and have a glass of wine on top, and it extends that ‘try before you buy ‘ethos,” Mr Johnson said.
“We are changing it from just retail to being an on and off premise consumption and a place for the community.”
Artist impression of the new bar at Gangemi’s Fine Wines & Food during the evening. Credit: Gangemi’s Fine Wines and Food
Mr Johnson said the grant would go towards paying for the “base build”, including the construction of toilets, amenities and access for people with a disability.
Re-development of the site is set to start as soon as next week, with the duo aiming to not close the store during construction and have the additions ready by October.
“You can have a chat to us, you can have a sit down, we can talk about the wine if people are interested in that,” Mr Johnson said.
“Or they can just have a place to hang out, eat some bread and cheese and have a glass of wine.”
In the CBD, the Comedy Lounge exterior and laneway is set for a facelift.
“Overall we expect the exterior improvements to increase Comedy Lounge’s public awareness and organic traffic,” business development and marketing director Jack McAllister said.
“It’s amazing how many people are unaware Perth has its very own purpose-built comedy club, so hopefully this will help get the word out there.”
Jack McAllister (event organiser) Sunday Singles at the Comedy Lounge will be launching as a weekly Sunday event for Perth singles. Andrew Richie Credit: Andrew Richie/Community News
The team behind the establishment are researching the possibility of installing 3D projectors which would display the venue’s line-ups and a promotional video.
Mr McAllister said designs were being drafted for the new laneway street art, which would include a portrait of the greatest comedians of all time.
“We’re in a great location where we get a lot of daily traffic passing the venue,” he said.
“It’s one aspect of advertising that we haven’t utilized yet — we want to be noticed as people pass our venue.
“First impressions count and at the moment the look of the building and laneway does not match the quality of entertainment we’re providing.
“The upgrades will help convey to customers that it’s a high-quality establishment with world-class live entertainment.”
Mr McAllister said the $12,950 grant would go towards the works but the upgrade would cost “significantly more”.
“The last few years for businesses have been a rollercoaster, so it’s good to know the government is showing its support,” he said.
“We haven’t made any significant or noticeable upgrades for about three years now, so we are well overdue for a makeover.
“All our recent major upgrades have been interior, which has been money well spent, but it’s time we improve the outside.”
Visitors to the Comedy Lounge should start seeing the laneway improvements finalized over the next few weeks.
The two establishments were part of 21 businesses to receive grants.
City staff had recommended only nine out of 25 applications for grants be approved, taking the total grants allocation to $157,050.
But councilors approved grants to all applications that scored over 60 per cent in the city’s assessment. This move, suggested by Cr Brent Fleeton, saw 12 of the 16 businesses that had been recommended for rejection to receive a grant after all.
Amberjacks in Elizabeth Quay was one of the 16 businesses whose application was recommended to be knocked back but will now receive $16,421 to create a raised alfresco decking area with umbrellas and added weather cover.
The Heritage Wine Bar will also now receive a $20,000 grant to install a suspended alfresco area between the bar and the Brookfield Place podium to close a void and increase capacity.
The council also agreed to allocate an extra $194,911.57 to its grant program to accommodate the move, which city community development general manager Kylie Johnson said was “not supported”.
“Council approved the annual budget on July 12 which included the $150,000 allocation for the business improvement grant program,” she said.
“Any amendments that are made will be impacting on potential future programs.”
Cr Fleeton said councilors set the $150,000 budget for the grants program this financial year before finding out the city had a $3 million better starting position.
“We have the funds; now is the right time to make this investment on behalf of ratepayers because the city needs it,” he said.
The risky WA roads motorists fear the most have been revealed, with Farrall Road in Midvale — the scene of a horrific accident where a 15-year-old boy was killed as he waited to cross the road with his friends — topping the list.
The road where Kayden McPhee was struck by a drunk driver in 2018 was identified as the city’s most dangerous by respondents to an RAC survey.
Kayden McPhee. Credit: Supplied by family/SUPPLIED
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The 48-year-old driver Biju Paulose pleaded guilty to a string of charges, including unlawfully killing Kayden, dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm under the influence of alcohol and failing to stop to render assistance.
Kayden was taken to hospital but died nine days later from head injuries after his family made the decision to switch off his life support. His 16-year-old friend of him suffered life-threatening injuries and a 12-year-old was lucky to escape unscathed.
Orton Road, Byford, the scene of another fatal smash in 2020, also made the list for its poor road surface quality and lack of traffic separation.
A 26-year-old man was killed when an Acco rubbish truck collided with the Holden Commodore sedan he was driving near the intersection of Orton and Hopkinson Roads.
Farral Road. Credit: Stewart Allen/RAC
At the time, it was the second crash at the same intersection in two weeks, with locals labeling it a “death trap” on social media.
The RAC survey received more than 10,000 nominations from residents identifying streets and intersections in desperate need of safety upgrades.
Mitchell Freeway. Credit: Stewart Allen/RAC
RAC General Manager External Relations Will Golsby said the survey shone a spotlight on safety issues that were often overlooked.
“Driving or cycling to work shouldn’t be a stressful or dangerous experience, but unfortunately that’s the reality for many in Perth,” he said.
“This survey result shows there’s an urgent need for safety treatments across metropolitan Perth.
Neaves Road. Credit: Stewart Allen/RAC
“There are some great opportunities for low-cost intersection upgrades and better walking and cycling paths.”
Other city roads to appear in the top 10 risky roads include Mitchell Freeway southbound in West Perth, the scene of a smash in December last year that killed one person, injured two others, and led to hours of gridlock.
Respondents also slammed the confusing layout of the Canning Highway interchange on Kwinana Freeway southbound.
The regional road considered WA’s riskiest was the stretch of South Western Highway between Bunbury and Walpole — also picked up in a previous survey — criticized for its narrowness, tight curves and blind crests and lack of overtaking opportunities.
The intersection of Marmion Avenue and Seacrest Drive in the beachside suburb of Sorrento topped the list of Perth’s riskiest road junctions, with residents calling for traffic lights or a roundabout.
Marmion Avenue and Seacrest Drive. Credit: Stewart Allen/RAC
An intersection in Albany, between Albany Highway and South Coast Highway was named worst in the regions.
Mr Golsby said the RAC would work with government and road safety agencies to find solutions to ultimately reduce the impact of road trauma.
“Someone is killed or seriously injured on our roads every five hours,” he said.
“That’s why the feedback from this campaign is so important – it will continue to amplify our calls for safer roads across Perth.”
Road Safety Commission figures show there have been 80 deaths on WA roads in the past 12 months.
West Aussies are being told to brace for a second cold front with swell heights forecast to hit a two-year record and up to 51mm of rain falling in the wettest part of the State.
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe weather warning for the southern part of WA, including the regions surrounding Perth, Mandurah the South West, Katanning, Manjimup, Merredin, Mount Barker and Northam.
Heavy rains and damaging wind likes are being forecast — and it isn’t expected to subside for at least another two days.
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“A second front will move across the coast later this week, prolonging the severe weather conditions in WA through to Wednesday,” the Bureau said.
Perth has been smashed by heavy rains and wild winds. Credit: ross swanborough/The West Australian
By 5pm Monday, State Emergency Services volunteers had been bombarded with calls from distressed residents struggling with leaking roofs and flooding.
Walpole, in the State’s South West, was the wettest region of WA with a whopping 51mm of rain in the gauge over the past two days.
In Perth, the hills suburb of Bickley received the most rain on Monday, recording 30.6mm by 6pm.
Roads were waterlogged in the Perth CBD on Monday. Credit: ross swanborough/The West Australian
The coast also got a battering, with 22.2mm falling in the Swanbourne rain gauge and 89km/h wind gusts recorded at 4.12pm.
Wind gusts have been relentless across WA with 90km to 100km winds recorded at Cape Naturaliste, while Geraldton Airport recorded 87km/h winds.
And while surfers are being told to stay away from the water during the weather warning, the swell is rapidly rising.
Huge swell is being forecast for the Perth coast this week. Credit: matt jelonek/The West Australian
On Rottnest Island, an enormous swell height of 9.5m is being forecast — the biggest in more than two years — and monster wave heights are expected in other areas too.
“Significant wave heights exceeding 7 meters are expected in exposed locations. Waves will arrive from West to South Westerly directions,” the Bureau said.
The wild weather has prompted the RSPCA to issue a warning to pet owners to comfort their animals.
Commuters were hit by wet conditions on Monday. Credit: ross swanborough/The West Australian
“The winter months can put pets at risk, but luckily there are simple steps we can take to prepare, and make sure our animals stay warm and protected from the wind, rain and cold,” she said.
“Cold and wet weather conditions bring a new influence of cruelty reports to our Inspectorate.
“Last winter, RSPCA WA received over 1500 reports, with common issues being insufficient food, water and shelter, abandonment, and animals in need of vet treatment.
“Protecting your pet this winter could be as simple as providing some extra bedding, food, and somewhere warm and dry for them to escape.”
PERTH WEATHER FORECAST
monday – 20C – Showers, possible afternoon storm, 15-20mm
