Nothing fires up the old Facebook comments section like talking about driving in WA. Threw the cat amongst the pigeons yesterday afternoon with the article you’ll find below — and wouldn’t you know it, people have some thoughts. Personally I’d really love it if we could all just chill out a little more on the roads, but I dunno if that’s a Perth thing or if everyone everywhere is just a bit tired, grumpy and cold* at the moment.
*ah yes weather, Perth’s second favourite topic of discussion.
Troy Mutton, Editor-In-Chief, Perth is OK!
NEWS
Does WA have a driving culture problem?
Our ability to merge has been a running joke for as long as there’s been freeways, but do West Aussies have a driving culture problem?
If you’re in the car daily, especially during peak hour, it’s hard to argue against it: Tailgaters. Speeders. Lane weavers. And far, far less serious, but don’t get me started on non-wavers.
It all adds up. And little moments can have big consequences. WA’s 2026 road toll sits at 139. At the same time last year, it was 124. The five-year average for this point in the year is 105. The takeaway: more West Australians are dying on our roads.
“Our driving culture is poor. We adopt poor driving habits and we believe it’s the norm.”
That’s according to Steve Banks, who was a WA Police officer for 36 years…
THE LATEST FROM PERTH IS OK!
NEWS
Perth doctors for Palestine bring ‘Wall of Tears’ to WA Parliament
The 15-metre memorial displays the names of 18,457 children who have been confirmed to have been killed in Gaza from October 2023 until the middle of last year.
EVENTS
Women Out West: WA’s first all-female touring festival goes regional this spring
Women will be making music waves across WA later this year with the launch of Women Out West, a first-of-its-kind festival featuring an all-female touring crew.
LIFESTYLE
Tony review: A touching look at the making of Anthony Bourdain
Based on the opening chapters of Bourdain’s best-selling 2000 memoir Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, Tony is a coming-of-age drama starring Dominic Sessa as the 19-year-old aspiring writer.
TODAY/TONIGHT
$30 pasta and wine night at Little Gan’s
We don’t venture out to Willeton nearly enough, and if we ever needed extra motivation, a $30 for a glass of vino and some pasta at Little Gan’s on Thursday nights is as good excuse as any!
EAT & DRINK
C Restaurant to make its last turn
We knew it was coming… But that doesn’t make it any less difficult to hear! C Restaurant (the restaurant in the sky!) is making its final turn on January 31 next year.
First opening in 1978 as Hilite 33, the iconic restaurant welcomed over two million diners in the 48 years since then. Its closure comes hand-in-hand with the upcoming $240m St Martins transformation, recently given unanimous approval by WA’s Development Assessment Panel. As part of the redevelopment, the restaurant will be refurbished into a sky bar facility for the incoming 243-room hotel.
“For more than 20 years, C Restaurant has meant more to me than just a business; it has been one of the great privileges of my life,” said owner Olivier Letrone. “I am naturally saddened that this chapter is coming to a close, but I look back with enormous pride at what we built together with our team and our guests. We have been trusted with so many special moments, and that is something I will never take lightly.”
Get all the latest food news below:
STAFF RECCOS
What we’re eating…
Another one to put on your breakfast menu this week from Soph:
“The whole brekky menu at Milly’s Acre at Baillie Hill — they’re now doing breakfast 8am-10am on Sat and Sun, and for the GF gang their brekky burger was amazing!”