Perth Voice Interactive

VINCENT city council approved a former councillor’s planning application in three days but took four months to get around to a resident’s demolition application.

John Little, publican of Leederville’s Fibber McGee’s, was a councillor from 1995 to 1997 and is a close confidante and political ally of former mayor Nick Catania.

On June 7 he applied for an outdoor eating area at his new Beaufort Street eatery. The application was swiftly processed by staff in time for consideration at the June 11 council meeting as a late item, where it was unanimously approved.

CEO John Giorgi declared he’d had no input into the item, “other than [to] request the director planning services to prepare a report for the council consideration on tonight’s agenda, at the request of a council member”. He refused to disclose the identity of the “council member” who’d issued the request. He said he had “no further comments” on why the application was handled so quickly.

Mayor Alannah MacTiernan said Mr Little’s alfresco application was a relatively simple matter. Cr Josh Topelberg declared a financial interest in the item and didn’t vote because his company had supplied fitout material.

Cr Dudley Maier declared an impartiality interest—which still allows him to vote—saying Mr Little had previously distributed flyers “concerning him” at a previous council election.

Mr Little had been a vocal critic of Cr Maier and partner Sally Lake, a former councillor who’d run against Mr Catania.

At the same June 11 meeting Richard Epstein of Burt Street complained he’d lodged an application on January 30 to demolish his one-storey home and erect a two-storey house.

On May 20 his builder hadn’t heard back from council so he asked that the application go to the elected council for a decision.

When Mr Epstein’s application finally went before the council it was recommended for refusal, largely because the proposed building was too close to the street.

Councillors deferred it so Mr Epstein could rejig “the areas of non-compliance”.

by DAVID BELL