Perth Voice Interactive

VINCENT’S budget has been put to bed with a 3.92 per cent increase in rates.

Mayor Alannah MacTiernan says it is a modest bump given the number of big projects going ahead. “I think you’ll find that will be one of the lowest rates in Perth.”

She says significant cash is going into village upgrades—part of her election platform—with $1 million for Leederville, $260,000 for Beaufort Street and $100,000 for public art in North Perth. With the huge popularity of Hyde Park’s water playground, $385,000’s been pooled for another in either Mt Hawthorn or Leederville.

$135,000 has been set aside for a nature playground to encourage kids to scrape some knees and have some outdoorsy fun, but the location’s yet to be determined. About $200,000 is going on more trees.

“Green is good for the soul, there’s no doubt about it, but it’s an aesthetic thing and an attempt to address the heat island effect in the inner city areas,” Ms MacTiernan says.

“We’re losing a lot of trees in the private realm and as it gets hotter we’ve got to cool the place down.”

New trees recently installed as part of the Leederville spruce-up have been a hit.

“People were coming out of their shops saying ‘we love the new trees’. Just five new trees made everyone—with the exception of two people—happy.”

Ms MacTiernan says $600,000 invested into energy-saving programs will pay off over two to five years.

“Our energy costs and carbon footprint has been soaring, so this is a composite plan to reduce those costs.”

by DAVID BELL