Perth Voice Interactive

‘Gross act of vandalism’

A proud Bayswater resident hijacked the Stay in Stirling rally last week.

Former city councillor Sally Palmer was unhappy her city was being painted by rally organisers as somewhere undesirable for heritage suburbs like Mt Lawley.

Around 400 attended the Astor Theatre rally to protest the WA government’s plan to shift Mt Lawley from Stirling to Bayswater.

Mount Lawley Society president Bruce Wooldridge was addressing the crowd when Ms Palmer jumped out of her front row seat, declaring, “we have a great record in heritage! This information is misleading!”

The real estate agent continued her barrage during the Q&A session, disputing claims house prices would fall if Mt Lawley became part of Bayswater. 

“There’s no evidence or facts to back that claim up,” she said, attracting the odd boo and jeer.

Last week Bayswater deputy mayor Barry McKenna said he was sick of the Society and Stirling council running Bayswater down. Bayswater council voted to spend up to $75,000 to launch a counter-attack.

Another Bayswater insurgent present at the meeting was Cr Chris Cornish, who sat quietly at the rear.

The slick 90-minute rally included speeches from Stirling councillors, Society members, videos from residents against the change and a Powerpoint history of Mt Lawley.

Politicians included Perth Liberal MP Eleni Evangel, West Swan Labor MP Rita Saffioto and East Metro Labor MLC Alanna Clohesy.

Labor’s Alannah MacTiernan was there but Liberal opponent Darryl Moore wasn’t. Local state Liberal MP Michael Sutherland flew to South Africa the day before.

The biggest cheer from an enthusiastic crowd was reserved for former Stirling mayor Terry Tyzack, who continues to serve as a Stirling councillor.

“Put simply the government’s proposal as it relates to the City of Stirling can only be described as a gross act of economic and social vandalism devoid of logic, transparency and credibility,” he said.