Perth Voice Interactive

FERVENT disagreement over a shared road between Vincent and Perth has bubbled to the fore, and they’re not even merged yet.

Newcastle Street is the current border between the two councils.

Perth, which controls the south, wants to convert Newcastle Street to four lanes to ease congestion and takes aim at “traffic calming measures” the East Perth Redevelopment Authority installed 10 years ago.

“It’s a 1950s way of thinking that when there is a traffic problem, you widen the roads,”

Vincent says it’s crazy to rip up the trees and nibs and pull out on-street parking that it had chipped in cash to.

“It’s a total step backwards, it’s a knee-jerk reaction to perceived traffic stemming from Elizabeth Quay, as far as I can tell,” Vincent councillor and transport wizard Cr Matt Buckels said.

“It’s a 1950s way of thinking that when there is a traffic problem, you widen the roads,” mayor John Carey said. “This is an example of a clear difference between the City of Perth and City of Vincent.”

He fears that if a Perth-Vincent council merger is announced and Perth councillors are given free reign over Vincent for four months before an election for the new amalgamated body is held, these will be the sorts of decisions rammed through without local representation.

Vincent will tell Perth it does not support the plan.

by DAVID BELL