Perth Voice Interactive

MARTIN TOLDO is trying to overturn a council decision to delay dealing with issues raised at the recent Bayswater AGM of electors.

He has lodged a rescission motion that, if successful, would see the items come back to the council this month.

His move is supported by councillors Terry Kenyon, Mike Anderton and Chris Cornish.

“I personally think that this was an error in judgement, and that the ratepayers who put forward motions to discuss were not afforded the respect they deserve, no matter who they are,” Cr Toldo says.

“These ratepayers, who we represent and make the city of Bayswater possible by paying rates, must be treated with respect.”

Issues residents wanted debated included the establishment of a tree register, recording of meetings and heritage status for Halliday Park.

Punting them till after October made sense because of looming council amalgamations, mayor Sylvan Albert argued at the time (the mergers are now ditched). That didn’t go down well with the local residents’ association nor the urban tree network.

“Ratepayers are being treated in a rude and illogical manner,” association president Tony Green told the Voice (February 7, 2015).

Former Vincent councillor and anti-merger campaigner Ian Ker wrote on his blog the postponement “verges on contempt for both the electors and the local government act to defer consideration until the merger has taken place”.

“To defer consideration for an indefinite period doesn’t fall within a reasonable person’s definition of ‘consider’, especially when this is done via an en-bloc deferral,” he wrote.

Councils are obliged to “consider” motions passed at electors’ AGMs but are under no obligation to adopt them.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK