Perth Voice Interactive

VINCENT city council has turned down the volume on a West Perth party house.

New rules will require a management plan to deal with party goers, proper signs showing contact details for complaints, 7am to 10pm check-in — instead of staggering in at 2.30am with a boombox on the shoulder — and a staffed reception for the apartment complex.

Neighbours of the Harwood Place property, listed as short-term rental accommodation, fronted the council to describe scenes like those in the party-movie Project X: the noise has been so loud some have moved out. Often, no-one even picks up the phone when they try to complain.

The home is owned by Boldform Pty Ltd.

In 2008 Vincent council approved the 12-apartment complex as ordinary residential apartments, but it has been run as serviced apartments, without approval. Boldform applied to have the current use approved retrospectively.

“I do find it bizarre that a new development is built and it suddenly turns into serviced apartments,” Mayor John Carey mused.

“Anyone in the industry would know you need approval to run a serviced apartment.”

The owner wanted leniency but Mr Carey says that’s ‘a bit of a cheat, quite frankly, to turn around and say we haven’t had approval but we don’t like these conditions being imposed on us’.

“We’ve heard from residents that there’s a deep distrust and there’s a difficulty in getting the management company of these serviced apartments to actually respond, so no wonder the community is saying ‘if it’s going to continue, we want to see these conditions’.”

Deputy mayor Ros Harley, who’s long pursued a tough stance on operations without approval, voted against the motion, but the majority let it slide with tough conditions.

by DAVID BELL