Perth Voice Interactive

THE Liberal candidate for the federal seat of Perth, Jeremy Quinn, took assistant minister for cities Angus Taylor on a tour round Bayswater this week.

Local interest groups have been crying out for some federal attention in the quiet village centre, and the train station provided a good example why for Mr Taylor’s visit on Monday; as he stood on the platform a wild-eyed bloke huffed spraypaint at the station entrance, while the “self-cleaning” toilet had merely smeared excrement across the seat.

The station splits the Bayswater town centre in half and it felt as though the pollies were the first suits ever to grace its asphalt platform.

Mr Taylor’s role is a bone of contention, as the original portfolio was axed by prime minister Malcolm Turnbull just six months after he’d created it. Mr Taylor now reports directly to Mr Turnbull which the PM says is a promotion, but Labor claims he’s little more than a parliamentary secretary.

The aim is to get federal control over areas that have traditionally been handled by local and state governments. They will now have to prove the economic benefits of their projects before receiving any cash.

The centrepiece is Mr Turnbull’s “smart cities”, which aims to cut down commutes to a gold standard 30 minutes.

Bayswater’s in the crosshairs because the new Forrestfield-Airport Link will bring rail from the airport to the brink of the city, with murmurs about future plans to sink the station and bring both sides of the township together.

Mr Quinn says fixing up the area and connectivity are issues voters are often bringing up on the campaign trail.

“In my doorknocking residents have said they’re keen to see development in the area, sympathetic development that keeps the character, and obviously Bayswater trainstation has been neglected over time”.

After having a gander around the town Mr Taylor told the Voice Bayswater was a prime spot for smart cities attention.

“These urban renewal opportunities, there’s not that many of them that are as good and interesting as this one,” Mr Taylor said.

“You’ve got a station near the city, and not much has happened in this area for some time.”

Paul Shanahan is one of the locals who started up Future Bayswater; he seems won over by the plan: “Absolutely. Basically what we’re about is we want to see the potential in this townsite harnessed. “

by DAVID BELL