Dunedin Street residents became the first in Vincent to take advantage of a new council policy that lets them close off their street for a Christmas Party with a great local get-together on December 16. The freshly-minted policy aims to make it easier for residents to hold street parties and mingle with neighbours and build communities.

Applying for a street closure is as simple as checking four boxes online, and rather than residents spending hundreds on a traffic management plan, they can use a template for small, uncomplicated street parties. The street party toolkit is at http://www.vincent.wa.gov.au/openstreets. “Street parties and play streets bring neighbours together and help celebrate community life in Vincent,” says mayor Emma Cole