Perth Voice Interactive

STIRLING council has voted to investigate a 12-month moratorium on developer contributions towards artwork or park upgrades.

Mayor Mark Irwin penned the motion calling for the moratorium because he says developers are being put off by the cost of having to pay extras, including:

• paying 1 per cent of the cost of a development for public artwork;

• money to improve parks, in lieu of including the usual amount of open space required on the development site;

• contributions to improve rights of way and lighting for developments that plan to use small laneways; and,

• cash in lieu money to pay for public parking where not enough is provided on a development site.

“If you look up you just don’t see cranes up at the moment; developments aren’t happening,” Mr Irwin said.

“And if you ask the property council, if you ask the state government what the number one reason developers aren’t developing low-cost housing, it’s because of the cost of doing business at the moment. And a lot of these things on their own aren’t significant, but when you add them all up together on a development they can be very significant.

“The only people that pay for this are the kids who are trying to buy those low-cost housing apartments at the moment, they’ll pay for the average apartment anywhere between $10,000 and about $30,000 extra per apartment because we have this bright idea that we want some bike rack out the front that looks like public art.”

Mr Irwin says there’s already plenty of cash sitting in some of the reserves funded by the payments, which should spend first before collecting more. 

Mr Irwin’s description of stalled developments was disputed by public art consultant Helen Curtis, who says developers she’s worked with have not at all been off by including public artwork on their projects (“Plea for art program,” Voice, August 19, 2023).

A majority of councillors endorsed Mr Irwin’s investigation, with councillors Felicity Farrelly and Suzanne Migdale opposed.

A report on the implications of a 12-month moratorium will now go back to councillors in November for a final decision.

by DAVID BELL