Perth Voice Interactive

A PLAN to provide out-of-hours childcare for Maylands Peninsula Primary School families has been narrowly shot down by Bayswater council, with mayor Filomena Piffaretti using her casting vote to break a tie. 

The school has undertaken a five-year search for its own OSHC centre, as there’s no room on its own grounds for a new building and nearby providers have waiting lists so long most students will graduate before securing a spot.

Bayswater council stepped in to help with the search after a push by councillor Elli Petersen-Pik in 2021, and MPPS has been hoping it will allow a provider to take up a lease in the adjacent Gibbney Reserve pavilion.

The pavilion has been leased by Football West since 2003, but that expires in January 2024.

Cr Petersen-Pik, whose kids attend MPPS, supports the pavilion move and had two previous attempts to secure a deal voted down along factional lines before he fronted council’s November 21 meeting hoping for third time lucky.

He’d previously put up a two-year lease extension for Football West before it would have to relocate, and this time offered an additional two years, but again the mayor and supporters Steven Ostaszewsjyk, Josh Eveson, Michelle Sutherland, and Cr Assunta Meleca (who initially supported the idea in 2021) voted him down.

In favour were Cr Petersen-Pik, Dan Bull, Giorgia Johnson, Lorna Clarke, and new councillor Nat Latter.

“That is a 5/5,” Ms Piffaretti announced, “and I will use my casting vote against, so that is lost.”

Usually the council would have 11 members to prevent ties, but Ms Piffaretti will have a casting vote up her sleeve until a new councillor is voted in to the ward she unexpectedly quit just prior to the election (“Shock resignation,” Voice, October 21, 2023). Her resignation thwarted the chances of former councillor Sally Palmer to pick up a spare seat – she’s previously backed Cr Petersen-Pik’s plan.

Cr Petersen-Pik said Football West had supported the two-year extension back in August, but by the November 14 council briefing they’d thrown up a strong defence which included Football Futures Foundation, a FW-controlled entity supporting disabled sports.

“I thought it was a done deal, and all councillors would be happy to support that win-win outcome,” Cr Petersen-Pik said on November 21.

“I shared this update with all of you many hours before the meeting.

“Afterwards, some of you were in touch with Football West, and later Football West decided to withdraw their support hoping that the council will now support a new 10-year lease over the building,” Cr Petersen-Pik claimed of his colleagues.

Football West CEO Jamie Harnwell initially denied at the meeting having and contact with elected members, but later by email said he forgotten a brief and inconsequential phone call with Ms Piffaretti.

Mr Harnwell said their change in stance was largely related to delays in moving to the new state football centre and they wanted to keep using the Gibbney Reserve space for now.

by DAVID BELL