Perth Voice Interactive

FIVE candidates have put their hand up to take the vacant seat at Perth council in the October 18 extraordinary election.

The postal election was brought on by former councillor Brent Fleeton’s resignation at the end of August to take up a new job based in the Middle East.

The candidates are Dave Lee, Naijiao (Jason) Bo, Adam Pacan, Steve Wellard and Shirley Vine, the only female candidate in the field.

Ms Vine, who also had an unsuccessful crack at the 2023 election, says it’s one of the reasons she’s running.

“Our council needs another woman’s voice for balanced, inclusive representation to ensure diverse perspectives and strong leadership,” she said.

“The last census reported the Perth electorate comprising 50.4 per cent women, yet our council had only 28 per cent female representation.”

A former 6PR breakfast host, Mr Pacan says he’s concerned about the possibility of high-rise developments at Ozone Reserve and Langley Park, with preserving the city’s parklands and adding more trees on his platform.

“Serving as chairman and treasurer on council at Vue Tower on Adelaide Terrace since inception, I’ve gained valuable insights into our community’s challenges and opportunities,” Mr Pacan said.

Mr Wellard, who travels in his work and is a fan of Singapore’s famous gardens and New York’s spectacular skyline, is keen to see the parks’ grass converted into something a bit more visually interesting, but admits to harbouring fond memories of Langley’s flatness.

“I was always a fan of keeping it as an airstrip in the hope we would get the Red Bull race back,” he said.

“It was the perfect place for it; no other city in the world had anything like it.”

Mr Wellard hasn’t stood before, but says he’s been involved in the council through a number of volunteer positions for around a decade and now wants to be at the table when budgets and priorities are discussed so he can better push for issues raised by the community groups he’s been involved with.

Antisocial

“One of the biggest issues I have been pushing for, is that there has been an element of antisocial behaviour,” he said.

He acknowledges Perth’s not alone in facing the problem, but says there are things the council can do.

“Upgrade the streetscape and get more businesses; not just nine-to-five businesses, but ones that can activate those areas in the evening, and if you can get good lighting and foot traffic, then the antisocial elements are likely to go looking for darker areas.”

He says Perth’s red tape, one-way streets and the state government’s parking levy, make it difficult to compete for businesses against neighbouring councils.

“The streets are almost freeways in the peak hours; it’s like playing Frogger with that traffic,” he says of one-way Hay Street as it pumps cars in and out through West Perth.

“If your driving and see a florist, by the time it’s registered you’re already 100 metres past, and you can’t turn back.

“Turn them into destinations, not thoroughfares.”

Mr Wellard says he’s been working with a developer to fill three long-term commercial vacancies in West Perth and they’ve got a fitness centre eager to invest, but the council’s rules say the first three metres of the shops have to be turned over to retail, and that’s causing the business to baulk.

“The other thing strangling small business across Perth is the state government’s parking levy,” he says.

He’s also been angling to get a supermarket into the old children’s hospital site on Thomas Road, but says it’s a hard argument when they’ll have to pay $1200 a year for each parking bay – which they provide free for customers – when around the corner in the Subiaco East development, they’d pay nix.

He’d like to see the CAT bus service expanded into neighbouring councils with the aim of reducing the cost down to around $200-$300 per bay.

Mr Lee is a local business owner based in West Perth who says the neighbourhoods outside the CBD often feel “unheard”.

“My focus is on a more liveable and safer city, supporting greater police visibility, cleaner streets, quick action on graffiti, as well as easier parking,” Mr Lee said.

Mr Bo is also a small business owner and an engineer who says the city needs more amenities to cater for its growing population.

“The development of East Perth Primary School has been unnecessarily stalled and businesses are pleading for more public toilets.

Our small business community has yet to recover from Covid times; vacancy rates are still above 25 per cent.

“We need to simplify the grants process and increase support in more ways than occasional social media,” Mr Bo said.

by STEVE GRANT