Perth Voice Interactive

THE 2023 Christmas Lights Trail has netted silver for the City of Perth at the 2024 WA Tourism Awards, one of four awards Perth won at the November 9 event 

The Boorloo Heritage Festival also picked up a bronze, the Plateful Perth series of foodie events won silver, and Perth was also named silver medalist for the overall excellence in local government tourism award.

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A NORANDA park is set to be named after former Bayswater councillor Graham Pittaway, shifting from its current moniker “Reserve 33533” to “Pittaway Park”.

Mr Pittaway died in 2023 at age 81, and the naming is recognition of his community service including organisations supporting the deaf, his involvement in local sports, and positions with several Catholic community associations. He served on Bayswater council from 2005 to 2013 (but serving in government doesn’t earn points for naming rights under Landgate policy). 

Former colleague, councillor Sally Palmer, suggested the naming at a council meeting in September where the idea was supported by members of Mr Pittaway’s family and won majority endorsement by councillors. 

The idea’s now out for public comment until November 25 and then it’ll go to Landgate for approval.

A Bayswater council report says the Reserve 33533 has been informally called “Maxwell Reserve” for a few decades, with the name stemming from the nearby street Maxwell Avenue. The street, apparently named for an early settler, will retain the Maxwell name.  

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THE Planning Institute of Australia has named Stirling mayor Mark Irwin WA “Planning Champion for 2024” at the PIA WA awards on November 9.

The award goes to the person or group who’s “raised public awareness and understanding of planning”.

Mr Irwin’s nomination cited his work on the trackless tram trial as one of the major reasons, a project that’s involved bringing a trackless tram from China to Stirling to make the case for a route connecting Stirling’s centre to Scarborough Beach. 

The PIA praised Mr Irwin’s plain speaking manner and ability to “bridge the gap between planners and the public”.