FERVENT disagreement over a shared road between Vincent and Perth has bubbled to the fore, and they’re not even merged yet. Newcastle Street is the current border between the two councils. Perth, which controls the south, wants to convert Newcastle Street to four lanes to ease congestion and takes aim at “traffic calming measures” the…

SUBIACO city council has formally endorsed a plan to merge with Perth city council (as predicted in the Voice, December 14, 2013). Subi’s first preference is to remain independent and nab a slice of Jolimont, but seeing the Barnett government is dead set on amalgamations, councillors voted “under perceived duress” to submit another option—to merge…

FOR four months, amidst huge decisions affecting the city’s amenity, Vincent council’s development assessment panel has been missing half its local representation. When the WA government set up DAPs to supposedly streamline the development approval process for big projects, they were supposed to comprise of three state-appointed expert members and two local elected councillors. But…

THE Stay in Stirling campaign is ramping up again as the merger process gets to the pointy end, with submissions to the local government advisory board due March 13. The council has called for more community meetings opposing WA government plans for a Stirling split up, with mayor Giovanni Italiano urging anyone who cares about…

BAYSWATER city council (whose motto is ‘The Garden City’) is moving to cut down another tree. Staff have recommended the chainsaw for a four-metre jacaranda on Peninsula Road after a resident complained it blocked light from a street lamp and damaged unspecified “civil infrastructure”. It won’t be replaced. The axing follows Coode Street trees getting…

THE plan for a floating helipad in Perth’s CBD is dead in the water with the WA government refusing to kick in funds. Perth city council’s been angling for a helipad to service high-flying executives and tourists ever since the old one at the foreshore was pulled up about 10 years ago. Another temporary pad…

A MAN who fell and sliced his arm on blade-like bike racks on Beaufort Street has lodged a compensation claim against Vincent city council. The suit has prompted the council to remove the 21 racks, which resemble boomerangs embedded in the footpath. Installed in 2012 at a cost of $15,000 the racks prompted “numerous complaints”…

THE disappearance of children from art due to tightening laws and regulations is the subject of a new photomedia exhibition by local artist Connie Petrillo at the Perth Centre for Photography. Public concern over the subject of children in art—especially photography featuring nudity or suggestive posing—has been at fever pitch since Bill Henson’s contentious 2008…

“IT’S not a merger, it’s a takeover” was the unhappy sentiment around Vincent HQ this week. Until last week it was assumed that come July 2015 both Perth and Vincent would be dismissed and neutral commissioners take over until an election in October 2015. Instead, WA local government minister Tony Simpson has announced he’d prefer…

A ONE-WARD approach could spell the end of the ordinary citizen running for council. If Perth and Vincent merge it could lead to just having one city-wide ward where elections are a free-for-all. Mayor John Carey says having only one ward would require spending $40,000 to $50,000 to letterbox every house in the newly merged…