Perth Voice Interactive

VOTES for businesses in local elections would be scrapped under a recommendation of the panel reviewing the rules around local government in WA.

The panel, headed by Balcatta Labor MLA David Michael, released its final report on Wednesday.

The report recommends advisory panels be used to help businesses get their voices heard in councils rather than via a couple of votes come election time.

“If structures and processes are in place to ensure all segments of the community are engaged, there may no longer be a need to extend election franchise beyond residents of the district,” the report concluded.

The recent inquiry in the City of Perth heard allegations of attempts to rig elections through the double-vote of businesses, with “sham leases” used to justify nominations and dozens of suspect voters linked to candidates.

The panel also recommended the creation of a single Local Government Commission by merging the existing grants commission and advisory board. The new body would oversee minor border changes, with the review panel finding the existing legislative framework inexplicably convoluted. 

It also wants to do away with referenda before amalgamations.

Another initiative among the 65 recommendations was to establish community boards as an alternative to amalgamations, allowing bigger and smaller councils to provide cross-border services that played to each other’s strengths.

“The panel noted that with 137 local governments ranging in populations from less than 200 to over 200,000, Western Australian local governments can be either too small to meet their responsibility, or too big to be properly representative of different localities within them, and respond adequately to varying community needs and demands,” the report said.

Regional councils would be dismantled to be replaced by a new “flexible” system where council would “enter into voluntary arrangements outside of the legislated model”.

Supply list queried

THE panel reviewing WA’s local government sector has recommended that a preferred supplier system highlighted in the Voice a fortnight ago needs to be reined in.

Bayswater recycler Resource Recovery Solutions is still on the WA Local Government Association’s Preferred Supplier Panel, despite the company repeatedly ignoring Worksafe orders (“Negligent recycler a ‘preferred supplier’,” Voice, July 25, 2020). 

RRS copped a record $500,000 fine in July for “gross negligence” over an incident that cost a worker his arm in 2016, but it was only after the Voice inquired that WALGA said a review of its place on the panel had been initiated.

WALGA admits it receives a payment from listed companies and there have been rumours of kickbacks for years, but the association won’t provide details because of what it argues is commercial confidentiality.

The review panel says the system needs regulation and more accountability.

“The panel supported the continuance of the WALGA Preferred Supplier Panel, subject to regular oversight and checks and balances to ensure that it is constituted correctly and there is accountability,” the review panel found in its final report.

By STEVE GRANT

A COUPLE of Covid-19 grants have helped Beaufort Street radio station RTRFM fill the gap of cancelled fundraising events.

The pandemic’s impact on the economy meant RTR was facing down what could’ve been a tough Radiothon, its annual August subscription drive.

The station’s biggest fundraising event, In the Pines, was cancelled in April, along with the Many Styles dance party in Highgate and the Fremantle Music Winter Festival. 

RTR’s two Covid-19 grants through Lotterywest total 

$272,256 to keep the mics on. 

Acting general manager Chris Wheeldon said in a statement: “RTRFM was facing some incredibly difficult decisions as our normal sources were dramatically affected by Covid-19.

“This support from Lotterywest provides a measure of certainty to the station over the next few months.

“It means we can go into Radiothon – our crucial annual subscription drive – without panicking. 

“More importantly, we can be confident in supporting our local artists, musicians and performers as we all emerge from the shadow of the pandemic.”

Mt Lawley Labor MP Simon Millman presented the grant and says he’s a grateful RTRFM subscriber.

“The contribution the station makes to amplifying local stories and artists is priceless,” he says. 

Radiothon 2020, “There’s No Stopping Us,” runs August 14 to 23, peaking with a Northbridge takeover for the Radiothon Party on August 15 spread across Ezra Pound, the Bird and the Rechabite. 

THE Mt Lawley Society has launched a petition to save two century-old Beaufort Street homes from demolition.

The two homes are just on the periphery of Mt Lawley’s historic town centre and according to society president Tracey King are in excellent condition.

Number 690 was built for the Schruth family in 1903 and 692 for the Cohen family in 1915.

The properties fall within the heritage protection area of Mt Lawley and a local development plan.

“The Mt Lawley Society is supportive of the Beaufort Street Local Development Plan, subject to the City of Stirling providing architectural design guidelines that will demonstrate how the community expects to integrate existing heritage homes on commercial lots with apartment developments,” Ms King said.

“We would prefer to see applications developed in conjunction with the community rather than applicants reverting to JDAP, which has proven, time and time again, to deliver inappropriate community outcomes.”

Marlene Smith is the great niece of Willy and Maud Schruth and wrote to Stirling councillors about the proposed demolition this week.

“The Schruth family were prominent as owners of The Royal Hotel in Perth 1894 to 1905 and also The Aberdeen amongst others,” Ms Smith wrote.

“Uncle Willy owned The Beaufort Arms. He. owned Morris Brothers 

Ltd for radio repairs, player pianos, gramophones, etc, in Perth until his son Odee took over.”

“Their lively federation home was used for many a social gathering, especially in the 1930s when [daughter] Mylee was older, including bridge parties in the lounge (1934) and sherry evening (1936) and the verandahs were used for gatherings of local identities.

“As a child my family and I would visit there to sit and chat.

“A town is not only made up of people but also their dwellings and I feel to lose the uniqueness and grandeur of days gone by is not in our community’s spirit.”

By STEVE GRANT

THE word “treaty” has been mysteriously scrubbed from Perth city council’s treaty with traditional owners.

Answers as to who asked for the word to be removed have been difficult to get out of the council. The “Danjoo-Treaty” to symbolically acknowledge Whadjuk Nyoongars as traditional owners of the Perth area was supposed to be passed at the July 28 council meeting, the last one attended by former CEO Murray Jorgensen.

His presence was symbolically important, having met with the city’s Elders Advisory Group bridyas (bosses) for “boss to boss” conversations while the treaty was developed and committing to present it to commissioners before departing. 

While noting Mr Jorgensen’s efforts work on the treaty, chair commissioner Andrew Hammond said it couldn’t be signed off before his departure from the top job.

Sovereign states

“Look, we’ve got a small problem with using the word ‘treaty’, which I’m sure we can overcome with our staff and the elders’ advisory group,” he said. 

“I’m strongly supportive of the intent and outcomes surrounding this treaty. We can still call it a treaty – draft treaty – until it isn’t, and I really look forward to it getting back here at the August meeting so we can regularise it appropriately.”

But he wasn’t as forthcoming on exactly who raised issues with the term: “There has been much discussion around the use of the word ‘treaty’. Legally, treaty is usually referenced to sovereign states, and the Elders Advisory Group had previously raised reservations.

“The EAG and the City of Perth are working on the most appropriate title of our intentions.

“The deferral occurred through continuing discussions with all stakeholders, including state and federal agencies,” with no further comment.

The treaty was largely symbolic and didn’t involve a land handover, but listed eight aims from the council including “acknowledge past injustices and commit to working in partnership together to build a better future for all” and “ensure the history of Aboriginal people is visible within the footprint of the City of Perth”.

Reconciliation

The treaty was described by city staff as important groundwork for future reconciliation, and a report to commissioners said: “It is recognised that had the city had a positive relationship built on mutual understanding, respect and trust with the Aboriginal community in the lead up to 2015, the protest camp on Matagarup (Heirisson Island) may never have eventuated; or could have been promptly resolved without force and with positive outcomes for many of the individuals impacted.”

Instead, the council worked with police to confiscate camping gear, move on protesters, and in one case confiscated a large sacred stone not realising its significance. 

The report says since then the city’s committed to the reconciliation action plan, built strong relationships with the EAG and wider Aboriginal community “through ongoing and genuine engagement and action.

“The Danjoo-Treaty will further demonstrate the city’s intention to learn from the past and provide the guiding principles for how we will work together in our continuing reconciliation journey.”

By DAVID BELL

AFTER a corona-related delay Bayswater’s new FOGO three-bin system is back on the to-do list.

The new bins are due on verges around March 2021. The “Food Organics, Garden Organics” system was originally scheduled to be in place by now but was delayed because the “community education program” couldn’t go ahead under the pandemic restrictions.

The three bin system (one for non-recoverable landfill waste, one for food and compostable organics, one for recycling) is intended to send less waste to landfill where it festers and gives off climate-warming gasses. The WA government wants all councils to bring in the new system and is offering grants to cover the cost for early adopters.

Not everyone’s welcoming the roll-out: Bayswater Residents and Ratepayers Association president Tony Green was at the July council meeting to roast council for deciding to bring in FOGO before consulting the community on it. 

“Why does council seek to ‘educate ratepayers’ to use the FOGO system without first asking them if they wanted bins containing rotting foodstuffs stinking out their kitchens, and another stinking out their yards?” Mr Green asked.

“On top of this are you seriously expecting us to pay at least $10 extra to generate all these antisocial odours?”

Festering

The FOGO bin for old food is collected weekly, but it can’t take plastic bags. Other councils already doing FOGO have been handing out little “kitchen caddy” bins and distributing biodegradeable liners.

But the general waste bin only gets collected every fortnight, giving plenty of time for nappies, wet wipes and plastic dog-poo bags to fester.

Council works and infrastructure director Doug Pearson responded that FOGO was a WA government imperative.

“Education is an important component of ensuring that any FOGO system that’s introduced is effective. In terms of whether we should be consulting residents around FOGO, the bottom line is the state waste strategy says the FOGO waste collection has to be implemented, so we have to comply with that,” 

Mr Green isn’t confident about the system: “It’s going to have quite wide social impacts and I doubt very much that it’ll be successful.”

Mayor Dan Bull says he’s proud Bayswater’s at the forefront of waste management and FOGO is in line with a commitment to tackle climate change. 

Vincent council was initially due to roll out FOGO in October 2020, but delayed the rollout by a year due to coronavirus. It spent three months consulting residents in 2019, finding out that 86 per cent of residents supported the move, but 44 per cent still had concerns like a lack of space for three bins and worries over the collection frequency. http://www.perthvoice.com

By DAVID BELL

A PLAN to investigate a merger between Bayswater and Bassendean councils has been promptly knocked on the head.

But the debate has highlighted divisions at Bayswater, and a communication breakdown that left some councillors with no idea staff were already being sent across the border to work in Bassendean. 

Discussions

At last week’s meeting Bayswater councillor Catherine Ehrhardt put up a notice of motion calling for the mayor and CEO to “commence discussions” with their Bassendean counterparts to look at sharing resources, services, facilities, and discuss potential amalgamation down the track.

But Bassendean mayor Renée McLennan, who’d got wind of the motion, fronted Bayswater’s public question time to ask a few pointed queries and make clear she desn’t like the plan.

She said the former Barnett government’s cancelled attempt to merge the two had “huge negative effect and impact due to the enormous drain of time and resources on our local governments”.

Cr McLennan said she had a good working relationship with mayor Dan Bull and was disappointed Cr Ehrhardt hadn’t run this past her before it appeared on the agenda.

Cr Ehrhardt said her motion called for nothing more than a “discussion”.

“There are potentially many benefits to both of our communities, and this is something the report will address.

“It might show that we can reduce operating costs by sharing services, that we might garner a better economy of scale and purchasing power.”

The motion was lost, with only four votes in favour (Crs Ehrhardt, Filomena Piffaretti, Steven Ostaszewskyj, Michelle Sutherland.

Bayswater currently contracts its staff across the border for jobs like killing Bassendean mosquitoes.

Bassendean also pays to have development applications run past experts on Bayswater’s Design Review Panel, something deputy mayor Filomena Pifferetti said she’d never heard of before.

“You’re contracting out our staff to the Town of Bassendean… is it because it’s operational that I’m not told about it,” she quizzed CEO Andrew Brien.

He replied that he thought a memo had gone out to inform councillors of some of the service-sharing, but he’d have to double check.

Cr Ehrhardt said her motion would lead to an “open and transparent report, a report that could identify potential cost savings to the city, a report on what we’re actually already doing”.

Agenda

Cr Sally Palmer, whose ward borders Bassendean, opposed the motion and said it “whipped up unnecessary, time-consuming articles, emails, etc”.

She suggested the motion had a “hidden agenda”.

“If anyone has a problem bring it on board, and not as a notice of motion to gain publicity – because in my opinion that’s what it seems to be,” Cr Palmer said.

Cr Bull interjected and Cr Ehrhardt called for an apology. 

“I take that back,” Cr Palmer said. “I apologise to you, my dear.”

By DAVID BELL