Perth Voice Interactive

VINCENT city council has just been voted Perth’s most popular council by its ratepayers.

In an incredible turnaround from 2010 when its performance was so low a former council quipped “we’ve tanked”, Vincent hit the top spot in 18 out of 47 categories in an annual survey that pits it against 25 other metropolitan councils.

The Catalyse survey found that 71 per cent of residents were now happy with the council’s leadership (about half saying it was “excellent” and the other half “good”, compared with just 37 per cent in 2010 (“abysmally low”, moaned former councillor Dudley Maier at the time).

Financial health

In the divisive planning area, the percentage of disgruntled voters has dropped from 51 to 33.

It’s the second bit of good news for the council that the Voice picked up this week. On a state-controlled website which rates and compares councils, Vincent’s financial health was found to have almost doubled within a year. In the 2013/14 financial year, the council’s financial health was rated 40 out of 100, almost half the state average. By 2014/15 it had streaked past that mark, although it’s still a fraction behind the metropolitan average at 78/100.

Mayor John Carey, who took over in 2013 and ushered in new CEO Len Kosova in 2014, says “we’ve made a concerted effort to reform this organisation” but adds “we must consistently do better”.

“It was clear when I became mayor that there were significant issues within the organisation in how we engage and respond to the community, the way we did things, and to move away from this idea that just because we’ve always done something the same way doesn’t justify us to continue to do that.

“This is a vindication of the reform program we’ve been doing at Vincent, and it’s not over. We’re not resting on our laurels, there’s a lot of work to be done and we need to do better.”

Factionalised

Mr Carey says “this is a sign that the previous era, back in 2010, is now dead and buried,” describing the council of the day as “heavily factionalised”.

“We are never going back to that era and the community won’t let us.”

Geraldine Box has been a resident for decades and has worked with a few different regimes at Vincent over the years through sitting on the Integrated Transport Advisory Group.

She says it wasn’t always easy getting your voice heard: “The council in the past few years has been about getting the community connected, drawing people out from different communities so we feel like we’re part of the story… you can ring up the mayor, you can talk to the admin. It certainly wasn’t like that in any of the councils I experienced beforehand.”

Geoff Cooper’s also lived in the area for decades, but got more involved during the amalgamation campaign a couple years back. He remembers “there was an awful long time when you wouldn’t see or hear anything from councillors”.

The council still has some weak areas including public toilets, traffic and planning approvals.

by DAVID BELL

A NEW childcare centre planned to go in next door to North Perth primary school has locals worried the extra cars will make a narrow laneway unsafe.

The School of Early Learning wants to open a three-storey centre at 81 Angove Street, using the rear of the block, in a wee alley just off Albert Street, for pick-up and drop-off.

Mary McHenry is a retired school teacher and worries about the 100 or so students who walk to school along the route every day.

600 signatures

She says a lot of locals don’t oppose the centre itself, but she’s collected 600 signatures opposing the rear access and pushing for it to be moved to Angove Street.

Ms McHenry says it’d be alright if staff use the back entrance, but there’s already 440 pupils heading to North Perth primary on school days and she predicts it could mean gridlock.

The rear drop off point would also mean the loss of a peppercorn tree, believed to have been planted when the local fire station was opened in 1908.

Children’s Tree

Known locally as “Children’s Tree” because of its proximity to the school, its ancient hollows are used by Carnaby’s black cockatoos who require old tees for nesting from July to February. An old owl is also frequently seen in the upper reaches, hunting in the alley and backyards for mice.

The locals have gone to state MP Eleni Evangel who says she’s “extremely concerned”.

“The community understands development is inevitable however with any development proposal I believe the safety of our children and all pedestrians must be the highest priority,” Ms Evangel says.

“The narrow laneway at the rear of this proposal is used by children walking to and from the North Perth primary school. Imagine the chaos and danger for children using the laneway to walk to school.

The centre still needs approval from the development assessment panel, and the site it’s slated for is the old Angove Street fire station.

Vincent city council sold it off last year—earlier than planned—to help cover a budget bungle from 2014.

Ms McHenry says the council ought to have had the foresight to put a condition on the block preventing use of the perilously narrow laneway.

We asked the centre’s Brett Thomson if the School of Early Learning would be open to rejigging its drop off point, but didn’t hear back before deadline.

by DAVID BELL

VINCENT council has pegged a three per cent rate increase for this year, but held off hiving off its waste fees.

Right now the fees are bundled into the rates, but if they are separated the council could look at offering residents the choice of a smaller, cheaper bin.

But most councillors decided until the small bin incentive was ready to go it wasn’t worth splitting the fees.

Newish councillor Dan Loden says low-waste households subsidise high-waste households,” because they’re charged the same regardless of whether they’ve got a small bag or a bin full of nappies.

Councillor Emma Cole supports the plan, but said it sent a “cleaner and easier message” to ratepayers to have the system ready to go before introducing the fee.

There were concerns the new system could leave some pensioners out of pocket, as a separate garbage fee wouldn’t qualify for a state-provided rates subsidy.

Mayor John Carey had an amendment ready to cover that gap, with a once-off $250,000 windfall the council would pull in from the new system being used to compensate pensioners, but in the end he supported putting the whole thing on ice.

They vote was 6/2 with just councillors Dan Loden and Josh Topelberg keen to go ahead with the split system.

The new rates will be advertised for 21 days.

by DAVID BELL

THERE’S love all round for Bayswater’s Street Roller Hockey League, with the Liberal and Labor candidates for Perth pledging $20,000 for a sound wall.

Bound by state noise laws, Bayswater council was left in a tough spot and shut the hockey down after one neighbour complained, despite acknowledging the league’s role in reviving the local recreation club.

The league isn’t allowed to restart until sound mitigation measures have been installed, but the youngsters have already poured so much cash in to setting up the grounds it was starting to look out of reach.

Liberal candidate Jeremy Quinn dropped by after the shut-down and called the league ”a fantastic example of a grassroots community organisation”.

Labor’s Tim Hammond matched him almost immediately.

“I’ve now spoken to Eamonn Lourey, the president of the Roller Hockey Club, and Steve Lay, the president of the bowling club. I’ve told them both that if a Shorten Labor government is elected, we will honour that commitment and contribute the equivalent sum towards noise amelioration measures.”

Chatter among club members online sounds roundly stoked, though one player asked his online buddies “does this mean if Liberals win the seat and Labor wins the election we get 40 grand?”

The bookies are betting against both those things happening.

Mr Quinn’s also thrown a little love Bayswater Tennis Club’s way, announcing a Turnbull government would provide $750,000 for a much-needed upgrade of its decrepit facilities.

He also pledged $150,000 for the Bayswater City Soccer Club which operates at the same site on Frank Drago Reserve. The club now takes part in televised games at the FFA level and needs a boost to its media broadcast facilities along with change rooms and safety gear.

by DAVID BELL

MAX light rail is dead, sending Vincent council back to the drawing board for North Perth.

Back in March 2015 the Liberal government started considering a rapid bus transit system instead, despite taking a “fully funded” MAX light rail from the city to Mirrabooka to the 2013 state election.

Transport minister Dean Nalder said at the time MAX wasn’t completely dead, but with changing economic fortunes and a dip in GST revenue the governmentd was looking at all options.

But this week Mr Nalder put a bullet in the ailing light rail plan, releasing a long-term transport plan that cements in the buses plan.

“I’m gravely disappointed on behalf of the City of Vincent given we had, based on the assurances of the state government, held up the renewal of North Perth because we were waiting for light rail,” Vincent mayor John Carey said.

Developers, private owners, the North Perth Coles… everyone has been waiting on the renewal of North Perth based on that light rail.”

A lot of Vincent’s planning would’ve been based around having a light rail stop in North Perth.

Leon Berthelsen from Engine Room Espresso said the promise of light rail had informed his decision to seek an extended lease on his business, while Rosemount manager Calvin Hook said light rail would have been great for his punters.

Mr Carey says Vincent will go over its master plan and “look now at where that lies and what we have to do”.

Vincent hasn’t entirely been caught off guard, he says.

“We read the tea leaves, we’ve been spending money on the town centre, trees, street arts, bike racks. We’re already doing renewal and want to see a new public space [like the Mary Street Piazza] that we’re going to pursue.”

As it stands there’s no solid plan on the table for northern corridor transport, though an underground heavy rail has been tossed into the mix for consideration. In any case premier Colin Barnett says it’ll all have to wait until the Forrestfield-Airport rail line is finished in 2020.

by DAVID BELL

RELIGIOUS leaders and political candidates met to talk about Australian aid over afternoon tea at the Wesley Uniting Church in Perth on Wednesday.

The event was organised by Micah, a coalition of Christian churches  advocating for a more generous aid program.

The Australian foreign aid budget is 23 cents out of every $100, which is well below the international target of 70c.

Federal Perth candidates for Labor and the Greens attended, as well as Senator Dean Smith and senate candidates Elizabeth Re and Jacque Kruger.

Religious leaders from the Christian, Islamic, Jewish and Bahá’í communities were also present. “We want everyone to get together and voice their support for more generosity”, said Oxfam’s Jenny Gillett.

VINCENT council has pegged a three per cent rate increase for this year, but held off hiving off its waste fees.

Right now the fees are bundled into the rates, but if they are separated the council could look at offering residents the choice of a smaller, cheaper bin.

But most councillors decided until the small bin incentive was ready to go it wasn’t worth splitting the fees.

Newish councillor Dan Loden says low-waste households subsidise high-waste households,” because they’re charged the same regardless of whether they’ve got a small bag or a bin full of nappies.

Councillor Emma Cole supports the plan, but said it sent a “cleaner and easier message” to ratepayers to have the system ready to go before introducing the fee.

There were concerns the new system could leave some pensioners out of pocket, as a separate garbage fee wouldn’t qualify for a state-provided rates subsidy.

Mayor John Carey had an amendment ready to cover that gap, with a once-off $250,000 windfall the council would pull in from the new system being used to compensate pensioners, but in the end he supported putting the whole thing on ice.

They vote was 6/2 with just councillors Dan Loden and Josh Topelberg keen to go ahead with the split system.

The new rates will be advertised for 21 days.

by DAVID BELL

AT LEAST 450 new trees will be planted in the Perth city council area annually under a new four-year urban forest plan.

With so much concrete and glass, some areas of the city are turning into hot spots and the new plan aims to increase their canopy cover by about a third. The city currently has about 6800 street trees and 7725 in parkland (3200 are on Heirisson Island).

“Priority will be given to planting in areas with high levels of pedestrian activity, as well as to select the right species of trees to maximise cooling,” lord mayor Lisa Scaffidi said by press release.

By the time the new trees reach maturity in 2056 they’ll contribute about 20 additional hectares of canopy cover.

The plan is still in draft form and open for comment until July 15. Go to http://www.engage.perth.wa.gov.au to weigh in to the debate.

FEDERAL Perth Liberal candidate Jeremy Quinn says he supports marriage equality but doesn’t want churches to be forced to marry gay people.

That’s been a concern of conservative groups like the Australian Christian Lobby, but has been dismissed as a red herring by activist groups like Australian Marriage Equality. In Australia religious leaders can refuse to marry anyone they don’t want to, and that wouldn’t change under the mooted new law, argues AME.

Mr Quinn says he supports a plebiscite rather than Labor and the Green’s plans to simply introduce legislation.

“While I support marriage equality, I also strongly support Australians deciding rather than politicians. I will respect the decision of the plebiscite and vote accordingly to the will of the people of Perth.”

Top priority

Greens candidate Tim Clifford lists marriage equality as a top priority and Labor’s Tim Hammond says “I support marriage equality full stop”. Mr Hammond was at the national conference when Labor voted to institute marriage equality within 100 days of being voted into government and says parliament should just get on and do it instead of spending $180 million on a plebiscite.

“Last time I checked that’s why we elected our officials.”

His late sister-in-law Sharon was gay and had a partner for 16 years. “I could never look Sharon in the eye and tell her she did not have the same right to get married to her partner as I did to marry her sister. That informs my view.”

He says the plebiscite could also be “potentially divisive”.

Brian Greig is WA convenor of Australian Marriage Equality and shares Mr Hammond’s concerns a plebiscite could get ugly.

“There’s going to be some very awful anti-gay adverts on the TV and awful brochures going out. It’s already happening. There’s some very hateful and hurtful things out there.”

Mr Greig said there’ll be a lot of “collateral damage and psychological damage to a vulnerable group”.

Over east a pamphlets by opponents of marriage equality claims it will lead to “sexual diseases, drug use and unemployment”.

“It’s really insulting that this question would even be out out there,” Mr Greig says. “The last plebiscite we had was in 1977 for people to choose the national anthem. You can imagine how same sex couples and their families feel when their lives, their dignities, is reduced to the level of picking a song.”

by DAVID BELL

LIQUOR giant Dan Murphy’s has had an extension to its planning approval for the old Peninsula Hotel approved by the joint development assessment panel.

The Woolies-owned liquor barn already has approval from the JDAP to build there, but had an extended liquor licence rejected by the liquor commission.

Appeal

The company is appealing that decision through the supreme court but it’s taking yonks. The planning approval is about to expire and if the company has to seek approval again, the development  may never happen because Bayswater city council about to introduce laws restricting liquor stores in that area.

The council is proposing to limit liquor stores to 300sqm, while Dan Murphy’s is asking for 1010sqm.

The DAP approved a one-year extension on their old approval, with Bayswater councillor Chris Cornish outvoted by the state-appointed members.

Maylands MP Lisa Baker, who’s long campaigned against the booze-opolis, says Dan Murphy’s rolled out the lawyers to front the DAP meeting arguing it wasn’t really a liquor barn because it had a tavern attached and would be operating under a tavern licence.

But she says the bulk of the project (more than 900sqm) is the liquor store, which makes the tavern a mere tack-on.

She called it “another disastrous decision by JDAP”.

The council, Ms Baker, and a lot of locals oppose the plan fearing the store will lead to more street drinking and a damper on amenity in the area.

by DAVID BELL