Perth Voice Interactive

VINCENT city council has spent $1000 to move a dog bowl 30 metres, following complaints.

The concrete drinking bowl on Charles Veryard Reserve in North Perth was a stone’s throw from the main dog exercise area, but that didn’t stop locals lobbying for it to be moved even closer.

Caroline Powell-Pepper, who walks Chippy around the reserve every day, says it’s a waste of money.

“It’s an absolute joke,” she says. “The original was below a water fountain in a perfectly good position.

“It’s just an unnecessary waste of ratepayers’ money and completely pointless.”

The work, which involved digging up a path and repiping, is expected to be finished next week.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

PCC hands $50,000 to oil and gas conference

IT’LL cost Joe Ratepayer $50,000 but oil conference organisers reckon its visitors will spend north of $20 million in the capital city.

Perth city council this week approved unanimously the handing over of $50,000 to the Australiasian oil and gas conference for next March, saying the economic benefit to the city is well worth it.

“Organisers estimate that over $23 million was spent in WA by visitors, exhibitors and the organisers during AOG 2014, an increase of 22 per cent on 2013,” PCC staffers advise.

“The economic benefits to Perth are astounding,” Cr Rob Butler said.

He recalled he’d attended an early exhibition back in Langley Park about 30 years ago. It was held in a tent and he said people were asking even then when was Perth going to get a proper exhibition centre.

The 2015 Fringe World Festival also scored $72,531, with Cr Reece Harley noting WA police last year reported a “substantial reduction in crime” during the period as arty types filled Northbridge with whimsy.

The Blue Room was the other big beneficiary of ratepayer generosity, raking in $62,531 of council cash. Cr Jim Adamos said “the Blue Room is an incubator for bigger and better things and it’s important we support that”.

In other PCC financial news, CEO Gary Stevenson was handed a three per cent annual increment and his total annual package is now $361,662.

by DAVID BELL

TOOT! Toot! Perth city council this week approved a trial run of food trucks, a month after suburban Bayswater realised they might be alright.

From February 1 to May 31, up to 10 food trucks—defined as kitchens-on-wheels and not Mr Whippy vans—will be allowed to roll around the city.

They’ll pay $380.60 per permit, with a licence to park in chosen locations at least 50m from existing eateries: “I want to make sure we’re not causing too much direct competition to small businesses in the area,” Cr Reece Harley says.

Sydney had tried a 200m radius but that was too restrictive, and with so many restaurants that meant pretty much the only place vans could set up was in the middle of the harbour bridge.

Cr Judy McEvoy says she loved New York-style roasted chestnuts, but Cr Rob Butler advised food truck cuisine had moved on since then.

Vincent’s food truck policy remains stuck in neutral.

by DAVID BELL

A BAYSWATER councillor and Liberal Party member says the creation of councils with no wards will “lead to the politicisation of local government”.

Despite his party membership, Cr Chris Cornish sits as an independent on the council.

Bayswater and Bassendean are to merge and also gobble up bits of Swan and Stirling.

The super-council will have just 14 councillors to represent 116,000 people and no wards, which Cr Cornish says will “rip the local out of local government”.

During an impassioned speech in chambers, Cr Cornish warned a single ward prices community leaders out of the running.

“The system will see more career politicians entering local government and less grass-roots community leaders,” he told colleagues. “It’s all a bit sad and I can see the council system breaking down as Labor and Liberal power-brokers become involved in local government.”

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

A PERTH and Vincent merger with no wards will mean only the rich can run for council, former Vincent mayor Alannah MacTiernan warns.

Currently councillors in Vincent campaign for election in one of two wards, each covering about 18,000 people.

If Vincent merges with Perth as one big ward, campaigning costs will skyrocket.

“It’s very difficult to stand as an independent unless you’re very cashed up,” Ms MacTiernan, now federal Labor MP for Perth, says. She reckons a three-ward system for a merged Perth and Vincent will lower costs and ensure a better spread of local representation.

“You’d have a CBD ward with a very business-intent, then you’d have a Northbridge ward up to Vincent Street, that would be more a mix of residential and commercial, then you’d have a ward north of Vincent Street that would have more people but less businesses.

“I think something like that would give a fair and proper weighting between business and residential interests, and not put it out of reach of residents to have representation.”

by DAVID BELL

BACK when Nick Catania spearheaded the move a little over three years ago to change the Town of Vincent to the City of Vincent he told the Voice it could help stave off a takeover by another council.

The move was controversial, costing $60,000 to replace all the “town insignia”. “It just gives you that extra status,” Mr Catania said at the time.

“Instead of a town you’re a city, it gives the perception that you’re bigger and stronger, it may dissuade people trying to do any takeover.”

But apparently news about Vincent’s upgrade hasn’t yet filtered up the chain.

The WA government website spruiking boundary reforms says it’s proposing a merger between the City of Perth and the “Town of Vincent”.

But Vincent’s not the only organisation given short shrift by big government.

A  WA local government advisory board report insulted the Voice by omission when talking about “relevant local papers” in the area.

It says “most of the population of the area affected by the proposal receive the same local community paper, the Guardian Express”.

No mention of the WA-owned Perth Voice, which letterboxes about 10,000+ more copies per week than the Guardian Express (co-owned by News Corporation and Seven West Media).

Maybe being local and independent, whether you’re a council or a newspaper, just doesn’t cut it with the men in suits?

by DAVID BELL

STIRLING city council will consult lawyers on the legality of council mergers that will see the city’s boundaries shrink by up to 17 per cent.

The council will also write to premier Colin Barnett requesting a poll of residents in suburbs to be annexed by neighbouring councils, including residents in Mt Lawley, Inglewood and Dianella.

Mayor Giovanni Italiano says the mergers could cost its ratepayers millions.

“Today, the minister has told all mayors there is very little money set aside to finance this state government decision and that those impacted should finance the cost via taking out loans,” he says.

“The state government expects our ratepayers to finance the cost of their decision—a decision they have not costed, nor budgeted for.

“The tab is likely to cost our ratepayers millions.

Cr Italiano adds he will do everything in his power to keep rates down.

Veteran councillor Terry Tyzack, who tabled the motion to take legal advice on the mergers, says there is a perception that decisions made by government ministers cannot be challenged.

“This is not the case—ministers are not all powerful or supreme,” he says.

Under the mergers, Inglewood and parts of Dianella, Mount Lawley, Menora and Yokine (east of Alexander Drive) will shift from Stirling to the new Bayswater-Bassendean super council.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

MT LAWLEY MP Michael Sutherland is preparing to go behind bars to raise money for charity—but he draws the line at the prison showers.

The speaker will spend a few hours in a cell at Fremantle prison to raise funds for Autism West, Cystic Fibrosis WA and local rotary clubs.

Participants must raise at least $500 to make bail or they could face years in the heritage-listed slammer.

Mr Sutherland is confident he will adapt to prison life after watching Midnight Express.

“When I’m locked up I’m going to think about my favourite prison show Porridge, in which Fletcher got up to all kinds of high jinks,” he laughs.

“I’ll need to hit the phones to make sure I raise the $500 bail.

“Otherwise I could end up like Steve McQueen in the film Papillon.”

Convicts for a Cause, now in its 15th year, is on November 15 at Fremantle Prison.

To donate, buy tickets or participate visit http://www.convictsforacause.org.au

Apparently there’s no option where you can donate to keep the pollies in the prison. A lost opportunity there for easy cash, we reckon.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK