Mt Hawthorn local Emma Cole says she’s “really gutted not to have a say” over a now-approved 22-unit development on Oxford Street.

Residents fear the Psaros project will fill their tiny residential laneway with up to five times the traffic.

Vincent’s development assessment panel (comprised of three government-appointed members and just two elected members) approved the project.

Ms Cole says she doesn’t oppose development on the site and hopes the council will now move to upgrade the laneway to handle increased traffic and associated safety issues.

She told the DAP she was disappointed with the community consultation process, which informed only a narrow range of neighbours about the project.

She’d only found out about it when a councillor mentioned it to her at the Vincent amalgamation rally. By then the project had been recommended for approval, and four days later it was approved: “It was a pretty frustrating process because I felt the train had left the station,” Ms Cole says. “We were really gutted not to have a say. I was very surprised they had not expanded the consultation.”

She says letters should have gone to all residents potentially affected by the extra laneway traffic.

When Ms Cole subdivided her block she was made to surrender half-a-metre of land to allow for eventual laneway expansion.

She notes Psaros wasn’t required to do the same, meaning no widening can now take place, so she’s effectively given up her land for nothing.

by DAVID BELL

It could be the worst typo of the campaign so far.

Perth federal Liberal candidate Darryl Moore is pledging $300,000 for CCTV in local crime hot-spots, including “Seventh Avenue” in Maylands.

Seventh Avenue is a quiet, leafy, suburban street.

Eighth Avenue, on the other hand, is where traders complain continually about abusive drunks who plague the shopping precinct near the train station, and congregate in and around the Rise (some traders even resort to locking themselves in their premises to escape outbursts of violence).

Mr Moore, a former engineer, admits to getting the streets mixed up.

“There was an honest typo and the flyer should have read $150,000 for CCTV to improve safety in the Maylands Eighth Avenue precinct, as reflected in my media release last week,” he confessed.

Mr Moore’s Beaufort Street office is around 3km from Eighth Avenue.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

The Liberals might be locked in an all-out battle to win the federal seat of Perth but that didn’t stop Morley state MP Ian Britza from refusing Darryl Moore’s request to use his advertising trailer.

Mr Britza says at the time of the request—shortly after the state election—he still owed $2500 on it and he wanted to rent it out and pay it off before letting Mr Moore use it.

“I know some people thought it was a bit strange, but I’m from the old school—you can’t give away what you owe money on,” he told the Voice.

“Commercially, the trailer’s worth $850 a day. I bought it with my own money and wanted to clear the debt before loaning it to Darryl.”

Mr Britza handed the trailer over to Mr Moore a week or so ago, just weeks out from the September 7 poll.

He denied he’d initially asked Mr Moore’s campaign to pay a fee to use the $4500 trailer.

Mr Moore was diplomatic: “I thank Ian Britza for generously donating his trailer in support of the Liberal party’s efforts to win the federal seat of Perth.” • Chatfield page 6

STORIES by STEPHEN POLLOCK:

Perth Liberal MP Eleni Evangel has described as “madness” the Barnett government’s desire to split Vincent in two.

Ms Evangel this week delivered a 507-signature petition from Vincent residents wanting to join Perth—not Stirling—to Perth lord mayor Lisa Scaffidi.

Under the proposed Barnett government plan Vincent is to be split down the middle, with half going to Perth and the other half to Stirling.

Indications the premier was willing to entertain the all-of-Perth push—subject to Vincent and Perth agreeing on the move—have been muddied in the past week by local government minister Troy Simpson ordering Vincent to make a submission broadly in line with the government’s recommended boundaries.

Ms Evangel, a former Perth city councillor, is defying the minister and hopes the lord mayor will too, by pushing for all of Vincent to join Perth in the PCC’s submission to the boundary review panel in late September.

“We live in Leederville and my husband and my daughter both work in the city,” Ms Evangel says.

“It’s the same for hundreds of other families who spend most of their working days in Perth and contribute so much to the city.

“To split Oxford Street down the middle is madness.”

A separate petition from Vincent city council will be presented to the WA government by mayor Alannah MacTiernan.

Scaffidi non-committal on Vincent marriage

Perth lord mayor Lisa Scaffidi is refusing to say whether she supports a push to include all of Vincent within her council’s borders.

Without Perth’s support, Vincent’s campaign to be included wholly within the capital city’s borders is doomed to fail.

Premier Colin Barnett has made agreement between the two councils a key requirement of any departure from his preferred outcome, which is to split Vincent between both Perth and neighbouring Stirling.

“The city is still doing a full investigation of all aspects of this and as I hope many can appreciate it is not only Vincent we need to consider,” Ms Scaffidi told the Voice when asked where she stood on the issue.

“We are keen to grow and we understand the desires of many, but also the responsibility we owe to existing ratepayers and property owners.”

Vincent mayor Alannah MacTiernan is running a fierce campaign for all of Vincent to be amalgamated with Perth, and two weeks ago wrote to Ms Scaffidi seeking her support.

After premier Colin Barnett said he had no objection to all of Vincent being merged with Perth, WA local government minister Tony Simpson sent mayor Alannah MacTiernan a troubling contradictory missive.

In the letter Mr Simpson reiterates an earlier position, stating Vincent’s submission on boundary reform should be “consistent with the state government model”.

That means he wants it to submit to being split in half, with its northern section going to Stirling and everything to the south being shipped off to Perth.

If Vincent submits a different plan, Mr Simpson says, “I will then make by own proposals to the local government advisory board”.

Ms MacTiernan says, “this does not accord with the undertakings made by Eleni [Evangel, Perth Liberal MP] and the premier”. “They have just created this incredibly uncertain environment.”

Ms MacTiernan has written to the premier seeking clarity.

Bayswater city council wants to install a pelican crossing outside Maylands train station, following several near misses involving pedestrians with poor or zero eyesight crossing Railway Parade.

It would add flashing beacons to the existing zebra crossing outside Dome cafe.

“There have been a few rear-end accidents due to the confusion with the existing zebra crossing,” says Cr Sonia Turkington.

“Pedestrians and motorists are uncertain as to who has the right of way.”

The council is applying for $150,000 black spot funding and $350,000 to modify a traffic light that confuses motorists who turn right at the Coode Street/Broun Avenue intersection.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

Bayswater city council has voted unanimously to reject people with mental and intellectual disabilities from living in Bedford.

Locals fear the proposal to accommodate three people and a 24-hour carer in Birkett Street includes housing ex-offenders with disabilities.

Authorities assured the council and residents no ex-offenders will be housed, but that hasn’t been enough to change minds.

The council received 11 letters of objection from residents.

“The disabilities are serious and the residents are considered dangerous and unfit to be in this residential area,” one wrote.

“There is concern about the type of disability which will be accommodated,” another submitted.

The facility was to be run by Teem Treasure, a private organisation contracted by the WA government. The outfit also runs a justice program for re-offenders.

Managing director John Treasure says no ex-offenders involved in the justice program would have been housed at Birkett Street.

“It would be solely for people with mild intellectual disabilities who have low IQs,” he told the Voice. “No ex-offenders would be there at all—I informed residents by email this was the case. Most of the people staying there would have jobs, but just need a little help to look after themselves.

“I offered to meet with the residents who were objecting, but they didn’t want to—it is all misinformation.”

Despite the assurance, council staff had written in their report, “the applicant has also advised that it is possible that there may be future residents of the facility associated with the ‘Teem Treasure Justice Program’”. 

Resident Brent Armanasco, whose daughter suffers advanced Parkinson’s, organised the opposition petition. He says residents are not opposed to a home for people with disabilities but they want rock-solid assurances the facility will never be used to house ex-offenders.

“I’m sure Mr Treasure has good intentions, but things can change over time,” he says.

Bayswater will send its recommendation to the WA planning commission, which gets to make the final decision.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

Bayswater city council will spend up to $75,000 on a media campaign to tell people how good it is.

In a rousing address, deputy mayor Barry McKenna told colleagues he’s sick of reading literature from the Mt Lawley Society and neighbouring councils about how nobody wants to amalgamate with Bayswater.

“Who’s got the best rubbish collection out of all the WA councils—we have!” he bellowed.

“We’ve got to get the message out about all the achievements we have made over the past 30 years.

“Other councils have created Facebook pages, and community groups are holding rallies—we need to remind residents about our great successes.”

Cr Sonia Turkington pointed out the city was the first to introduce a security watch service.

Cr Chris Cornish said the pro-heritage Mt Lawley Society should note Bayswater had let the Maylands Historical society use the old police station on Guildford Road as a base, and the city had won a heritage award for the WA Ballet Centre redevelopment in Maylands.

The council are set to spend $45,000 on a letter-box drop and direct mailouts to residents who live in suburbs that may become part of the new Bayswater-Bassendean super council.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK