Perth Voice Interactive

Vincent locals stick together

Huge numbers turned up to a robust rally last weekend to demand Vincent be kept together.

And within four days, Colin Barnett, WA’s increasingly
flip-flop premier, caved in.

About 1200 people flooded Angove Street last Saturday to oppose plans to split Vincent and hand everything north of Vincent Street to neighbouring Stirling council, with the southern part going to Perth.

But on Wednesday the premier, fresh from a huge backflip on solar tariff cuts, flipped again stating he would now not oppose all of Vincent going to Perth.

“If [Perth and Vincent] agree and perhaps put in a joint proposal and the local government advisory board thinks it’s sensible, I’m sure the government will think it’s sensible too,” he told ABC radio.

Vincent mayor Alannah MacTiernan has already met with Perth lord mayor Lisa Scaffidi asking for her help to keep Vincent together.

Perth’s support is vital. If it baulks, the premier is likely to stick with his split plan.

“I think the lord mayor was generally sympathetic but this is a matter that has to determined by the [Perth] council,” Ms MacTiernan said.

Vincent councillor Dudley Maier said some myths needed to be busted: “We have to debunk some of the misinformation that’s been out there.”

He says Stirling mayor David Boothman’s widely reported estimate of Beatty Park debt at $15 million was way off, with the actual number being $7.82m and the centre expected to turn a profit by next year. “It’s not a basket-case that’s bleeding money.”

At the rally, local businessman Joe Saraceni—from Vastese Bakery just north of the proposed Perth-Stirling border—defended Vincent as a lively inner-city community, and he feared being swallowed up by a big suburban council with less time for individuals wouldn’t be good for his business.

Vincent councillor John Carey told the crowd, “it won’t be politicians who will win this battle, it’ll be good old-fashioned people power”.

Perth Liberal MP Eleni Evangel took to the stage to publicly declare her support for keeping Vincent together while Cr Carey proposed a campaign to change the government’s mind: Paint the town purple with “one-in, all-in” campaign posters; email politicians; write to the papers, and use new media.

He also asked everyone at the rally to talk to another two people about the issue, and asked for volunteers to put their hands up and become street coordinators.

by DAVID BELL

Rod Willox is so angry with the Barnett merger he’s abandoned plans to retire from Stirling city council in October.

Cr Willox has represented Lawley ward for 20 years and is determined to seek re-election to fight to keep Mt Lawley in Stirling.

Under the Barnett merger, his home of 40 years is to wind up in the merged Bayswater-Bassendean super council.

“The decision-making process is flawed—it seems to be driven by arithmetic rather than logic,” he says.

“They want 100,000 in each council and needed around 20,000 to make the new Bayswater super council, so they decided to lob Mt Lawley in there.

“Stirling will lose around 12,000 rateable properties a year, which equates to roughly $14 million in revenue.

“Stirling has a heritage protection area that encompasses Mt Lawley and portions of Inglewood, so we have a great record in preserving historical buildings.

“I want to fight to keep that and make sure that heritage is not the big loser in all of this.”

The retired colonel—who cuts a dashing figure about town with his cane and polka dot scarf—was previously a member of the local government advisory board that oversaw the creation of Joondalup’s new boundaries and a planned merger of the western suburbs.

For his services to the community and local government Cr Willox was made a member of the Order of Australia in 2003 and received the centenary of federation medal.

BY STEPHEN POLLOCK

Bayswater mayor Terry Kenyon referred to the proposed Bayswater-Bassendean super council as “Greater Morley” at a special council meeting this week.

“We should stop referring to the new merged council as Bayswater, it is a merger not a take-over,” he said diplomatically.

The city will swallow the City of Bassendean, the suburb of Inglewood and most of Mt Lawley in the mergers, but deputy mayor Barry McKenna would have preferred to nab Malaga from Swan.

“From an economic point of view, I would have preferred to take over Malaga,” he said.

“We could have got a big slice of rates from its industrial zone.

“I remember when Maylands became part of Bayswater and we only got a fraction of the money we thought we would, it was disappointing.”

Bayswater voted to appoint the mayor, CEO and councillors Robinson, Alan Radford and Chris Cornish to a working group to liaise with Bassendean, Stirling and Swan over a joint merger submission.

Cr Marlene Robinson wanted the council to demand the retention of the public’s power to override mergers, saying the government had, “come in with their steelcapped shoes, ready to kick heads” but was voted down.

State government funding of $200,000 is available to each merging group to prepare their submissions.

BY STEPHEN POLLOCK

A “STAY IN STIRLING” public rally will be held at Astor Theatre, Mt Lawley at 7pm on August 28.

Theatre owner Bruno Zimmermann has agreed to provide the venue free of charge.

The rally will protest the Barnett government’s decision to move Mt Lawley from Stirling into a new Bayswater-Bassendean super council.

Paul Collins, president of the Yokine Liberal branch, is spearheading the campaign to stop the break-up of Stirling.

“We need everyone from Mt Lawley, Menora, Inglewood and Dianella who want to stay in Stirling to come along,” says the former Stirling city councillor.

“If there is to be any change to the boundaries for these suburbs then it should be democratic as the current law allows rather than dictated by the Barnett Government.”

The rally will include speeches, the creation of a petition opposing the merger, and debates when the floor is opened up to the public.

Mr Collins is a member of the Mount Lawley Society, which will chair the rally.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

Photos of dog poo have put Vincent CEO John Giorgi in a stinky mood.

He’s demanding an apology from resident Craig Willis who’d circulated the “offensive and repulsive” poo pictures to councillors, as an alternative suggestion for public art.

Mr Willis wasn’t keen on the 300kg reading lamp proposed for outside a three-storey office and unit development mooted for Albert Street in North Perth.

If the council wasn’t keen on the poo by itself, it could opt for a second alternative, of a dog wearing a lampshade, straining to offload.

Mr Willis asked that the alternatives be seriously entertained.

Mr Giorgi—a noted cat-lover—wrote back, saying “the city always welcomes constructive feedback from its ratepayers, however I am of the opinion that these illustrations are offensive and repulsive and are disrespectful to the council.

“I am unsure of what you are actually trying to achieve by providing such illustrations and believe an apology is warranted in this instance.”

When Mr Willis fronted council this week to ask more questions about the development, he offered up no apology.
When he tried to give the councillors more handouts, Mr Giorgi refused to take the papers from him.

by DAVID BELL

More than 12,000 people have signed a petition to oppose new laws that classify certain breeds of dog as dangerous.

Maylands Labor MP Lisa Baker tabled the second 10,000-signature petition—one of the biggest in recent years—in WA parliament last week.

She wants the proposed Dog Amendment Bill 2013 to focus more on owner education and dog training, rather than breed stigma.

“Rather than promoting responsible dog ownership, the bill gives rangers the power to seize dogs they deem to be dangerous simply based on their appearance,” Ms Baker says.

“This gives Western Australians a false sense of protection, particularly in light of the fact that aggression in dogs is not a personality trait that can be stopped by identifying one breed over another.

“In 1929, German shepherds were considered to be the dangerous dogs of the day. Three decades later dobermans became the villains, then rottweillers and today, it is pit bulls.

Her calls were backed by RSPCA spokesperson Tim Mayne: “We don’t want to go down of the path of the Victorian government where dogs are taken away and euthanised based on breed,” he said.

“Owner and dog training are part of a holistic approach to managing dog behaviour.

“Sometimes a dog’s behaviour is a medical issue, not behavioural—a German Shepherd euthanised after attacking children was found to have a massive tumour on its brain.”

Mr Baker added the bill failed to address backyard dog breeding, which contributed to unwanted puppies: “Some 33,000 dogs are euthanised in WA every year,” she said.

“Dog rescue organisations and the RSPCA are struggling to cope with the number of unwanted puppies and dogs turned over to them.

“There is no doubt that preventing the oversupply of puppies and dogs and educating the public on responsible dog ownership are the best ways to improve dog management, reduce dog attacks and keep our communities safe.”

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

The long-empty Greater Union cinema on Murray Street will be turned into a 21-storey hotel and office block after the plan won the thumbs-up from the Perth development assessments panel.

Perth city councillor Rob Butler voted with unelected panellists Brian Curtis and Rory O’Brien to approve the project.

The proposed tower had drawn criticism from residents living in the swank neighbouring Equus apartment block.

Glen McLeod represented Equus residents and told the DAP that just because they’d chosen to live in the city didn’t mean they’d given up all right to amenity.

He said the corner development by Amalgamated Holdings Limited would leave some apartments permanently in the shade. But PCC planning staffers said any compliant building was bound to leave some neighbouring apartments in permanent shadow, and the Equus architect was well aware of that when they built the units. The design was described as a “good response” for the corner site. As DAP members approved the project an Equus resident muttered the process was a “crock of shit”.

by DAVID BELL