Community Voice Should Be Heard

When I was in Brisbane last week, I saw an item in the Courier-Mail that attracted my interest. The Redlands Shire Council supported the community in rejecting a proposal for expansion of a quarry, over-turning the recommendations of officers and despite the views of the Mayor, who voted for the project "because council officers, the EPA, Natural Resources and Main Roads departments had all approved it with conditions". He went on to say if it's State policy and all those departments and our officers support it, I should too. Why spend ratepayers money fighting this...?

Now that's an interesting argument and has parallels in the Town of Vincent. I agree there is no point in allowing trivial matters to be fought out in the State Administrative Tribunal, as this is not only costly but reduces our credibility on more important matters. However, where Council has reservations about a proposed development and there is also strong community concern, we should be aware that if we approve the proposal, the community has no further opportunity to be heard. On the other hand, if we refuse it and the proponent does take it to the Tribunal, Council can invite members of the community to join with it in defending the appeal.

Some years ago, Council (at my instigation) adopted a practice of being represented by an independent town planner, an elected member and one or more members of the affected community when a proposed development was taken to the SAT after Council refused an application and over-turned an officer recommendation for approval in doing so. We did so to avoid putting our officers in an invidious position of having to defend a Council decision that went against their professional advice.

There are no guarantees of success, although I understand that we are batting very significantly better than 50% and we have had some notable successes. However, this is the only way, under the WA Planning Laws, that the community can be heard after Council has made a decision.

Protecting Hyde Park

My thanks to my Council colleagues for unanimously carrying the following amendments to the officer recommendation:
(iv) ADVISES the North Perth Rotary Club that:
(a) under no circumstances will stalls, storage containers or vehicles be permitted to encroach onto or park on any landscaped/mulched garden area located under any tree canopy;
(b) only vehicles with an official Town of Vincent parking permit will be permitted to remain within the confines of the park for the duration of the event; and
(c) the Town will issue infringement notices to ALL vehicles not displaying an official Town of Vincent parking permit.
(v) the Town's staff [will] negotiate with the North Perth Rotary Club in developing a plan for the layout of stalls so that vehicles and storage containers are not placed on the root zone of any trees within the park.

Purple Haze (not Jimi Hendrix)

For a few weeks each year, parts of Hyde Park take a distinctly purple hue when the Jacaranda trees come into full flower. That time is now, but we must not allow this beauty to distract us from the urgent task of stopping the lakes from drying out in future summers. If you look closely at the photograph on the left you will see that the eastern lake is already nearly dry - and we haven't even got officially into summer yet.

The London Plane trees that surround the lakes came under severe stress towards the end of last summer - and this one looks like being worse.

But there is good news! The Federal ALP promised, during the recent election campaign, to provide $2million to address the problems of the Hyde Park Lakes. We know there are no simple or cheap solutions, but this money will help us to do the job properly and in a way that is sustainable in all senses of the word. Whether it will be sufficient remains to be seen, but in any case I believe that Hyde Park is of such importance, beyond just the Town of Vincent, we should be involving the broader community directly in the process of ensuring its future.

The Vincent Hyde Park Lakes Working Group, of which I am a member, meets next on Wednesday 12 December and I will endeavour to achieve clarity, urgency and momentum to determine and implement a solution.

Council Meeting 19 November: Hyde Park Fair

Unfortunately, I won't be able to attend the Council meeting on 20 November, due to business commitments, but I am particularly concerned about the item about the Hyde Park Fair.
In recent years, the park has been under increasing stress simply from lower rainfall and falling groundwater levels. One result is that it takes longer for it to recover from damage caused by vehicles and stalls in inappropriate places - such as under the Plane trees around the lakes and under other large trees where our parks staff have done such a great job in underplanting. Vehicles and stalls not only compact the soil in the root zones of the trees, they directly damage the underplantings - the recovery last year took several months and needs more water (an increasingly scarce resource, especially in Hyde Park) than would otherwise be required for the health of the Park.
Without being critical of the Fair, which raises a substantial sum for good causes, I believe it's time we thought about a the fair being held in a less sensitive location or greater restrictions being placed on the use of sensitive areas and on the use and parking of vehicles in Hyde Park.

A catch-up on the past week

The trouble with starting anything new is 'where to begin?'. So, I'll start with a quick diary of what I've been doing this past week:
Friday 9 November: Margaret and I attended (not for Council but as past parents and now grandparents of a 'kindy-kid' - grand-daughter Emma) the 110th anniversary concert of Sacred Heart Highgate Primary School. It doesn't seem a decade since a group of dedicated parents helped save this school from closure! Now it is one of the jewels in the Catholic education system, occupying half of the refurbished convent building, with the Pre-Primary and Kindy on the 1914 Parish-built building next door. Photographs at http://picasaweb.google.com.au/IanRKer/SacredHeartHighgatePS110thAnniversaryConcert.
Saturday 10 November: Official launch of the Highgate Primary School Frog Garden - proving that with enthusiasm (of staff and parents) a little money (a $2,000 'open gardens' grant) can go a long way. Oh and there was the little matter of the new Pre-Primary play area, but the real focus was the Frog Garden that was the product of the students' efforts as well. Photographs at http://picasaweb.google.com.au/IanRKer/HighgatePrimaryFrogGardenLaunch.
As a matter of interest, Highgate just shades Sacred Heart in the heritage stakes as it is 112 years old. To have two of the oldest, still-operating Perth primary schools in the Town of Vincent is a real plus for the community and I am pleased to see that both are thriving.
Sunday 11 November: Mt Hawthorn Primary School Community Fair. As the one-time organiser of a school fete, I know how much time and effort must go into this biennial event that has become a real focus not just for the school but for the whole Mt Hawthorn community. Anyone who thinks that lawyers always wear thousand-dollar suits should have seen Tom Percy QC (or should that be SC these days?) playing up a storm on guitar as part of the Gang of Three that, for once, did have three members (not four). Pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com.au/IanRKer/MtHawthornCommunityFair2007
Monday 12 November : Launch of the Northbridge History Curriculum Materials, at the TAFE Art Gallery on Aberdeen Street. As a newcomer to the Town of Vincent Northbridge History Committee, I found this a very useful opportunity to get up to speed on this great project. There's a CD of information but you can also access it via the website: http://www.northbridgehistory.wa.gov.au.
Tuesday 13 November: Council Briefing. Only two items but important ones. One dealing with the potential redevelopment of the Norwood Hotel and adjoining sites on Lord Street, including one site that was in the City of Perth until 1 July this year when the boundaries were changed - potential to reinvigorate this rather down-at-heel part of Lord Street, but we need to make sure it sets an appropriate 'bar' for other redevelopment in the area.
The other was the draft Policy on Single-Bedroom Dwellings - I'm not happy with too much relaxation of criteria in this, as we know from experience that what Council 'may consider' quickly becomes seen by some as the basic entitlement when it comes to concessions on density and bulk and scale. I'll be submitting some written comments to try to tighten up this policy before it goes out for consultation.
Friday 16 November: Meeting at ToV to introduce the concept of car-sharing which has immediate potential to reduce transport costs for Vincent residents and long-term to reduce the residential (and possibly commercial) car-parking requirements of the proposed Leederville redevelopment. Car-sharing schemes are well-established overseas and one is already operating in Fremantle (http://www.nexuscarshare.com.au).