Front Page News

Not only has the West Australian come alive on the local government so-called reform issue (http://ianrker-vincent.blogspot.com.au/2014/10/whats-happened-at-west.html), but local papers (in addition to the long-supporting Post) are also doing so. I've already reported on the front page of the Perth Voice last week (http://ianrker-vincent.blogspot.com.au/2014/10/wa-stink.html) and now Community Newspapers, including the Western Suburbs Weekly in the Liberal heartland.

Some were content with  more or less straight reporting of the Minister's decisions, often with praise from the 'winners' - although the Eastern Reporter did give some prominence to the Mayor of Bassendean's concern that "even trying to retain representation of Bassendean is going to be very difficult".

The Southern Gazette South Perth edition couldn't resist a 'South Park' jibe, but the  Belmont edition gave prominence to criticism from the City of Belmont Mayor that his community had been denied access to the poll provision of the Local Government Act. I have to say that if the City of Belmont really wanted its community to have able to have a poll, it shouldn't have described its proposal (which was recommended by the LGAB) as a 'boundary adjustment'.











The Stirling Times drew attention to one of the forgotten stories of the whole debacle - the reduction of the City of Stirling. Mayor Giovanni Italiano says he "remains unconvinced that this decision will provide any benefits to our ratepayers whatsoever".