Sometimes It's Important to Make a Statement of Principle

In my younger days, I heard the excuse 'but what can one person do' more often than I care to remember. I thought then, and I still do, that it smacked of an abnegation of individual responsibility rather than being an objective statement about reality. If we really believe something, we should be willing to stand up and be counted - and the more of us that do so, the more likely it will be that you will, individually and collectively, make a difference.

Anyone who doubts that should look at the influence that GetUp had on the most recent Federal election.

So - what has this to do with the Town of Vincent?

On Tuesday 22 April, Councillors will be asked to rescind two policies on the basis that what Vincent does or says will make no difference to the bigger picture.

One of these (Policy 4.1.8 - Nuclear Free Zone) is a simple philosophical statement that has little practical application (I doubt there would ever be a proposal to build a nuclear power station in Vincent). It nevertheless has a potentially powerful supporting impact for communities that might be faced with a nuclear power station in their backyard - just imagine if GetUp hadn't been instrumental in getting rid of John Howard!

The other (Policy 1.1.8 - Selective Purchasing - Burma) is definitely of practical - and humanitarian - concern. It might well be the case that, even in the absence of such a policy, the Town of Vincent would not purchase products from Burma - but that isn't the issue. The political situation in Burma hasn't improved since the policy was first adopted in 1999.

The military dictatorship still refuses to transfer power to the rightfully-elected government under the leadership of Aung San Suu Kyi.

The military dictatorship still refuses to restore to Aung San Suu Kyi freedom of movement, freedom of association or freedom of expression.

The military dictatorship still oppresses the Burmese people and denies them basic human rights, that you and I take for granted.

I believe the policy makes a valuable statement and should be retained.

It would make a very unfortunate statement if we were to rescind the policy, as it could be taken to mean that we no longer objected to the Burma military regime and its oppression of the Burmese people. It would be doubly unfortunate to do so when the United Nations has just reiterated its condemnation of the abuse of human rights in Burma:

The UN Human Rights Council on Friday 28 March strongly condemned systematic abuses of human rights in Burma by the Asian nation's military rulers, including the holding of a high number of political prisoners. The 47-nation body also passed a separate resolution extending for another year the mandate of the UN investigator for Burma. The Council expressed "deep concern at the situation of human rights in Myanmar (Burma), including the violent repression of the peaceful demonstrations of September 2007 and the failure of the government of Myanmar (Burma) to investigate and bring to justice the perpetrators of these violations.

Let us not, even inadvertently, give succour or encouragement the perpetrators of this violence against a peaceful people.

You can find these policies on the Town of Vincent website (http://www.vincent.wa.gov.au/2/209/1/policy_manual.pm). Let's hope they are still there after Tuesday's Council meeting.

Where Will They Go To School?

The current debate about relocation of the Margaret Kindergarten has raised a great many questions about the future of inner urban areas and the people who live in them.

Certainly, it makes sense to relocate the kindergarten not only closer to the primary school to which it is attached but also closer to where the parents of the children live. On the other hand, those children and their families also need park space. Whilst each child will spend one year in kindergarten, they will benefit from parkland for many more years.

But the debate has also started to put a spotlight on some of the potential weaknesses of the State Government's push for higher density in inner urban areas.

One of those is that with smaller backyards and more people living in the same area, we will actually need more public open space.

Another is where will the children go to school. For decades, state governments closed inner urban schools. That process has, thankfully, ceased but already the cracks are appearing in the education infrastructure. Look at the primary schools around the Town of Vincent and they are all full and many are over-subscribed.

It is true that family sizes are falling, but there is no guarantee that the number of children in Vincent will not increase. However, it could become a self-fulfilling prophesy - if schools in inner urban areas are inadequate, families with young children will choose not to live in those areas. That would be to the detriment of the diversity that we in Vincent publicly claim to value.

So where is the future planning for the education of our children and grandchildren?

We are told by the Education Department that existing school sites cannot accommodate any more children (hence, the Mt Hawthorn Primary School site cannot accommodate the kindergarten) but equally there are no more school sites planned in the Town. As some people have already said, perhaps we could do with a more innovative approach to school design and architecture to make better use of existing school sites without adversely affecting their amenity and heritage.

The most obvious planned increase in population in Vincent is for the Oxford Centre, Leederville, with the proposed redevelopment of the car parks owned by the Town. This redevelopment will produce some large buildings - perhaps one of these should incorporate a primary school with a play area on the roof. This would provide additional schooling opportunities for the children of parents who work in Leederville (and there will be many more people working in Leederville in the future) and the 'green roof' would provide environmental and energy benefits for occupants of the buildings.

Come to that, we could require green roofs for buildings in the redevelopment - that would also help provide the green open space for residents, workers and visitors.

Residents, Ratepayers and Planning Appeals - Leveling the Playing Field

I have often been asked whether ratepayers or residents have any right to appeal against a planning approval for another property that adversely affects their amenity or lifestyle. The answer is, unfortunately, 'Not in Western Australia', although why WA should be different from other states has not been satisfactorily explained.

The response when the question is raised usually (see, for example, Janet Woollard's question in Parliament in May last year - below) rests on three things:

1) the danger of frivolous or vexatious appeals - which doesn't appear to be a problem elsewhere. Are WA people likely to be more frivolous or vexatious than others? On the basis of my 12 years in local government, I seriously doubt it - and frankly we should be outraged by any such suggestion.

2) the fact that residents and ratepayers may have some rights when an appeal is raised by others. However, this can only be the case when a developer or property owner appeals against a Council refusal or against a condition of approval. In the latter case, the State Administrative Tribunal will only consider the specific condition the local government seeks to apply and which is being appealed, not whether the development should have been approved at all.

3) the democratic process, which means that the community can express a view on the performance of individual councillors by voting or by standing for Council. However, this is no comfort to those who are adversely and irremediably affected by specific development approvals. In any case, not everyone has the time or inclination to be a local government councillor, which requires long term commitment to be effective.

Vincent, in fact, goes further than any other local government, where Council overturns a planning officer recommendation for approval of a development, with our practice of being represented at such appeals by an independent planner, an elected member and one or more members of the local community - not by our planning staff, who would have extreme difficulty defending a decision that was in direct conflict with their professional advice.

However, Council cannot empower local residents/ratepayers to initiate appeals against its decision to approve a development.

Even the 'best' of Councils will occasionally not get it right. Rather than just say that disadvantaged residents or ratepayers can express a view every two years or even phone us to let off steam after the decision, we should have the integrity and courage to allow direct redress - provided there is a reasonable basis for doing so.

The current planning system is biased in favour of the developer (whether an individual or a large-scale company) who can respond to a refusal by either an appeal or resubmitting the application (with or without amendment). The developer only needs to get the answer he/she wants once - other affected property owners need to get that every time.

This imbalance means that Councils should, if anything, err on the side of caution where there is any doubt about whether a development application should be approved. There is a parallel here with the Westminster convention on the use of the casting vote:

In the House of Commons the casting vote is held by the Speaker or the chairman of a committee. The convention is that the Speaker’s casting vote always gives the House another chance to discuss the subject before any final decision is taken.

It's time to level the playing field - and a Private Member's Bill likely to be introduced into the WA Parliament this year aims to do just that.

Third Party Appeal Rights and the WA Parliament

On 17 May, 2007, the Member of Alfred Cove, Dr Janet Woollard asked the Minster for Planning and Infrsatructure:

In Victoria, third party participation in the planning appeal process has been in place since 1963, and the process is not considered frivolous, costly or irrelevant.

(1) Will the minister explain why Western Australia remains the only state in Australia in which, other than when a local council and a developer disagree on a development application, there is no right for a third party to become a party to a state appeal process?

(2) Does the minister agree that members of the community should be given the opportunity to contribute, or object, to planning applications at a tribunal level?

(3) Will the minister ask the State Administrative Tribunal to provide this Parliament with an analysis of the cost effectiveness of third party appeals, perhaps based on the Victorian model?

The Hon Minister, Alannah MacTiernan replied, in part:

Third party appeals is a very vexed issue. It is not true to say that in Western Australia there is no right to appeal, or, indeed, be joined in a matter. However, there is no right for a third party to actually initiate an appeal. I guess we need to make a judgement about what is in the best interests of the community. Certainly at this point in Western Australia’s history, the idea that we would divert precious planning resources into appeals, many of which unfortunately will be, I think, judged frivolous, is not something that I believe could be justified. I point out that local government is elected by the community. Elections are held every two years. I urge people who are not happy with the sorts of planning decisions that are being made by their local governments to stand for council. It is really important, if people are concerned about these democratic processes, that people take the initiative to get involved, rather than just stand on the sidelines.

You Heard It Here First!

Two weeks ago, I drew your attention to what was in the white space between the lines of statements made by Allanah MacTiernan, Minister for Planning and Infrastructure, about the location of the new major sports stadium. That is a great present (and relief) for the Town of Vincent residents who live int he area between the railway and the river.

[Incidentally, reading between the lines is second only to being able to read upside down (when you're sitting on the opposite side of the desk from someone) in value if you really want to know what's going on. I got to be very good at both reading specialities during my years in the public service - but that's another story!]

I didn't anticipate that an announcement would be made at the same time of $500 million for a world class museum on the banks of the Swan River in the East Perth Power Station, but that is another thing that should warm the hearts of those same residents.

A museum will attract a substantial number of people - but not 60,000 at a time! Moreover, those people will be coming throughout the week and weekend, but in manageable numbers that suggest that public transport will be able to make a very substantial contribution. We will, however, still need to ensure that those who do come by car don't infringe on the residential amenity of the Banks Precinct.

The proposal I made on 24 January (previous post on this blog) looks even better with the museum. An 'inner collar' transit service will help get the crowds away from the new Subiaco Stadium in a more orderly way (especially those who are heading for the Northern or Southern suburbs). It will also provide convenient access to the new museum for many inner urban residents who live too far away to walk but don't live close to a train station - so would otherwise drive their cars.

A side benefit of the museum might arise from associated activities that provide opportunities for this isolated part of Vincent. I am sure that the East Perth Redevelopment Authority will be looking closely at its plans for the remainder of the East Perth Power Station site to include a suitable mix of activities (not just residential) to take advantage of the proximity to East Perth train station (improving access for pedestrians across East Parade in the process) and the proposed "inner collar". But not with a full road link for Summers Street across the railway - more like a 'green bridge' (public transport, pedestrians and cyclists - and. of course, emergecny vehicles only), please. Who knows, it might even be sufficient to get a Brisbane-style fast ferry service (perhaps linking the Belmont racecourse development, the East Perth Powerstation Museum, the Burswood development and the City and on to the University of Western Australia).

Does Alannah know something we don't?

I have previously expressed my concern (shared with many East Perth residents) about the proposal for a 60,000 (or even 70,000) seat sports stadium on the East Perth Power Station site. Well, perhaps the cat has been let out of the bag.

Speaking at the University of Western Australia Summer School yesterday (23 January), the Minister for Planning and Infrastructure, Alannah MacTiernan is reported (West Australian, 24 January, p13) as saying that the Northbridge Link, the Mounts Bay foreshore area and "other projects including the cultural centre and East Perth Power Station redevelopment would collectively deliver 10,500 residents and 19,000 jobs in the city". How likely is that if a major sports stadium were to be built on the East Perth Power Station site?

Perhaps the whole stadium proposal was smokescreen to soften up residents of the area to be more accepting of high-density residential or mixed-use development on the site.

A report was released this week that give qualified support to a light rail service between the city, Subiaco and the QEII Medical Centre. At a cost of $400 million, this would be an expensive shuttle service and does nothing to help residents of the Northern Suburbs who would only be able to get to the QEII Medical Centre by public transport by travelling through the centre of the City. Wouldn't it be more sensible to link also to Leederville Station, which provides direct train access to the whole coastal strip (north and south) without having to travel on congested central city roads.

This also makes sense if the major stadium is to be located in Subiaco, as the link to Leederville could provide an alternative public transport option for people from all points north and south along the Clarkson to Mandurah railway.

And while we're about it , let's make it more of system and link round to East Perth (through Vincent) via Beatty Park and Members Equity Stadium, the East Perth Power Station redevelopment andending up in the Royal Street hub of East Perth, which could also be an eastern terminus of the Subi-City shuttle.

I must admit, though, to having severe reservations about light rail - and not only because of the cost. One of the most consistent messages that the people of Vincent have given me over the 12 years I have been a Councillor is that they want power lines put underground - and not just in residential streets. Light rail requires an intensive overhead infrastructure as well as the rails in the roadway. And those rails aren't very friendly to cyclists or pedestrians (especially those who rely on mobility aids, including wheelchairs). Earlier this year, in Cologne, Germany, I witnessed a cyclist fall when her bicycle wheel became trapped in tram tracks - fortunately there wasn't a tram bearing down on her at the time, but she was very shaken and upset.

There are alternatives that are environmentally responsible and less intrusive, using, for example, in-road electronic guidance and on-board power systems such as gas/electric hybrids (similar to the Toyota Prius car) and, of course, hydrogen fuel cells. Let's at least have a look at these before inflicting yet more poles and wire on our communities.

Access and Inclusion

As Chair of the Vincent Universal Access Advisory Group (UAAG), one of my great pleasures is to be part of the Vincent Improved Access Awards, which were presented on the International Day of People with a disAbility (3 December). This year, the Awards of Excellence went to:
- Hawaiian Group/The Mezz shopping centre redevelopment
- The Brisbane Hotel
- Workability "Life Works Programme"
- ASeTTS (Assisting Torture and Trauma Survivors)
- Carers WA
- Kieran McDonald
- School of Isolated and Distance Eduction

The All Seasons Hotel (formerly the Acacia) received a Certificate of Commendation. The UAAG was able to suggest some improvements that would further enhance the accessibility of this venue.

You can see more about these worthy winners in the Perth Voice of 22 December - or click on the image at the right. The diversity of recipients shows just how broad the concept of access and inclusion is.

This year, I had the added pleasure of nominating, on behalf of the UAAG, Elizabeth Scott, the Town's Manager, Library Services, as Employee of the Month for December. This was in recognition of her (and her staff's) role in supporting Kieran McDonald through a traineeship in the Vincent Library. The School of Isolated and Distance Education won a Vincent Access Award for its support of Kieran and it is highly appropriate that we also acknowledge Elizabeth for her role.

And the future is in good hands as well. On 12 December, I represented the Mayor at Highgate Primary School to present the Town of Vincent Student Citizenship Awards. I also attended the presentation at Sacred Heart Primary School, but as a grandparent. Every year, I am amazed at the extent to which the award winners are involved in their school communities and in activities beyond their schools.

Bottled Water and Serendipity

I have been concerned for some time about Council's use of bottled water at Council meetings when we had perfectly good drinking water on-tap. We should be celebrating the fact that we have quality drinking water available on tap, when over one billion men, women, and children (more than fifty times the population of the Australia) do not have safe water to drink and therefore cannot live a healthy life (World Health Organisation).

I was thinking about how best to write a Notice of Motion for Council to remove bottled water from Council meetings and other functions, when an e-mail from the Earth Policy Institute popped up and made it easy for me. Not only did it provide much of the information I needed, it also alerted me to a similar motion that will be considered by the City of Manly (NSW) Council on 10 December.

I will be moving the following motion at the Council Meeting of 18 December 2007.

That the Town of Vincent:
(a) in line with the recent decisions by many US cities, the New South Wales Department of Environment and Climate Change, the City of Manly (NSW) and the NSW Local Government Association, ceases to purchase single-serve bottles of water on environmental grounds; and
(b) investigates the feasibility of
(i) installing more public drinking fountains in town centres, parks and recreation reserves and other public places; and
(ii) following the example of the City of Cologne (Germany) in providing temporary water stations at Town of Vincent-supported outdoor functions (such as the Hyde Park Fair, Leederville Street Festival and Concerts in the Park)
with a report to be considered by Council in February 2008.

Bottled water

According to the Earth Policy Institute, each plastic bottle used for water requires the equivalent of nearly one-tenth of a litre of crude oil. In addition, pumping, processing, transportation and refrigeration require up to a further 0.2 litre. That's nearly one-third of a litre of oil in total in every bottle of water.

To put this in perspective, a litre of crude oil produces just under half a litre of petrol. A typical Town of Vincent Council meeting (with nine elected members and four Executive staff) uses 1.5 litres of petrol to provide drinking water that could come straight out of the tap at less than 1% of the financial cost.

Over a full year (say, 22 Ordinary meetings, 11 briefings, 6 Special Meetings), that’s 60 litres of petrol (125 litres of crude oil).

Temporary water stations

The importance of regular water intake in hot weather (as well as at other times) is a common health message. Many of the Town-supported outdoor functions are in the hot Summer months.

When I was in Cologne in June this year, those who attended a week-long festival in the central city were provided with opportunities to obtain drinking water, where there would have been no justification for permanent facilities.

These could also be used to provide water for dogs brought to the function.

Stadium a Risk - but for whom?

Compare the scale and impact of the proposed stadium with Members Equity Stadium
(top right) and the dominance over the adjoining residential area.

An item in this week's Sunday Times raised the spectre of the proposed multi-purpose stadium costing more than $1 billion - that's a lot of money for something that would only be fully-used for one day a week during the AFL season. More to the point, that's a lot of prime inner urban land that would be sterilised and would have to be shut off at other times (with all the community safety and security problems that entails). A dead spot in the inner city is hardly in keeping with the much-vaunted principles of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design

From the point of view of the long-standing residents of the Banks Precinct, a stadium on the East Perth power station site would mean a lot of grief whenever the stadium was in use (as well as being exposed to security problems when it wasn't in use!). The Langoulant Taskforce has not properly addressed the question of how to get up to 60,000 people to and from events at the stadium without the Banks Precinct basically becoming a parking lot. The only upside would be that the Town of Vincent could reduce the residential property rate on the back of the parking fine revenue - but that would be cold comfort to the local residents.

When representatives of the Langoulant Taskforce (eventually) came to address the Banks Precinct Group, two things stood out.

One was that, whilst they had lots of examples of new and redeveloped stadia being 'welcomed' by the local community, not one of them involved a community that had not previously had a stadium in its midst. Every example was either a redevelopment on the site of an old and tired stadium or a replacement on a nearby site, with the old site being used for new housing and other facilities. Not surprising that the community saw the replacement as an improvement.

Did someone say that sounds like Subiaco?

The second was they had apparently not considered that the absence of hospitality businesses in the immediate vicinity of the East Perth site, would mean that people would all arrive and depart in a very short window of time. Subiaco, on the other hand, has a large number of cafes, restaurants and licensed premises within easy walking distance, so at least some people come early and/or leave late - and there is a substantial economic benefit to the area. Where would that benefit be for the East Perth site?

And then there is the fairness argument. The people of the Banks Precinct chose to live there because of its high level of amenity, despite (or perhaps because of) its being somewhat cut off from surrounding areas. As inner urban residents, they accept the need for higher residential density, consistent with maintaining the amenity of the area, but a 60,000 seat stadium would be a whole new ball game (pun intended). The Town of Vincent would not be able to approve a major non-conforming use on residential land - indeed it has a policy to remove or reduce the impact of non-conforming uses. This land might not be formally zoned residential, but that was clearly EPRA's intention before the Stadium proposal came on the scene, and it is the adjacent residential area that would suffer the greatest impacts.

Stay tuned - it isn't yet time to be making plans for lying down in front of the bulldozers, but it could come to that if Langoulant has his way.

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).