Well Done, South Perth Council

Last night, South Perth City Council voted unanimously to express its strong concerns about a range of aspects of the City of Perth Bill currently before the Legislative Assembly.

Faced with an officer recommendation that Council seek deletion of clause 37 from the Bill and provide commentary on some other aspects of the Bill, Councillors, at the instigation of Cr Colin Cala, transformed their resolution (passed unanimously) into a virtual rejection of the Bill in its entirety, including:

a)    deletion of clause 37* from the City of Perth Bill;

b)    providing commentary on other aspects of the Bill with reference to clauses 19-21** and clauses 12-15***

c)    expressing  Council’s concern with the uncertainties, ambiguities and lack of procedural  fairness, clear process and accountability that is currently contained in other clauses of the Bill, especially with regard to clauses 17 and 18****; clauses 28 and 29*****; and clause 27******;

d)    requesting in the strongest terms, that the government consider a re-draft of the Bill in order to provide more clarity in its provisions and inclusiveness in its application;

e)    that while seeking to establish a more effective Capital City, the Bill do so without disadvantaging the rights and financial sustainability of adjacent local authorities.

Cr Kevin Trent added an amendment, also passed unanimously, that the resolution and the reasons for it be communicated to all local Councils in Western Australia. This should enliven debate and discussion at the WALGA Conference and Annual General Meeting next week.

Congratulations to the South Perth Council (and Cr Cala in particular) for being the first Council to take a strong stand on the City of Perth Bill, including acknowledging the threats to other local governments and communities, not just their own.

NOTES on the City of Perth Bill

*          Clause 37 requires the Local Government Advisory Board, when assessing proposals affecting the City of Perth, “to have regard to the special significance of the role and responsibilities of the City of Perth that flow from Perth being the capital of Western Australia”, but does not define those roles and responsibilities. This leaves it open to the Minister or the City of Perth to ‘define’ them in any proposal and would aid the annexation of Burswood and the commercial areas of Vincent and Subiaco, to which the City of Perth has already laid claim.

**         Clauses 19-21 make non-resident (property or business owner) voting enrolment not subject to automatic expiry. Instead, the onus is placed on the enrollee to notify of becoming ineligible.

***        Clauses 12-15 establish a City of Perth Committee with mixed elected/administration membership that excludes the key portfolios of transport and planning, has no accountability or defined responsibilities and meets at the behest of the Premier.

****       Clauses 17 and 18 change the boundaries of the City of Perth to include Kings Park, 1800 residents of Subiaco, the QEII Medical Centre and the University of Western Australia. In addition, the river boundary is redrawn at the middle of the river, setting a precedent for shifting management responsibility and costs, currently shared between state and local governments, entirely to local governments.

*****      Clauses 28 and 29 provide powers over Kings Park for the Executive Director, Public Health. “For the purposes of protecting, promoting and improving public health”, the Executive Director, Public Health would have “all the powers and authority of a local government under the Local Government Act, 1995”.

              It does not require a large leap of imagination to see this applying to extension of the QEII Medical Centre (including anciliary medical/health services and even car parking) across Winthrop Avenue into Kings Park.

No rationale has been provided in information about the Bill for this provision.

******     Clause 27 repeals the City of Perth Restructuring Act, 1993, which is the sole instrument establishing the Towns of Victoria Park and Cambridge and the (now) City of Vincent. Repeal of this Act disestablishes those local governments and would open the way for the City of Perth to take over Burswood and commercial areas of Vincent.