BANNISTER Ward councillor Ben Kunze called on City of Canning chief executive Arthur Kyron to explain the City’s lack of lobbying for money in the lead up to the State Election at this month’s council meeting.
Speaking ahead of the unanimous passage of the Submission on the Draft Bentley-Curtin Specialised Activity Centre Structure Plan, Cr Kunze said the City of Canning was in the enviable position of a guaranteed State treasurer in the region, but little had been done to capitalise on the fact.
He said the lack of lobbying for funding in the lead up to the State Election had left the City of Canning behind in terms of projects, leaving him “perplexed” by the budget black hole it had created.
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READ NOW“No matter what happens (at the State Election) we have a State treasurer from the City of Canning, but we haven’t approached either… please explain (why) and put me out of my misery,” Cr Kunze said.
Mr Kyron said the lack of tangible outcomes from local members was not through lack of trying.
“We have written and phoned various members of parliament, we have met with the local government minister and opposition local government minister and attempted to set up appointments with no success,” he said.
Mr Kyron said he was disappointed to see funding pledged to marginal seats such as Belmont, and was serious about repairing the reputation of Canning in the region.
“We need to get a better profile for Canning and we have to go a long way back, continual discussions mean we might get more traction,” he said.
This year, Mr Kyron will travel to Canberra with mayor Paul Ng and deputy mayor Lindsay Holland to lobby for Federal recognition of Canning projects and potentially secure funding.