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Subiaco: public forum sees concerns about part of Subiaco moving to City of Perth aired

Giovanni TorreEastern Reporter

SUBIACO residents destined for the expanded City of Perth met on Wednesday night to quiz Perth’s top brass about the planned takeover.

About 70 people gathered at the Hollywood Bowls Club for the public forum.

City of Subiaco councillor Lynley Hewett, whose ward will be abolished on July 1, asked how Perth councillors will take responsibility for specific local issues without a ward system similar to Subiaco’s.

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Chief executive Martin Mileham said each Perth councillor was equally responsible for all residents’ concerns and could be approached about any local matter.

Neil McKinnon, Subiaco resident and former Perth Lord Mayor candidate, asked if the inclusion of 3000 new voters in Perth’s jurisdiction would lead to the establishment of an additional councillor, given the City currently had about 2300 electors per councillor.

He was told there was no plan to increase the size of the council.

Concerns were raised by resident Louise Halbert-Smith regarding potential re-zoning of the annexed territories.

Perth’s acting director of planning and development Erica Barrenger said there was no plan to change the density in the affected areas but noted that both Perth and Subiaco would be reviewing their planning schemes in the future.

“There will be consultation with the public in 2017,” she said.

Several other issues were raised, including the use of The Avenue in Nedlands as a ‘rat run’, tree maintenance, and rubbish being left on verges for prolonged periods by departing tenants.

Resident and businessman John Henstridge asked if Perth council would be able to resolve the long-running problems affecting Hampden Road and Broadway.

“There has been a dysfunction… the two councils administering (the border that runs along the road) have not worked well together,” Mr Henstridge said.

“The recent works that have been done to the intersection with Stirling Highway has stuffed it up completely, and it was barely functional before. Everybody blames Main Roads, Main Roads blames Nedlands (council), some blame the Public Transport Authority.”

Mr Mileham said while Perth’s relationship with its northern neighbour Vincent was not perfect, the two councils had effectively co-operated on transport issues and he was confident Perth would be able to do the same with Nedlands and other “big players”, including UWA and the hospitals in the area.

It was an amiable meeting, with the only hostility reserved for the State Government’s approach to the drafting and passage of the City of Perth Act that shifted the boundary.

“There was no consultation whatsoever,” cried one resident.

“Get rid of Colin Barnett!”