City of Melville.
Camera IconCity of Melville. Credit: Supplied/Supplied

Electors to let City of Melville know how they feel about hot-button issues

Aaron CorlettMelville Gazette

THREE of the biggest issues in the City of Melville will take centre stage as part of a Special Meeting of Electors at All Saints College on August 20.

A request signed by 135 electors will see the Canning Bridge Activity Centre Plan (CBACP), the council’s Managing Unreasonable Conduct policy and the Melville Bowling Club be discussed.

Swan Foreshore Protection Association chairman Clive Ross put forward the petition, with the intention to let the City know how residents felt about the issues.

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“The reason for the meetings is to convey to the council that residents want to be listened to,” he said.

“There’s no other option than to raise the issues with the council.

“The motions that will be put forward are still being worked through, we can’t ask them to climb Mt Everest.”

The issues raised by the electors about the CBACP relates to the lack of maximum height limits and the potential loss of street trees.

The City has proposed changes mainly to the H4 zone, which is an area that allows for four-storey developments, with the community to be consulted during this month.

Height caps in the 10 and 15-storey areas, in which developments can go higher if they demonstrate community benefits, have also been floated for the future.

Issues raised about the unreasonable conduct policy relate to the assessment of application for deputations at council meetings.

The policy has raised some criticism from residents, with the City of Melville Residents and Ratepayers Association labelling its adoption as premature, ahead of the result of the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries’ inquiry into the City.

The chief executive at the time when the policy was approved was Shayne Silcox, who said the proposed policy focused on unreasonable conduct and the impact of that behaviour, rather than a person or their motivation.

The last issue that will be discussed is whether the City proposes to fulfil its precondition in the lease agreement for the Melville Bowling Club to vacate the current site by October 2018.

Electors will seek to find out whether there will be a decision to seek an extension of time that will be brought before council.

The proposed wave park in Alfred Cove is planned to be placed on the current bowls site, with the club moved to another site at Tompkins Park.