AN opportunity for a “re-think” has been offered to the City of Melville after a Special Meeting of Electors Thursday night, says the man who prompted the gathering.
Applecross resident Clive Ross, known for his work with the Swan Foreshore Protection Association and Alfred Cove Action Group, triggered the meeting over his belief the City was not listening to ratepayers or complying with legislative requirements.
Mr Ross found overwhelming support on Thursday, with the majority of those that packed the Mt Pleasant Baptist Community College behind the four motions he put forward.
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READ NOWAmong his requests was for the City to call on the State Government to investigate Melville’s purchase of properties on Moreau Mews and Kishorn Road in Applecross.
“We’re giving the councillors and the City of Melville the opportunity to have a re-think given that motion one is calling for an investigation into their conduct,” Mr Ross said.
Speaking to Community News after the meeting, Mr Ross believed many of the councillors who considered the property purchase two years ago would not be able to consider the new motion when it is put to council because of a “self interest” .
He said ratepayers would have grounds for a complaint should the council “note” the motion, adding there were plans to submit the item to Local Government Minister David Templeman if their request was not met.
“The council has forced us to hold them accountable,” he said.
“They won’t converse. They block us out.”
Ratepayers again asked for the City to stop work on clubhouse facilities at Bert Jeffrey Park in Murdoch and to halt changes to Tompkins Park until Supreme Court action into the proposed wave park and a local government inquiry had concluded.
The final request was for the City to review the move to amalgamate the Melville and Mt Pleasant bowling clubs.
City staff, as predicted, played a minimal role on the night.
The City had flagged it would say little because discussions were likely to be similar to issues being investigated in the inquiry.
Talks ranged from the wave park to open space, the City’s updated legal representation policy and the Canning Bridge Activity Centre.
Speaking after the meeting, Mayor Russell Aubrey said the ratepayer-backed motions would likely be considered by council in mid-May.
“It was a re-run of issues addressed before. Complaints will largely be addressed by the local government inquiry,” he said.
He was hopeful that inquiry would be completed soon.
“That will mean we have evidence that matters have been investigated and considered appropriately in terms of our processes, land purchasing, the wave park and everything else,” he said.
“There’s a large amount of misinformation and that has led to discontent.”
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