MENDS Street business owners’ quest to get compensation for decreasing trade has been rejected by the City of South Perth.
A group of retailers submitted a petition to the City, in which they demanded improved parking availability and signage, compensation for reduced trading, for the council to use its resources to stimulate trading and for it to stop all pop-up businesses.
The issue stemmed from the amount of construction happening around the precinct, which is hurting the pocket of business owners.
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READ NOWCouncillors accepted a report on May 23, which dismissed compensation and cited a general downturn in economic activity across Perth and the difficulty in assessing what businesses would be eligible for compensation.
Stopping pop-up businesses was not supported because “one of the mains of pop-businesses is to activate an area by encouraging people to visit who may not normally”.
Principal petitioner, Mends Street News and Supplies owner Paul Noble, said despite key parts of the petition being rejected, he would campaign for lower parking costs and compensation for retailers.
“The parking changes on the South Perth Esplanade aren’t enough, there needs to be more free parking in the area to allow people to do their shopping here,” he said.
“Pop-up businesses on the foreshore are in direct competition to businesses along Mends Street businesses and it’s one of the reasons that trade has dropped.”
On the matter of parking availability and signage, the report highlighted its first hour free parking trial at two carparks at the South Perth Esplanade and new wayfaring signs to be erected in Mends Street and South Perth Esplanade.
The report also pointed to a key component of the Connect South project being that the City would work with Mends Street business owners during regular meetings.
About 364 people signed the initial petition, with a further 487 people signing it after it was presented to council.
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