City of Wanneroo: February council meeting in brief

FLOODLIGHTS for women’s footy, firefighters’ toilets and school traffic were some of the issues debated at Wanneroo Council’s February meeting.

The City of Wanneroo will spend almost $200,000 replacing floodlight fittings at ovals in Wanneroo and Clarkson so they can be used for women’s football matches.

The council approved the extra costs to replace light fittings Wanneroo Showground and Anthony Waring Reserve at its February 5 meeting.

“In 2018, the WA Football Commission advised that with the introduction of the Women’s Australian Football League, these games will be played on Friday evenings under lights,” a council report said.

“As a consequence of this, the lighting at both the Wanneroo Showground and Anthony Waring Reserve needs to be upgraded.”

Quinns District Junior Football Club requested the Clarkson lighting upgrade last year, which it would fund through a $45,000 club contribution.

READ MORE: Girls footy prompts floodlights upgrade

However, the February report said inspections found non-compliant light levels were due to lamps and fittings failing, so all had to be replaced.

It said it would cost $91,053 to replace them at the Wanneroo facility, where there were already 20 lamps, and $101,098 to replace the existing 12 lamps at Anthony Waring and install another eight.

Both projects are expected to finish by the end of March, in time for the start of the winter season on April 13.

READ MORE: Wanneroo Amateur Football Club nominates women’s team for 2019

The council agreed to use savings from the Edgar Griffiths Park upgrades and Quinns Mindarie Community Centre project to cover the extra expenses.

Firefighters to get toilets

WANNEROO Central Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade is set to get change rooms so firefighters can shower after attending incidents.

Wanneroo Council endorsed a report to spend $62,100 to buy transportable change rooms for the Ashby fire station, where volunteers currently share toilet facilities with waste services.

“There is a lack of male and female change rooms and showering facilities, with personnel changing in public view and not washing down properly,” the report said.

It recommended the brigade’s 71 members would need two male toilets and showers as well as two female toilets and showers, with change room areas for both.

The report said it would take up to six weeks to design, build and deliver a transportable facility, which would address immediate health and safety concerns.

To recoup the cost, the City plans to apply for funding through the Local Government Grant Scheme, which is funded through the Emergency Services Levy.

School traffic motion lost

A MOTION to investigate ways to alleviate traffic congestion and parking issues around schools lost favour among Wanneroo councillors this month.

Cr Linda Aitken put forward a motion on notice at the February 5 meeting to ask staff to review the parking local law to allow verge parking around schools and plan the best way to manage traffic around future schools.

Cr Aitken had unsuccessfully tabled similar motions at the March and November meetings, which were referred to the Roadwise Working Group and back for further consideration.

Some of the debate at this month’s meeting centred on a measure to provide angled parking instead of parallel on-street parking, which Cr Aitken said had been removed but still appeared on the agenda.

The motion was lost with four councillors supporting and nine voting against it.

Pool repairs save gas, water costs

REPAIRS at Wanneroo Aquamotion reduced the City of Wanneroo’s gas and water consumption by about $64,000 in November and December.

According to monthly financial reports tabled at the February council meeting, the City’s gas consumption was $10,000 lower in November while water consumption was $35,000 higher.

In December, a $54,000 reduction in water and gas consumption was attributed to the Aquamotion renovations.

READ MORE: Aquamotion reopening date delayed

Tenders approved for IT services, sports facility upgrades

PERTH company PrimeQ has won a $2.6 million contract to supply software and provide a financial management information system to the City of Wanneroo.

The council unanimously approved the tender at its February 5 meeting, which included licence fees for five years but excludes GST.

Other tenders approved under delegated authority over summer included $1.15 million for LKS Constructions to upgrade Edgar Griffiths Park and $2.23 million for Geared Construction to upgrade the Wanneroo District Netball Association building at Kingsway Regional Sporting Complex.

Responsibility for routes to transfer to Main Roads

WANNEROO Council has agreed in principle to transfer responsibility of its section of Ocean Reef Road and Gnangara Road to Main Roads.

Reclassifying the routes as State Roads could save the City $17.7 million over the next 20 years as Main Roads would be responsible for upgrades and maintenance, according to a February council report.

Main Roads proposed reclassifying 17.6km of the route following a recent assessment – the City of Swan provided in principle support in December and the City of Joondalup is yet to consider it.

Donations and fee waivers approved

CHEER Aesthetics will receive $1500 from the City of Wanneroo for four students to attend the Varsity International Summit Championships 2019 in Florida, US in May.

The sponsorship request was approved by the council at its February 5 meeting, as were fee waivers of $2969.40 to the Coastal Ladies Badminton League to hire Kingsway Indoor Stadium and $555.30 to the Lions Club of Girrawheen for hiring Hudson Park and Dennis Cooley Pavilion as well as bins for its Australia Day event.

The council did not approve a $7000 request from the 718FLT Ceremonial Flight Australian Air Force Cadets to go towards buying a bus to transport cadets to and from training at Bullsbrook.

Electors motions deferred

A REPORT on motions presented at the City of Wanneroo electors AGM last December was referred back after a councillor raised concerns electors might not know it was on the February 5 agenda.

Cr Dot Newton successfully moved to defer the report to the March meeting after noting there was noone in the public gallery and asking staff whether people who moved the motions had been notified.

One motion related to asking the City to pay the WA Ratepayers and Residents Association what it pays the WA Local Government Association.

Others put forward by Quinns Rocks Environmental Group representatives related to the Quinns Rocks caravan park site, prescribed burning in bushland reserves, ending investment in fossil fuels, and the City’s Energy Action Plan 2007-2012.

Local government and federal elections

THE Electoral Commissioner will be responsible for conducting the City of Wanneroo’s 2019 ordinary elections, which will be done as a postal election.

The October election is expected to cost about $485,000 and voters will receive ballot packs in the post.

Wanneroo Council unanimously agreed to participate in the National Growth Areas Alliance campaign, “Catch Up with the Outer Suburbs” in the lead up to this year’s Federal Election.

Key focus areas include co-investment in community, recreational and social infrastructure projects; targeting projects that create local jobs and adding Neerabup industrial area to a list of innovation precincts.

Design review panel added to scheme

WANNEROO Council unanimously supported changing District Planning Scheme 2 to include a design review panel at its February 5 meeting.

The panel will make recommendations on development applications, providing advice on functionality, sustainability and response to context.

Land offer rejected

WANNEROO Council unanimously rejected an unsolicited offer from a developer for a vacant lot in Girrawheen.

During a confidential session at its February meeting, the council rejected Yaran Property Group’s offer to buy 13 Innes Place and authorised the chief executive to reject future offers for the next 18 months for the site.

It also noted staff would investigate closing the public access way linking Innes and that administration would present a future report regarding delegation to reject future unsolicited offers on all City freehold land given the current property market.