Shire’s bold plan rejected

In a last-minute effort to prevent itself from being wiped off the map, the shire submitted its own plan to consume parts of Kwinana, Rockingham, Armadale and Wandering into its boundary.

The proposal will go to the State’s Local Government Advisory Board after the shire’s council agreed in a special meeting last month on the bold proposal to include parts of neighbouring councils.

The local government reform process has put the shire under threat because the Government and City of Armadale had suggested boundary changes, which would essentially erase Serpentine Jarrahdale.

Shire President Keith Ellis said the shire’s submission to the advisory board last year rejected any amalgamation and as such, the board considered it ‘non-compliant’.

‘The advisory board is expected to call for submissions in the near future, with submissions only accepted from cities and shires, who have previously lodged a proposal,’ Mr Ellis said.

‘We hope our proposal and future submissions will be considered by the board as we work to save our community.’

The shire has been working with its community members to formulate the proposal and raise awareness of the issue among local residents.

Mr Ellis said once the advisory board received submissions residents would be able to have their say.

In response to the shire’s proposal, City of Kwinana Mayor Carol Adams said the joint proposal of the cities of Fremantle, Melville and Kwinana had better long-term benefits for the region.

‘We appreciate that the shire is simply putting forward a plan, which it believes is in the best interests of its community.

‘However we don’t see the realistic long-term benefits of this proposal when compared to the regional one being championed by the cities of Fremantle, Melville and Kwinana,’ she said.