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Case for Perth taking Subi

Staff ReporterWestern Suburbs Weekly

The Government announced its preference for the City of Perth to absorb all of Vincent, Crown Casino, the University of WA and QEII Medical Centre but not the surrounding residential properties, with the submission going to the Local Government Advisory Board (LGAB).

This was in contrast to the previous announcement, which presented a smaller Perth local government area, similar to the City of Perth’s proposal to the LGAB.

Mr Parnell said considering that all of Vincent would potentially go to the City of Perth, there was an argument for the boundary to be extended west to take in Subiaco.

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‘The similarities, when you are looking at Hay Street, which runs from the eastern end of the City of Perth to the western end of Subiaco, making it the longest mixed-use commercial strip in Perth, it would really make sense to be within one planning organisation rather than splitting the street between two,’ he said.

‘Once PMH goes, you are going to see significant high rise apartments and other developments occurring throughout the whole intersection.’

Mr Parnell said there was also a counter-argument for Subiaco to remain separate to provide a rates base for a new western suburbs council.

Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi, who labelled the revised boundaries a ‘recipe for friction and disharmony’, said the City of Perth did not want to expand its boundaries by simply ‘picking the best bits of other suburbs’ but on the primary considerations of capital city focus, global status, financial strength, strategic infrastructure and effective planning and management.

‘The City’s reform proposals are intended to avoid a situation where a strong suburban residential vote outweighs corporate/commercial voices who have lower voting numbers but are disproportionately huge drivers of the City’s and State’s economic development and pay much higher rates,’ Ms Scaffidi said.

However, Perth MP Eleni Evangel said the revised proposal was a win for Vincent residents who had campaigned to be absorbed by Perth.