Will your town lay down and die?

as posted here

With amalgamations looming, will your local council fight or unite with its neighbour? Perth's metropolitan mayors discuss survival tactics with Chris Thomson.

Only six of metropolitan Perth's 29 mayors say they will consider merging with neighbouring councils when the Barnett Government forces them to nominate efficiency measures later this year.

Local Government Minister John Castrilli has set an August 31 deadline for WA's 139 councils to decide if they want to merge, take land from their neighbours, or otherwise become lean and mean.

On Monday, WAtoday.com.au revealed how sparsely populated shires in WA's Wheatbelt and Midwest regions were charging up to 10 times more rates per person than their city cousins.

Now, a straw poll of metropolitan mayors and shire presidents reveals 16 oppose mergers, six support, and two are undecided.

Three months out from Mr Castrilli's deadline, Perth region mayors vote 'YES', 'NO' or 'MAYBE' to local council mergers ...

Armadale mayor Linton Reynolds - NO

"The good thing about this process is it's caused everybody to stop and think."

. Opposes amalgamations with neighbouring Gosnells and Serpentine-Jarrahdale on grounds that main financial weakness of all three councils is that their rate base is too suburban;

. opposes amalgamations with Cockburn or Kwinana, both separated from Armadale by Kwinana Freeway, as he sees no common community of interest;

. says number of Armadale councillors should be culled from 14, to between six and nine.

Bassendean mayor Tina Klein - NO

"There's no need for us to amalgamate with anyone, because we're sustainable."

. Opposes amalgamation;

. prefers 'squaring off' boundaries with neighbours along main roads, sharing regional services, and reducing number of councillors.

Bayswater mayor Lou Magro - YES

"My personal preference would be for metropolitan councils of 100,000 people or above."

. Supports council amalgamations so that each Perth council would have no fewer than 100,000 people;

. supports 'squaring off' of council boundaries.

Belmont mayor Glenys Godfrey - NO

"It's putting the cart before the horse because the WA Local Government Association had already entered into a reform process."

. opposes amalgamation;
. supports greater sharing of services among eastern suburbs councils.

Cambridge mayor Simon Withers - NO

"I think there should be a lot of amalgamations in the Wheatbelt councils. All the urban councils are sustainable for as long as they want, basically."

. opposes amalgamation with neighbouring councils;

. supports squaring off the town's boundaries.

Canning mayor Joe Delle Donne - NIL RESPONSE

Claremont acting mayor Paul Kelly - MAYBE

"It's certainly worth considering because there's economies of scale and substantial efficiencies that can be gained."

. open minded toward merging with the City of Nedlands, and instituting an electoral system where both Claremont and Nedlands would retain ward status;

. says that regardless of outcome, current boundaries need to be squared up.

Cockburn mayor Logan Howlett - YES

"We see the main way of moving forward as an amalgamation with a neighbouring local government."

. supports amalgamation with either City of Fremantle or Town of Kwinana;

. looking at squaring up boundaries;

. supports regional service sharing;

. has reservations about reducing current number of councillors down from 10.

Cottesloe mayor Kevin Morgan - YES

"Peppermint Grove is an integral part of any merger involving Cottesloe."

. open-minded to mergers, especially with tiny Peppermint Grove, though doesn't expect there would be great financial benefits;

. prefers number of Cottesloe councillors be slashed from current 11 to a "lean, mean council" of five, but worries about increased councillor burden;

. supports regional service sharing.

East Fremantle mayor Alan Ferris - NO

"I think that we've been a long term (takeover) target of everyone. We're a small council, we understand that (but) we don't agree with it."

. opposes amalgamation with neighbouring Fremantle;

. supports greater service sharing, in finance and human resources services with neighbouring councils;

. says his ratepayers should decide whether the town is amalgamated or not.

Fremantle mayor Peter Tagliaferri - YES

. Vigorously opposes Cockburn mayor Logan Howlett's mooted merger with smaller Fremantle, but is a long-term advocate of merging with the even smaller Town of East Fremantle;

. supports squaring up boundaries;

. supports greater sharing of services, particularly information technology where he sees potential economies of scale.

Gosnells mayor Olwen Searle - NIL RESPONSE

Joondalup mayor Troy Pickard - NO

"We're 160,000 people, and if you get any bigger than that you expose yourself to the potential of losing touch with your community."

. Opposes amalgamation with Joondalup's neighbours;

. supports larger councils such as Joondalup contracting out expertise (such as urban planning) to smaller councils in remote areas.

Kalamunda shire president Donald McKechnie - YES

"We could do with a bit more industrial and (annexing) that Hazelmere area (from the City of Swan) would make us very sustainable because that's where the heavy industry is going."

. Says annexing Hazelmere from City of Swan would broaden Kalamunda's largely residential and rural rates base;

. supports slashing current councillor numbers from 12 to 9;

. says amalgamation spotlight should be on smaller country and western Perth councils, not on larger Kalamunda;

. supports squaring up boundaries.

Kwinana mayor Carol Adams - NIL RESPONSE

Melville mayor Russell Aubrey - NO

"The reform process, it's a bit confusing for us all without a firm idea of what the minister is hoping to achieve."

. Opposes amalgamations, because he sees his city's size of 100,000 as optimum;

. supports squaring up boundaries;

. says current number of 13 councillors is fine.

Mosman Park mayor Ron Norris - MAYBE

"Divide and conquer is the only intelligent strategy I can attribute to the manner in which the minister is conducting this matter."

. If residents of North Fremantle came to him, and wanted to move from City of Fremantle to Mosman Park he'd welcome it;

. likewise with the tiny shire of Peppermint Grove, but he won't be initiating annexure for fear of falling into Mr Castrilli's divide and conquer "trap".

Mundaring shire president Helen Dullard - NO

"We are currently looking at why we would do that and what gains there would be for our communities."

. Lukewarm on need for mergers with neighbouring councils of Swan, Northam or Kalamunda, saying she does not want to pre-empt an imminent council decision on the matter;

. supports boundary 'tidy ups'

Nedlands mayor Sheryl Froese - YES

"If (amalgamating with neighbour Claremont) is done in a good way and brings the community with you, that might be something that might work."

. Supports a merger with adjacent Claremont, but not a mooted super western suburbs council;

. supports boundary square offs.

Peppermint Grove shire president Brian Kavanagh - NO

"We're financially well off, viable, and deliver services people want and they're prepared to pay for it, so why would we want to change?"

. Opposes amalgamations;

. actually wants more councillors - up from current seven to nine to ensure there's a quorum at meetings;

. supports squaring of boundaries.

Perth mayor Lisa Scaffidi - NO

"I believe that amalgamation is a question mark of a word."

. Advocates "redrawing the local government map" to encourage greater efficiency;

. says there is scope for Perth to extend north into Northbridge and southwest toward the University of Western Australia to enhance its capital city role;

. says a recent media report saying Perth wanted to annexe the Burswood entertainment precinct and residential areas of Northbridge was incorrect.

Rockingham mayor Barry Sammels - NO

"Our boundaries are pretty well defined."

. Opposes Cockburn's amalgamation overtures, as he believes Kwinana is already sustainable, and growing all the time;

. opposes any reduction in the town's current number of 10 councillors;

. says squaring of boundaries is unwarranted, because the current ones work well.

South Perth mayor James Best - NO

"South Perth is incredibly sustainable."

. opposes amalgamation with neighbouring councils;

. supports slashing current number of councillors from 13 to 9;

. supports expanding existing service sharing with adjoining Victoria Park to joint procurement of equipment, employment of back-office staff, and mowing along the river foreshore.

. supports squaring up of boundaries.

as posted here

How does your council rate?

as posted here

Council rates takes per resident 2007-08:

City of Albany $532

City of Armadale $388

Shire of Ashburton $771

Shire of Augusta-Margaret River $947

Town of Bassendean $489

City of Bayswater $405

City of Belmont $722

Shire of Beverley $1024

Shire of Boddington $884

Shire of Boyup Brook $1000

Shire of Bridgetown-Greenbushes $567

Shire of Brookton $998

Shire of Broome $681

Shire of Broomehill-Tambellup $1250

Shire of Bruce Rock $872

City of Bunbury $607

Shire of Busselton $781

Town of Cambridge $499

City of Canning $386

Shire of Capel $371

Shire of Carnamah $1314

Shire of Carnarvon $438

Shire of Chapman Valley $1236

Shire of Chittering $757

Town of Claremont $663

City of Cockburn $338

Shire of Collie $364

Shire of Coolgardie $890

Shire of Coorow $1520

Shire of Corrigin $1032

Town of Cottesloe $711

Shire of Cranbrook $1058

Shire of Cuballing $726

Shire of Cue $2905

Shire of Cunderdin $915

Shire of Dalwallinu $1362

Shire of Dandaragan $1139

Shire of Dardanup $403

Shire of Denmark $627

Shire of Derby-West Kimberley $446

Shire of Donnybrook-Balingup $444

Shire of Dowerin $917

Shire of Dumbleyung $1421

Shire of Dundas $1084

Town of East Fremantle $572

Shire of East Pilbara $594

Shire of Esperance $607

Shire of Exmouth $781

City of Fremantle $800

City of Geraldton-Greenough $519

Shire of Gingin $802

Shire of Gnowangerup $1525

City of Gosnells $348

Shire of Halls Creek $346

Shire of Harvey $463

Shire of Irwin $726

Shire of Jerramungup $1741

City of Joondalup $354

Shire of Kalamunda $301

City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder $470

Shire of Katanning $455

Shire of Kellerberrin $739

Shire of Kent $2245

Shire of Kojonup $1119

Shire of Kondinin $1577

Shire of Koorda $1300

Shire of Kulin $1286

Town of Kwinana $539

Shire of Lake Grace $1801

Shire of Laverton $2149

Shire of Leonora $1832

City of Mandurah $625

Shire of Manjimup $607

Shire of Meekatharra $1399

City of Melville $369

Shire of Menzies $4666

Shire of Merredin $625

Shire of Mingenew $1854

Shire of Moora $1031

Shire of Morawa $998

Town of Mosman Park $599

Shire of Mount Magnet $1220

Shire of Mount Marshall $1361

Shire of Mukinbudin $1145

Shire of Mullewa $1530

Shire of Mundaring $404

Shire of Murchison $1000

Shire of Murray $497

Shire of Nannup $637

Shire of Narembeen $1257

Shire of Narrogin $594

Town of Narrogin $474

City of Nedlands $577

Shire of Ngaanyatjarraku $138

Shire of Northam $406

Shire of Northampton $690

Shire of Nungarin $1281


as posted here

First home least affordable in WA

as posted here

26th May 2009, 7:15 WST

WA is the most unaffordable place for first-homebuyers in Australia, with the State’s young couples taking more than four years to save a deposit, according to BankWest research.

Though the property boom is over, the research shows it is still a struggle to get into the first-home market, which has been buoyed by Government grants worth $14,000 to $21,000.

The boost grant will return to normal levels by the end of the year, potentially making it even more difficult for first-homebuyers to get on the property ladder.

The research to be released today shows it takes 4.3 years for couples to save a conservative deposit worth a fifth of the cost of a WA home, which is more than $90,000.

This is based on savings worth 20 per cent of the average pre-tax income for a WA couple aged between 25 to 34, as well as the Government grant.

It compares with a national average saving period of 3.7 years for a home and about three years for a unit.

The Perth area, excluding the regions, is only slightly more affordable than the State as a whole, with couples taking 4.2 years to save a deposit for a home and 3.3 years for a unit.

This is slightly less time than needed to save for deposits for homes in the cities of Sydney (5.2 years) and Melbourne (4.6 years).

BankWest retail head of strategy and products Selina Duncalf said the survey showed homes were now less affordable than they were five years ago.

“Even with the higher level of the first-homeowner grant, it is taking first-time buyers in Western Australia longer to save a home deposit than five years ago,” Ms Duncalf said.

“The fact remains that many young people face years of renting before they can climb on to the property ladder.”

Single first-homebuyers in Perth have an even harder task getting their foot on the property ladder. The research showed it would take 6 1 /2 years for a single person to save a deposit for a unit on their own.

Regional areas were more affordable than the metropolitan area, with 42 per cent of the local government areas in regional WA included in the survey requiring less than two years savings time for a home.

The research showed that couples would have to save the least amount of time to buy a unit in Kwinana (1.4 years), followed by Armadale (1.9 years), Rockingham (2.1 years), Gosnells (2.2 years), Swan (2.5 years), Cambridge (2.5 years) and Wanneroo (2.7 years). The longest savings schedule was needed for units in Cottesloe (9.2 years), Claremont (7 years), Nedlands (5.8 years), East Fremantle (5 years), Subiaco (4.8 years), South Perth (4.4 years) and Melville (4.3 years).

KIM MACDONALD


as posted here

More than 1000 homes still without power after storms

as posted here

23rd May 2009, 16:15 WST

Western Power crews have restored power to more than 1000 homes today as part of their efforts to repair powerlines damaged by the recent storms.
But more than 1000 homes across the metropolitan area remain without power this afternoon.

The power outages are widespread across Perth but some suburbs including Leederville, Rockingham, Tuart Hill and Shoalwater have fared worse than others.

A spokeswoman said most of the 1110 homes would have power restored later today.

An estimated 50 homes, where power outages have been affected by damage to a single electricity line, are expected to remain without power tonight.

Meanwhile, State Emergency Service crews attended to homes with leaking roofs in Gosnells, Melville, Stirling and Belmont overnight and this morning.

The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast showers will ease this afternoon with possible early showers Sunday morning followed by fine weather conditions.

PERTH
LISA CALAUTTI


as posted here