A Changing World

Today the Federal Government releases a set of sea level rise maps. These highlight low areas that are vulnerable to rising sea level between now and 2100. The message is that no amount of action is going to stop climate change in the short term. We have got to do what we can to live with it and learn how to care better for our planet.

Sea level rise depends on expansion of ocean water as it warms, local effects due to land rise and fall, ocean winds and currents and behaviour of polar ice caps.

As around 85% of us live near the sea this will affect most of us. We can use the maps to assess how we might adapt to likely water level rises and sometimes to mitigate these changes.

Ways that we could be affected go well beyond possible inundation of roads, services such as police stations and houses in low areas. There are likely to be changes to insect breeding patterns, fisheries, storm impacts on river and coastal areas, transport and other essential services. We will probably see Perth groundwater become more salty. Sewerage engineering will be affected. Water bird nesting sites could be under threat. Industries such as tourism, agriculture, construction, health and local government will have to re- assess what they do and how they do it.

The world warmed by 0.7 degrees last century. Every year this century has been warmer than 99 of the previous 100 years. (OK, that was 1998). The IEA suggests that we will warm 3.5 degrees this century. The battle to limit global warming to a small amount is probably over.

We now must find ways to live with less fresh water, higher sea levels, less but more intense storms, weather extremes, changes affecting crops, weeds, birds and insects. We will be better able to do this if we have a resilient economy, good education and open public information.

This year’s simultaneous almost total drought in WA and floods in the East, consecutive record northern hemisphere cold winters, devastating floods in Pakistan and other events demonstrate the power of these effects and the need to learn how to adapt.

In a local sense we already see significantly less runoff to our dams, where we lose about 50% to evaporation anyway. Warmer summers increase this loss. Only about 2% of rainfall runs off to rivers. We can expect even less water in our dams.

Some of our adaptation will result from Government decisions but mostly it will be the sum of individual actions- where to move to, what crop and when to plant, what sort of house to build and so on.

As more people abandon cropping in marginal areas we’ll face the challenge of migration to cities, where we use less energy and water per head anyway. Maintaining food production without deforestation and destroying natural areas will require better farm management and information services. A push for biofuels might exacerbate these issues. World food shortages could lead to higher prices, perhaps to the benefit of good farmers. Species loss is likely as we expand cities and farms.

Town planning will require new understandings and guidelines. Will we still allow dark roofs, no eaves, green lawns? How can we plan for better public transport? How soon can we swap coal mines for wind and solar power? What will be the effect on our trading partners and the Asian region with which we are more closely integrated every day? What new ways of living and working can we imagine, in a world quite different to that which we have experienced?

Please feel free to add your thoughts, by clicking on “Comments” below.

 

Who We Are: City of South Perth

Some figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics led me to summarise our City of South Perth in numbers. Just for your interest I’ve published some of them here. You can do the same for other areas by clicking on the link above.

Population	43,800
Number of families	9,190
Couple families	32%
Single- parent families	9%
Receives age pension	6%
Vehicles per resident, all ages	0.7
Born overseas	35%
Born in North-West Europe	12%
Births per annum, approx.	470
Deaths per annum, approx.	350
Speaks a language other than English at home	18%
Has post- school qualifications, age 15+ years	63%
Does unpaid work for an organisation or group, age 15+	20%

The age distribution is really interesting. My notation is slightly tongue- in- cheek, with reference to the very large degree of public consultation that we do every year. Our long- term residents are really good at having their say. A challenge is to engage more young people in planning for the future.

This is how we work (percentage of employed people):

Managers	14%
Professionals	32%
Technicians and Trades Workers	10%
Community and Personal Service Workers	8%
Clerical and Administrative Workers	16%
Sales Workers	9%
Machinery Operators and Drivers	3%
Labourers	6%
Registered businesses with employees	1650
Registered businesses without employees	2680

Sometimes numbers add to our understanding. These have for me.

Please feel free to add your thoughts, by clicking on “Comments” below.

 

Joined- up Thinking

South Perth’s new cycle way has copped a bit of comment, but I must admit it gets plenty of use. The City has now committed to straightening some of the bends too, so transit riders will be safer.

However, when the path hits the Vic Park boundary there is an unlit pair of steel pipes right across the track, concreted in. This is right next to a very confused set of old footpaths. Vic Park seems to not be part of the commitment to encouraging cyclists. South Perth has even offered to contribute to the costs of getting this path to join up with an existing transit route but to no avail.

We really need to get some “joined- up” thinking here.

There seem to be a lot of situations like this around WA, where we have good ideas and great projects but where these don’t always connect well with other actions, ideas and values. Other popular ideas just don’t seem to address more than one set of values.

Some that I’ve seen recently go like this:

WA needs lots of skilled workers. Some on the national priority list get through quickly. Thirteen thousand others are stuck in queue because Federal Immigration will process only people with skills on WA’s “State Migration Plan.” The problem is that WA has not produced a ‘State Migration Plan”. What??

The State has heaps of water in the north and high demand in the south. Some suggest a pipeline is the answer, without thinking that the energy cost and associated emissions every year would be immense. Water moving in a pipeline has to be pushed, due to friction with the pipe and changes in topography. Meeting one requirement certainly doesn’t meet others. Could we join the thinking to include our own realistic expectations around water and lifestyle?

Perth’s favourite landmark is the Swan River. In recent years we have had massive fish deaths and six dead dolphins in the river. You’d expect that someone was paying attention to water quality, right? Enquiries lead to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology. Their web site has lots about the new, wonderful Australian Water Resources Information System being the place to find such data. However, there is no such public data and phone enquiries to BOM indicate no one there knows about it either. Calls to the WA Department of Water about public live access to current water quality information yield, quote “You can’t really.” The will however give out some very simplistic data if you specifically ask for a particular item. Surely someone is joining the dots between the health of our beloved river and the quality of water in the river? Surely too, each of us takes care to do our own bit to keep the river healthy.

On Sunday I went with a group of bushwalkers to enjoy the new season around Mundaring. Without exception everyone commented on how much they enjoyed the hills, the diversity of plants and animals, wildflowers and fresh air. Surely we can join up the thinking between valuing the Australian bush and managing the way our city spreads and covers what we value with bitumen and concrete.

We are facing rapid change, as WA did in the 1880’s, in the 1970’s and 1990’s. We can just let it roll over us, like we did before, with rubbish dumps on the river banks, a cement plant up- wind and an industrial area which leaked thousands of tons of pollutants into our drinking water aquifers. The alternative is to connect our thinking and do it right this time.

Can you help be part of this, please?

 

Energy Efficiency

We can make a difference locally. The WA Sustainable Energy Association is putting together a response to the Prime Minister’s Task Group on Energy Efficiency to advise the Australian Government on options to improve Australia’s energy efficiency by 2020. A copy of the report can be found here Prime Minister’s Energy Efficiency Report.

What did you think?  What should be given priority? Was anything missed? You can comment on this blog and I’ll pass it on.

My own comments are that Local Government can do much more to promote awareness and practice of energy efficiency in:

• Design of residential, commercial and administrative buildings. This is much more about basic design, not just about ‘bolt- on’ features such as p-v panels.
• Use and working of such buildings. This is mainly about the selection of choices for operations, by owners, managers and individuals.
• Design and operation of systems of travel, including all modes- car, bus, train, cycle and possible other new technologies.
• Promotion of individual responsibility in daily decisions around all parts of life.

Local government is much closer to people’s lives and is much more likely to be able to exert personal influence.

Feel free to click on “Comments” below or just email me.

Perth Global Update

A new report on Perth’s Global Competiveness by researchers from University of Western Australia and the Committee for Perth shows some really interesting facts and conclusions, relevant to where we live.

For a start, 34 per cent of us were born in another country. Only 16 per cent of us are degree- educated, well below the proportion in similar cities.

Shell is moving their Australian headquarters to Perth; BHP, Chevron, Newmont and others have much of their Australian and Asian regional management located here. Very many smaller companies are based here. 41 per cent of companies on the Australian Stock Exchange have their head office in Perth. Sydney and Melbourne, on the other hand, account for only 29 per cent and 17 per cent, respectively.

We have a comparatively low proportion of children and a high ratio of aged dependants. Age plots show that lots of people arrive here aged between twenty and thirty.

While this might not be the experience in a particular local neighbourhood it is the big picture across the whole city.

Some key features that have implications for our local area are:

• an expectation for diversity of culture, accommodation and life style
• a likely shortfall of educated and skilled people
• a distinct, measured shortage of leadership skills
• significant pressures on our environment

Perth is projected to experience the highest percentage growth of any Australian capital city. Our biggest challenge is to manage this without destroying what we love.

My own view is that just doing what we have always done won’t be good enough. We must get better at being able to imagine the future, even if it is not much like our past. We will have to teach ourselves that just because we have done something for twenty, or even two thousand, years it might no longer be sustainable.

Please feel free to have your say by clicking on “Comments” below, or email me and I’ll be happy to publish your wisdom.

 

Local Government Leads the Way

Our local Councils are where it's all happening. South Perth and Melville are building ideas towards the future with their work on Canning Bridge precinct and many other issues. Several thousand people have attended workshops, information sessions and gatherings in the park, about Our Vision Ahead 2030 and about Canning Bridge precinct. Local people have been having their say about a plan for South Perth in 2030, about Canning Bridge and about what sort of city we dream of. The effect of this is that new ideas and vision are being put together with everyone’s involvement- the essence of Participatory Democracy.

Swan Federal Liberal MP Steve Irons this week spoke for an extended time in the House of Representatives in Canberra, bagging our consultative process, our public meetings in general and my blogs in particular. Why run down our City? Surely this is not a political issue, an arena for scoring points. We’re working for our future; the support of our Parliamentary representatives will go far to helping us progress towards our shared vision.

Federal Government is so far away they rarely listen to us at all. State Government has been an inspiration- free zone for many years, so public consultation has been totally unnecessary for them anyway.  In Council we do it all the time- in deputations and workshops, in blog comments, at meetings in the park and on the street. C’mon Steve Irons, and John McGrath, you can be part of this too.

This process is exciting. Of course, not everyone goes away happy, especially when a majority opinion differs from their own, but everyone is certainly heard. Sometimes the language and emotion get a bit spicy too. Local Government and community is where dreams for the future of Australia are born. Here people are demonstrating inspiration and courage, essential ingredients of vision.

Can we hear from you too? Feel free to click on “Comments” below.

Local Music

WA music is thriving. Last night’s music awards at the Fly By Night Club in Freo showed off some of the very best. I had the pleasure of presenting the Jazz award, sponsored by the City of South Perth and won by Chris Sealey. Chris will be playing at Ellington's, the fabulous jazz club in North Perth on 02 November. There is a full list of 2010 winners on the WAM web site.

Watch out for lots of music in South Perth in 2011. There will be events large and small, they all sound exciting and will interest all ages. This is really one area that Local Government can make such a difference. By organising events, providing venues, sponsoring competitions I think that we can do plenty to encourage local talent. Sure, we enjoy the big names for the big shows; we can also savour the work of new WA musicians. How about a Sunday afternoon Jazz event in McDougall Park or a school- age showcase event in the holidays?

By adding some music to our world, especially in a social setting, I think that we can improve our quality of life. Lucky Oceans, the Master of Ceremonies last night, spoke about melody being a feeling and lyrics being a thought. What are your feelings and thoughts about what we can do with music? Click on ‘Comments’ below.

Canning Bridge Vision Motion, My Summary

(i) Canning Bridge is the right place for Transit Oriented Development, consistent with WA’s Directions 2031.

(ii) Cassey Street bus exit component removed for now.

(iii) Manning Road South Freeway On- ramp be given Critical priority.

(iv) There is lots more work to do yet. Heights shown are not final and do not represent approval.

(v) Diagrams of building shapes are not be part of the Vision.

Canning Bridge Transit Oriented Design (TOD)

South Perth Council last night decided to move on with progress of our Vision for the future of Canning Bridge.

Since 2006 there have been in excess of forty events related to planning the future of the Canning Bridge Precinct. We have had mail- outs of proposals, public workshops, discussions, formal meetings, Ward events in the park, combined working groups with the City of Melville, consultants and other bodies such as the Departments of Transport, Planning, TransPerth, and other stakeholders. I acknowledge the vast amount of input, by staff, community members, Councillors and many others.

In the process we have learned of the wide range in that what individuals want from their house, their neighbourhood and their city. This includes such vital matters as shelter and safety (of course), real estate value, distance to school, ease of travel, number of bedrooms and access to shops. Also in mind were concern for the environment (local and regional), population growth, climate change, physical and emotional health and much, much more.

From the initial consultant’s model in July 2008 we have all had in mind that what we were working on was a transport problem, in a population, environmental and economic context.

Put simply, we have a city and lifestyle designed for cars. Our transport is becoming choked. We have rapid population growth. We are destroying the bush around us. It is costing us more and more, in many ways, to follow our old style of development. Change was coming over us and we were determined to make it happen our way, not to just do nothing or, worse, to be dictated to by a State Development Authority.

At the core of every conversation, and there were many of them, was the belief that our core values were around the Quality of Life for the people of South Perth. That Quality of Life was expressed in terms of social, environmental and economic measures- the triple bottom line of every conversation and debate.

Along the way we had plans with a huge roundabout over the station, tunnels under the river, a bus station over and along the train line and a bus exit up Cassey Street.

In mind were discussions around the relationships we share, our core values and our behaviour towards each other in South Perth.

While we have been busy on this project there have been many others under way around our City, such as at Wellard, Canning Central, Murdoch, Bull Creek and Burswood, in other States, such as along the Adelaide- Gawler line and in other countries. Many of our concerns are similar to those faced across the globe.

Where to now? Now that we have shown our support for this Vision, City staff and consultants will develop infrastructure plans, financial analyses and precinct building guidelines. As always in the City of South Perth, we will have lots of community participation at all stages. This way of doing business is now a major feature of how we do things around here. I appeal to everybody to stay on the bus on this journey to a future that we design and choose for ourselves

I offer tribute to the honest, intense and valued input of so many community members in so many ways. While we probably have not given every member of community the outcome they personally wanted, we certainly have listened to, noted, and responded to every word. The sum of this process is the resolution we accepted last tonight and whose text is here.

Canning Bridge Transit Oriented Design Decision

Last night South Perth Council voted to proceed with work on our Canning Bridge Vision. Text of the motion follows; please note that this is not an official Council document.

That....

(a) Council acknowledges that the Canning Bridge Precinct, because of its location and features (Freeway and Canning Highway intersection and bus and rail transfer station) is an appropriate place for Transport Oriented Development consistent with Directions 2031.

(b) Council supports the Canning Bridge Precinct Vision (the “Vision”) as the long term non-binding, non- statutory guiding document for the Canning Bridge precinct, with the following amendments and notations:

• (i) Council supports the spirit of the Vision, i.e. that Canning Bridge, because of its location and features (Freeway and Canning Highway intersection and bus and rail transfer station) is an appropriate place for Transport Oriented Development consistent with Directions 2031.
• (ii) The Cassey Street bus exit component be removed from current plans and reviewed upon completion of the detailed traffic planning study.
• (iii) Manning Road South Freeway On- ramp be given Critical priority.
• (iv) Council acknowledges that the final height and built form will be dependent upon the results of the further studies and detailed design guidelines. Heights shown in the Vision may be used in such further studies. This use does not indicate, and should not be considered as, approval by the City of the building heights specified in the Vision. These heights are likely to change during the period in which planning for increased density in the Canning Bridge Precinct occurs.
• (v) The diagrammatic shapes of possible new buildings within the precinct will be removed from current plans.

(c) the Chief Executive Officer be authorised to pursue and sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the City of Melville outlining joint support for the Vision.

(d) the City participates in a dedicated steering group with State and local government representatives be set up to oversee the implementation of the Canning Bridge Vision.

(e) the following further technical studies be initiated to progress the development of an activity centre structure plan during 2010/11 and 2011/2012:

• (i) Detailed built form and streetscape guidelines
• (ii) Detailed traffic planning study
• (iii) Parking and access strategy
• (iv) Landscaping design guidelines

(f) the Western Australian Planning Commission, the City of Melville and those who made submissions on the draft Vision be advised of points (a) to (e) above.

Next Door Day: 24 Oct 2010

One month to go until Sunday Oct 24, when we’ll celebrate Next Door Day. The idea is to invite your neighbours over for tea, some food, drinks, pizza, whatever, and of course conversation. Some people will do this at home and some at the park over the road. Let’s share our community and get to know each other better.

There is a Facebook group too, where you can add your comments, photos and ideas. Click on the link and go to Events (in the lower left) to join for free. You can add your photos; tell your friends to come too. Let’s do this all over Western Australia, invite your neighbours over for tea and get to know each other better.

As usual, have your word by clicking in Comments at the end this blog.

Canning Bridge Vision

Thank you to all who attended yesterday’s Como Tea in the Park. Ninety five people turned out to speak and listen. Many others have stopped me for a chat in the street or at the shop.

One of the questions raised was about the degree of consultation held so far. Some people felt that they had not been informed of developments nor taken part in enough conversations. I’ve looked over my history list for this project and made a list of the events that I have been to myself. In addition to these there are very many events around the Vision 2030 project run by South Perth, which includes some very clear direction for what people want for Canning Highway. There were twenty three of these South Perth Vision 2030 events, plus at least three more in Council chambers or meeting room.

My diary of consultation around Canning Bridge transport and other issues includes the following events.

· 21 July 2008 Initial presentation by GHD, joint events for City of South Perth and Melville citizens, at South of Perth Yacht Club, two sessions, mid- day and evening

· 29 July 2008 Council briefing City of South Perth with GHD, councillors and staff

· 11 August 2008 Community Engagement session 1, at South Perth Senior Citizens for SP residents within the 800 metres zone

· 18 August 2008 Community Engagement session 1, at SP Senior Citizens for SP residents within the 400 metres zone

· 27 August 2008 SP Councillors and staff update with GHD

· 01 September 2008 Community Engagement session 2, at SP Senior Citizens for SP residents within the 800 metres zone

· 08 September 2008 Community Engagement session 2, at SP Senior Citizens for SP residents within the 400 metres zone

· Oct 2008 Joint presentation for Councillors of SP and Melville, at Melville Council offices

· March 2009 Joint presentation for Councillors and Officers of SP and Melville

· Sept 2009 Joint presentation for Councillors of SP and Melville

· Approx. Feb 2010 Public event at Melville Senior Citizens Centre, plus development of Canning Bridge Community FaceBook site

· Feb 2010 Letters to all owners within the precinct

 · Feb 2010 Public forum, 400 attendees

· July 2010 Joint briefing with both Councils, including changes in response to consultations

In addition to these official events I have personally hosted one community forum at Olives Reserve and two in McDougall Park, all well- attended. This blog site has added a continuous flow of further information and sought public comment. There has also been one neighbourhood meeting in a resident’s house, attended by the Mayor and myself.

By my reckoning this covers at least forty consultation, listening and conversation events around the future of South Perth. My email has carried a similar heavy load. Our future has not been short of public participation. I do observe that we have had less representation from younger people and I rather think that less business people have made the time to attend.

On Tuesday 29^th September the Canning Bridge Vision document will be presented for Council endorsement. On 21^st September (today) there is the opportunity for public deputation about that Vision. Once that milestone is reached the Council will be able to move onto detailed planning to make our City safer and even more liveable. Such planning will include detailed built- form and streetscape guidelines, a traffic study, parking and access study and landscape design. Through this process I trust that South Perth will follow its tradition of continuous consultation. For an opportunity to speak please feel free to submit a request to Council for Deputations tonight, 21^st September.

As usual, have your word by clicking in Comments at the end this blog.

Cygnet Cinema Shines

Como’s Cygnet Cinema may have new life.Tonight the Council was treated to a combined presentation by renowned architect Bill Hames and representatives of the Stiles family, owners of the famous art- deco landmark.

Mr Hames’ concept design retains the original building, while adding exciting new features. The early visualisation features a refurbished main hall plus four small cinemas, a Gold Class lounge/ restaurant and an outdoor picture garden. There would also be a super- deli to the east and commercial office space at the rear.

This seems to be a tremendous way to retain the heritage building while adding economic life to Preston Street. There are many stages to go through yet before this vision becomes reality. Commercial viability would have to be assured, as would matters like parking and the myriad other concerns around town planning. Consultation with neighbours is always a feature of development in South Perth, of course, and this might bring up other concerns.

Have your say. Just click on “Comments” below and log in as Name (preferred) or Anonymous, or email me and I’ll post your comments for you. What you say makes a difference.

Traffic Stack

Perth is growing fast, threatening what we value most. Just in case we needed reminding, today’s West has three headlines about this:

• Traffic Gridlock Tightens
• Drive Times Grow as Roads Slow
• Perth to Swell by 500,000

A further recent headline points out that by continuing to just spread outwards we are building a dysfunctional city. Environmental damage, increased use of cars and longer distances for provision of water, power and sewerage make the outlook for Perth quite dismal.

Essentially, when we say at public meetings that we want the City to remain as it is, we do nothing and thus contribute to destroying what we love. South Perth's recent City Visioning exercise helped us describe the features that we do want in our future. The challenge now is to use this Vision to plan for a City that keeps these attributes while accommodating rapid growth.

We have a number of community forums in the near future. My hope is that we can use these to work towards what we do want in our future, not just to protest against change.

Canning Bridge Bus Turnaround

Canning Bridge area residents heard on Wednesday night about a new plan for bus movements. Increasing popularity of buses and the train service have meant that the bridge and facilities are often at maximum capacity. Buses are clogging the interchange area and the U-turn arrangements are confusing at best.

 

Figures show that use of public transport in Perth is growing rapidly, faster than in any other Australian city. Plans to expand Curtin Uni to thirty thousand students will create even more local demand. Freeway and city vehicle congestion continues to make public transport an even more popular option.

In a twenty- year time frame we’ll need a seriously re-planned facility here. Right now, we need a way to handle more buses. South Perth planners, working with Stage agencies, have drawn up a design to take the turn- around off the bridge. A new facility, much- used in Europe, UK and USA, known as a ‘dog- bone roundabout’ is proposed. (Here’s one from Holland.)

The proposed location of this is in the space to the north- west of the current interchange area. Buses would enter the dog- bone, drop off their passengers, turn around and then pick up new passengers on the other straight side of the loop. A short overhead walkway would connect with the rail station. All this would get pedestrians and buses safely out of the bridge interchange, a crowded area today.

The proposed vision for this goes to Council next month; it would then move to design stage for detailed planning.

We need a solution, for now and for later. Buses and trains are increasingly popular. There are way too many cars used every day. Our challenge is to plan our transport system so we don’t even think about using a car for most journeys.

The Mayor of South Perth tells me that there will be time for residents to have a say about this at Council’s briefing night on 21 September. One of my concerns would be about ease and safety of pedestrian access from both South Perth and Melville. If you’d like to contribute, how about talking with your neighbours and contacting the City in advance to get a representative on the agenda list?

Cycle Path Update

Wow, didn’t that get some responses? Heaps of emails and calls about the new cycle way on Sir James Mitchell Park, with bouquets and brickbats. I also realised that I had upset the engineer who designed the path and am embarrassed that I did so. My apologies are offered right now.

I have also found that the path was intentionally designed as a “shared recreation path,” with lots of pleasant meanders, not as a transit way. This of course leaves us with the issue that hundreds of people are now using it as a transit way.

Right across Australia cities are building bike transit ways and finding them used beyond expectation. This is a tremendous outcome; every cyclist has consciously not used motor transport. We have less road congestion, less pollution, less parking needs, smaller carbon footprint. I am so happy about this.

Now, lets use the popularity of this facility to really push for completion of the Perth Bicycle Network,  making a safe, efficient link to and around all points of the compass in Perth.

Canning Bridge Light Rail Info and Consultation

A reminder that on Thursday 12 August at 7 pm. Hon Lynn MacLaren MLC, Member for South Metropolitan Region and Peter Newman, Professor of Sustainability at Curtin University and on the Board of Infrastructure Australia, will present the latest plans for light rail in our region.

You’ll be able to see examples of systems operating around the world, to see plans for the network and to talk about how to make this work for us. The event will be at the Canning Bridge Senior Citizens Centre, 64 Kishorn Road, Mt Pleasant. Just click the map to expand it. I recommend parking on the Esplanade or in the Centre car park on the river side of the building. The best road access is from the Esplanade, turning off Canning Highway beside the Shell service station. Coming from Fremantle you could turn right at the previous traffic lights by Thai Corner and that place with the Arches. There is plenty of room inside for bicycles.

I also have some discussion points around plans for redevelopment of Canning Bridge precinct, ahead of the forthcoming design presentation.

See you there from 6:30 pm on Thursday. Feel free to add your thoughts below by clicking on “Comments”

Cycle Way a Success

South Perth’s new cycle way on the foreshore is getting plenty of use from families on Sunday. However, for transit riders who try to use it daily the path is significantly more dangerous.
If you are designing a new cycle way for your city you might not do it this way. You might also get some cyclists involved in the design process. The problem here is that the path contains numerous very sharp bends. Both the Mayor and the CEO say that “We have to slow these cyclists down.” Cyclists maintain the opposite view.

There are two sort of cyclists- recreational slow users, out for a ride with children and faster transit cyclists on their way to and from work, using a bike instead of a car. We want to encourage both and must plan for both.
The new winding, bendy path is a pleasure to ride along at a leisurely place while you chat. It is a hazard to use if you are a serious cyclist. The bends are so tight that you must stop pedalling and lift your inside pedal. After dark and before dawn you cannot see where the path goes and risk serious injury. In each case, a cyclist with their shoes clipped or strapped to the pedals has no way of preventing a hard fall.
The unintended result of this is that transit cyclists will be discouraged from using the path and will:

• choose the old path instead, the one with pedestrians, because it is straight
• choose to use their cars, so losing the benefits of cycling: less road congestion, less pollution, less parking space, better health
• ride on Mill Point Road, so being in an environment of higher closing speeds and with much more serious accidents. We really don’t want to have bikes and cars mixed together.

Like the helmet law, this well- intentioned act will result in overall lower benefit to the community. The unfortunate attitude of wanting to slow the cyclists is very controlling. We should do the opposite and facilitate easy transit. Wanting to slow cyclists is like wanting to put speed bumps on the freeway- dangerous and way too controlling.
It seems that our engineers did not consult with users or with the Bicycle Transport Alliance. They did not understand that transit users have foot straps and clips that fasten their feet to the pedals. They certainly did not think of users after sunset and before sunrise, of which there are very many. They definitely did not understand that to get cars off the road we must make bike travel easy and that bike travel is not the same as a recreational doddle with the grandchildren.
C’mon! We say we are good at consultation. Cycling is fun and is a perfectly viable alternative to driving for many trips. We can do this better and this cycle way must be modified now and made safe.
Have your say. Just click on “Comments” below and log in as Name (preferred) or Anonymous, or email me and I’ll post your comments for you. What you say makes a difference.

Open Data

We have gone to sleep. Not even dead dolphins have caused us to blink. A few press reports of events, the odd official voice about a study somewhere. This should be a smack in the head for us all- wake up!

The world needs our care. We have the ability to preserve, or destroy this patch of paradise. To care for our country we need to make decisions, daily. To make good decisions we need good data and access to that data. Decisions without facts are probably bad decisions. What gets measured, gets managed. However, it is difficult to get to the facts around our lives.

Things are changing. I believe that it is important that we measure these changes so we know what is happening and how to respond. Today we read that the past decade was the warmest on record. If we are to respond usefully we really need to know about what else is happening, in detail

We talk about open government. We congratulate ourselves when we fill our web sites with annual reports, budgets and attractive graphics. Here in Western Australia we are just not good enough at collecting data and making it available. If I want to see how much dieldrin, or petrol, or copper is in the Swan River water, and what that level has been each year, I just can’t get it. The best I find is some PDFs or departmental reports.

However, pictures of information are not actually data. To get a time series of say the water use of my city over twenty years I have to find and open up twenty separate documents and collate the data. This is not good enough.

The USA has developed a web site called data.gov where vast amounts of data are totally open for public access. Even our national databases are available at data.australia . Here in the West we have nothing like it.

Some things we might like to know about could include:

• traffic on the freeway
• energy use hour by hour for each year
• number of staff employed by the City
• number of single- parent households
• pollution indicators in the Swan River, e.g. chromium, phosphate, pesticides

The data is important and the time series of data sets is vital. Innovative people can use this sort of data to suggest useful ways to adapt to the changes we see and measure. By constructing ‘mash- ups’ of data sets, new insights can appear.

Let’s really live the values of open government. Let’s have the facts, out there, so we don’t have to guess what is happening!

Light Rail and Canning Bridge Forum, 12 August

Community members from both sides of the river and anyone interested is invited to attend a community forum on Light Rail and new developments in the Canning Bridge Precinct. We’ll meet at 7 p.m. on 12 August 2010. The venue:  64 Kishorn Rd Mt Pleasant 6153m, an easy and pleasant walk from the train or bus stations. Click the map to see more.

The event is organised by the WA Greens Party. Guest speakers will be Greens Senator Scott Ludlam and myself, Peter Best, Greens candidate for Tangney. Both of us will arrive fresh with the latest updates after a Green Transport workshop at Curtin Uni. We will also have some information from briefings about recent planning sessions between the Melville and South Perth Councils and GHD consultants.

Perth ranks bottom of the list of sustainable cities in Australia. We use our cars to drive everywhere, mainly because the city is designed that way. Our roads and parking are becoming more congested, we use more energy, we lose more time, we pollute the air. The Greens have a comprehensive policy on Sustainable Transport here.

Perth can be so much better when we keep our cars for special occasions. We will be able to do this when we live close to good, safe public transport. By changing the way we live and the way we travel we can make a difference to our lives and our planet. Light Rail is the modern version of a tram. These systems are coming into popular use around the world.

Perhaps this change is not for you personally but it certainly will suit the next generation. It is time to begin planning for these changes now. Recent Visioning programs by the Councils have made it clear what we’d like our city to be like. Now it is time to begin turning that vision into reality. Scott and I will be here to listen to your thoughts, to provide some updates and to answer your questions.

We have had quite a number of public meetings in this area. Previous meetings have been hosted by the Councils; this one is hosted by the Greens. Here’s an opportunity to keep up to date and to make sure you have your say. If you can’t make it just click on “Comments” below and log in as Name (preferred) or Anonymous, or email me and I’ll post your comments for you. What you think does matter.

Climate Adaptation

Last week I attended the Climate Change Adaptation conference in Queensland. A thousand people were there, from all over the planet- Fiji, Korea, China, Bangladesh, UK, Holland, Finland, Senegal, South Africa, Brazil, Mexico, USA, Canada and many other places. There were high- powered people from the IPCC, United Nations officials, researchers, doctors, field workers and community representatives. For three days we discussed some science, many reports from many places, of a changing world, and much about how people respond to this change.

A Japanese team showed the advance northward, year- by-year of a species of a mosquito that carries dengue, as Japan becomes warmer. A Canadian woman spoke of increasing deaths through cold of homeless people in cities, as increasing daily variability makes it more difficult for social services to predict temperatures. A Tunisian field officer told us about the advance of desert sands. Tim Flannery spoke eloquently, as always, of the progressive disappearance of a small, white possum, from hilltops in North Queensland. This creature has a high sensitivity to temperature changes.

A key theme was one of understanding that times are changing, of a sense sometimes that it is caused by someone else far away, sometimes of a fatalistic feeling and of a common sense of powerlessness. A further emotion was that Copenhagen had failed to unite people and nations in a course of action, that it was now up to communities to take things into their own hands. That perhaps they couldn’t change the world but that they could certainly make a difference locally. A wide range of people spoke of responses such as adapting cropping practices, changing building methods, policy development, education and most of all about community engagement.

The oft- repeated theme was that it didn’t matter how good the science was until the community connected with the issues, identified the problems and then developed and committed to solutions. By identifying a specific threat and working on a solution, communities become better connected, healthier and more resilient.

Bringing the community together through climate change adaptation addresses our policies and philosophies of Social Justice, Participatory Democracy, Peace and Sustainability. Our objectives around Climate Change, caring for people and managing water can be very much part of the way we adapt our societies to the pressures of climate change.

We can add to the focus of a low Carbon footprint, influencing lifestyle and technology choices. We can promote WA’s bountiful wind and solar assets. By introducing Adaptability we can bring on board another part of our society, those who so far have not engaged with Climate Change values.

A feature of humanity is that we are adaptable. The original inhabitants of Australia have been adapting to change for a thousand generations before us, since the last ice age allowed them to migrate overland to Australia and to all that has happened since that time.

I believe that the community can harness our ‘can do’ attitude, with focus on Adapting to Climate, to bring change to society. By focussing on opportunity we can build on the optimistic nature of Western Australians.

We can encourage people to live mindfully, to be conscious of the implications of daily decisions, as individuals and as community leaders, to join together and to make a better society.

In my own work, over many years, in school, Uni, at work, in the community, in Africa and Australia, I have always been able to bring change by motivating people in shared spirit, to think in terms of ‘we’ and of opportunity and optimism. At a Citizenship ceremony on Monday night this week such spirit was very plain among the thirty- nine new citizens; they spoke of this spirit as what attracted them to Australia.

Conscious care for the world around us is as much a part of working with community residents on the Ranford wetlands, as it is with cleaning up the Swan river banks or evaluating major development projects. Thinking about how we adapt our community to the changes we see happening takes away the politics of Climate Change and lets us make decisions in a time of uncertainty.

I hope we can invite as many people as possible to join in, to participate, in caring for all who live on this planet.

Spring Time Composting

With Spring only a few months away we can begin planning our own personal land- care projects. Composting can reduce water use, raise productivity, increase soil carbon and improve the structure of soils. We can reduce reliance on purchased products, reduce waste, reduce our energy footprint and enjoy the process. Home gardening reduces food miles too.

Last week I attended a Climate Adaptation conference which reminded me of some ways that we can take personal responsibility for our own patch of the planet. (More on this coming soon)

In Perth about sixty percent of our household waste is organic. The metropolitan area generates about 1.2 million tonnes of organic waste each year, and much of this waste goes to landfill. Organic waste is a valuable resource that can be used to help improve soil quality. Organic waste can be recycled by using it as mulch, as compost, or in a worm farm.

The Dept of Environment has a web site of useful composting tips. Another really good blog site for compost tips can be found here. For even more information there is a composting course to be held soon; click here for details. There is a WA State commitment to stop burying our waste in our water supply. We can do our bit for this responsible initiative and enjoy the process too.

By the way, just about everything can be recycled in some way. Visit the RecycleIT to find out how and where to recycle specific materials.

Recycling and composting can be a family project. Feeling good about the way we live is important.

Time to Abandon Neighbourhood Watch?

Time to abandon Neighbourhood Watch?

Time to let out the secret that this is one of the safest cities on Earth?

Time to tell older people it's ok to walk to the park? That it's fun for kids to go and play cricket at the oval?

If our mission is to enhance the quality of life of residents then do we achieve the opposite by scaring them with crime stories?

If there is no one in the park then why not just sell it? If we see kids on the street for only fifteen minutes after school then where are they?

If our crime figures have gone down every year since 1987 then why do we not trust our neighbours? If the only figure remaining high is domestic violence what are our social stresses?

Perhaps if we abandoned Neighbourhood Watch then we'd have a barbecue in the park, let the kids swim in the river, invite the widow down the road around for a cuppa.

Perhaps we might find that a social community beats atomised solitude any day. Getting muddy with your friends really can compete with the collective identity of Facebook.

What if we just did the Aussie thing and looked after the place next door when they went to the beach?

Starting right now I'm going to work on a Next Door Day, October 24, when we invite the neighbours over for food, drink and conversation.

Party at my place! and yours too, all over Perth, I hope.

Please feel free to have your say- it makes a difference. Just click on “Comments” below and log in as Name (preferred) or Anonymous, or email me and I’ll post your comments for you.

Bush Forever

Here’s some news good enough that it puts a bounce in my day.

After public consultation the State Government has published the new Bush Forever amendment today. As soon as the amendment is no longer subject to disallowance (after 12 sitting days) it becomes legally effective in the Metropolitan Region Scheme.

The purpose of this major amendment is to reserve and create special controls over Bush Forever sites in the Metropolitan area.

I’ll provide more detail and comment later. A map of the Perth South areas proclaimed can be viewed here.

Areas included in South Perth are along the Canning River shores beside the Freeway near Mount Henry, at Mount Henry and the wetlands of Manning and Waterford around Bodkin Park.

This makes formal declaration of residents’ passionate belief that this bush should be given special preservation in a time of change.

Electronic Waste Recycling

Here's a chance to feel good about our rubbish! Instead of landfill your techie bits can be broken down and re- used.

This weekend it's time to drop off the old computer, monitor, mobile phone, TV, Nintendo, fax machine, etc. Sat 12 & Sun 13 June 2010 - 9am-4pm

For locations to drop off your stuff click here.

If you missed this event then  click here for alternative disposal opportunities.

Swan River Care

This blog is not about Climate Change, which is complex, long- term, important and in the future. It is about weather, which is simpler, short- term, urgent and happening now.

The Swan and Canning Rivers are loved by this community and are key attractions of Perth. Riverside infrastructure of the freeway and rail line is a vital part of WA’s economy.

Most riverside infrastructure was built in the 1950's to 70's through the Public Works Dept, which no longer exists. The state of our infrastructure is aging, under- capacity and not up to current standards. Basic maintenance costs are increasing with age. The walls are already under stress during high tides, strong winds and storm surges.

Winter storms have long been recognised as a major hazard in WA. The Noongar people moved inland during the cooler months, partly to avoid the weather.

In June 1801, the French explorer Nicholas Baudin felt the full force of a winter gale as he rounded Cape Leeuwin en route to Rottnest Island.

Early settlers were quickly made aware of the dangers of winter gales. The loss of a ship and damage to others during a gale in 1830 threatened the existence of the colony.

In 1934, the Swan River rose almost 6 metres in less than 8 hours at Guildford in response to heavy rain upstream.

In 1955 storms caused massive coastal erosion on Perth's beaches. At Cottesloe not a bit of sand was left anywhere along the seaward side of the main promenade.

In 1963 a strong front caused wind gusts of 150 km/h in Perth.

In 1981 a storm with heavy rain produced widespread damage, Perth being littered with fallen trees, power lines and debris from damaged buildings.

In 1994 one of the most destructive weather events to affect Perth brought a damage bill of $37 million

In 2003 Fremantle recorded a storm surge of 0.8 m, causing the highest tide ever recorded there.

Storms with severe winds can cause heavy rain, but cold fronts with slow- moving cloud bands cause the heaviest total rainfall.

A worst case scenario is to have a peak in gale-force winds coinciding with a high tide, causing a storm surge, pushing East against floodwaters coming down the Swan River.

Our last major floods occurred in 1963 and 1964. In recent decades this has not occurred, thank goodness, because Perth's infrastructure is just not designed to cope with it.

This plot, from the Bureau of Meteorology, shows the frequency of heavy rain in Perth since 1883, in 15- year blocks. It highlights the sudden decrease in heavy rainfall events in the 1960s. It was in this peaceful era that we built our riverside infrastructure. In hindsight, we built in all the wrong places.

Our rainfall pattern is trending towards that of the period when we experienced our worst storms, floods and damage. Our built and natural environments and our economic links are under threat.

These matters affect all 21 Councils on the river banks. Management requires a combined approach of all members. It is not appropriate that it be handled by each Council separately. It is a big issue, it affects the economy of the whole State and we require support from both State and Federal Governments.

WALGA has recognised this and has formed the "C21" group of Councils, chaired by James Best, our Mayor. The Perth Natural Resources Management Group, with which I serve, also acts to coordinate the actions of individual local councils.

These two groups have prepared a business case for combined and effective management of our rivers.

The Swan River Trust budget allocated by State is just way too small for the task ahead.

City of South Perth has presented an Infrastructure Australia submission on behalf of the 21 councils for $83M, based on priorities set by Swan River Trust. We need support of State Cabinet for this.

A further approach will be made for Commonwealth funding later today. An additional submission is being made for $3.5M for repair of seriously deteriorated river walls.

We are calling for support for our combined submission to manage these rivers that we love, that are part of our economy and part of our social fabric.

I hope that when the Commonwealth Heads of Government visit our city next year, 2011, we can demonstrate with pride the management of our rivers.

Please feel free to have your say; it makes a difference. Just click on “Comments” below and log in as Name (preferred) or Anonymous, or email me and I’ll post your comments for you.

“Legislation- Ready” Cat

This is Ranger- not only is he super-cute, but he is also micro-chipped (and registered), de-sexed and kept indoors. The owner got him from the RSPCA, who arranged the microchip and de-sexing before making him available for adoption. While he was there, he was also vet-checked and given worm and flea treatments. Tori, the owner, recommends all residents check out the RSPCA when looking for a new pet, as they send out all of their animals "Legislation Ready"

WA State Government is taking steps to require these measures to manage domestic cats. A recent PhD at Murdoch Uni studied the effect of cats on bio- diversity in suburban environments. One interesting fact to arise from the student’s thesis was that owners are generally supportive, being motivated mainly by concerns for safety of their cat, rather than for preservation of native wildlife.

Many Councils already have cat laws. In Darwin, for example, by-laws require cats to be properly contained in the owners’ property, under effective control by the owner, and on a lead or enclosed in a suitable container when away from their home. Stiff fines apply if a cat is captured while ‘at large’.

Swan Council in WA allows residents to trap cats found on their property, and the cat owners don’t have to be told. The City of Swan houses the trapped cats for collection or re-homing; owners have to pay a $100 fine to get their pet back. The Perth Cat Haven – which receives more than ten thousand stray cats each year – believes the laws should make micro-chipping of all cats compulsory.

Increasing numbers of local governments around the country are imposing night-time curfews to minimise neighbourhood nuisance issues and protect native wildlife.

Is your feline friend "Legislation Ready"?

Mosquitoes

At a public forum around mosquito issues about fifty residents came to express their concerns about being bitten and about environmental protection. We heard strongly- worded views about the need for personal safety, about concern for native species and about how Council responds to these concerns.

Resident after resident told their story about cycles of mosquitoes in the evenings. Very many people demanded that the City fog the Canning River wetlands regularly. Many felt that the City was not responding to their needs.

After an hour of clearly- expressed views of residents the City’s Manager, Environmental Health outlined the very extensive work carried out over five years. Sebastian’s team, all with Environmental Science qualifications, had trapped, mapped and measured mosquito issues in the area. Sebastian presented a summary of work done and conclusions reached. He also presented a background of control measures already taken and plans for the future.

The second speaker, Department of Health medical entomologist Sue Harrington, provided some scientific background on the 210 species of mosquito in Australia and their breeding, biting and bothering habits. She pointed out that fogging over marine wetlands was illegal and likely to cause widespread fish deaths. Fogging also kills all types of insects- bees, spiders, moths and mosquitoes.

Ms Harrington compared local mosquito levels with those in Capel and the Kimberley, where truly massive concentrations occur. She also suggested that residents live near the river because they value the environment, with its trees, fish and other fauna. In order to sustain these things we value she suggested that we treat the mosquito issue with respect for the whole environment.

One particular control measure Ms Harrington suggested was a naturally- occurring bacteria, widely used throughout WA. Capel has been hugely successful with this measure. They spread this biological agent twice a year, never fog and hardly see a mosquito. Their mosquito management strategy is on their web site. A good thing about this method is that the biological agent does not affect other species.

A third speaker, from Swan River Trust, provided information on wider issues of environmental management. An outcome of the meeting was to set up a residents’ committee to meet with the City and  communicate more about management of mosquitoes.

How Can You Assist? (Quoted from Capel)

Mosquitoes breed in STANDING WATER. Standing water can be found in old tyres and other water holding containers, pot plant drip trays, septic and water tanks, roof gutters, domestic ponds, etc. By eliminating these breeding sites you can help to reduce mosquito numbers in your backyard.

You can help eliminate breeding in your backyard:

• Dispose of all containers which hold water.

• Keep ornamental ponds stocked with mosquito-eating fish, e.g. goldfish.

• Empty self- watering pot plant trays once a week or fill them with sand.

• Empty and clean animal and pet drinking water once a week.

• Keep swimming pools well chlorinated and filtered and free of dead leaves.

• Fill or drain depressions in the ground that hold water.

• Prevent leaking taps which can maintain semi-permanent pools.

• Avoid over watering lawns. This can lead to high water tables or run off to storm water drains and create permanent pools.

• Vent pipes on septic tank systems must be fitted with mosquito- proof cowls. Seal all gaps in the lid, and ensure leach drains are completely covered.

• Screen rainwater tanks and/or add paraffin oil to cover surface.

• Ensure roof guttering does not hold water.

• Some plants (especially bromeliads) hold water in their leaf axils. These should be emptied of water once a week.

I look forward to hearing that a collaborative approach has this matter under control to everyone’s satisfaction.