Your Council, Your Connections

Your Council meetings are open to the public. To see and hear what goes on you can walk in at (almost) any time. In South Perth the formal monthly meeting is usually at 7 p.m. on the last Tuesday of the month. On the Tuesday before that there is normally a formal briefing session on items in the month’s agenda. This is where ratepayers and residents can submit questions to the Mayor on agenda items and where you can make a deputation to Council on these items. Recent topics have included Dog Law and HomesWest developments. Meetings only sometimes extend past two hours. Go on, participate in Democracy!

During the month Councillors will have many other forums, workshops and briefings. These are not generally open to the public and have a very informal style. Some Councillors also attend training sessions, for example updates on the Law, Code of Conduct and Rules of Conduct, on understanding financial reports, on Planning, and so on. It’s a bit of a work load.

When Councillors swear their oath of Office they voluntarily surrender some of their Constitutional right of free speech. Decision-making in an effective Council is in a collegiate style, rather than one of “getting the numbers”. This always gives a much better outcome for the City’s future. Councillors agree, too, to support the group’s decisions, whether they personally agree or not, voted in favour or not and even whether they were present or not. There are many laws about process and behaviour. One that surprises some is that a Councillor must have an open mind, be open to argument and not have a fixed position.

Perhaps you’d like to represent your community. Click here for some thoughts on what you might bring to your community.

In my area this month I’ve got Neighbourhood Watch onto Facebook, Twitter and the Web. You are welcome to join as a Friend, to Follow and to browse. I’ve also added a Community Calendar to this Blog, for you to use. You can link to it on the right side of this page. Feel free to send in your events, it’s free.

See you at the Community Garden planning session at McDougall Park on Sunday?

As always, we’d love to read your thoughts. Click on Comments, below, or email me and I’ll publish them for you.

Rooster to Feather Duster

Congratulations to Mayor Sue Doherty on selection by the community to lead our City of South Perth. Congrats also to Councillors Bill Gleeson, Fiona Reid and Sharon Hawkins-Zeeb who will represent us on Council. For myself, there’s lots to do in the extra thirty hours a week I now have as an ex-Councillor. Rooster one day, feather duster the next. Tonight I’ve updated the Neighbourhood Watch web site and created a Facebook page for that tremendous group of committed people. Now for a Blog update. Oh and click here for my Facebook page.

A common theme in the election was the community’s sincere concern about change and how we plan for a future that will be very different to anything in our past experience. Canning Bridge development was certainly a big issue.

Exciting presentation last night with ABC's Josh Byrne on Community Gardens. South Perth's projects at McDougall Park in Como include a shared garden for the community, a wonderfully imaginative kids' playground and preservation of the heritage dairy farm buildings. I love the way this park is going, with about five phases of people passing through each day and swans and other birds nesting in the middle.

McDougall Park was originally a dairy farm, started in 1914, operating until 1946 when Neil McDougall retired. Neil and Hazel gifted the farm to the Council and Hazel’s will specified that the house and farm buildings be preserved. They are now heritage listed.

I am excited about this project because I have seen others working well in Perth City, Fremantle and in Africa. What a great way to bring people together! You are invited to the next planning meeting at the park on Sunday 6 Nov 10am to 12 noon, Clydesdale St, Como. It’s open to everyone, especially if you live in Manning, Como or McDougall wards. See you there!

I’ve had a number of calls from people who received voting papers for the Mayor but none for the Ward Councillor. If this happened to you, or you received none, especially in Como, please let me know so I can advise the WAEC.

Next week sees a Special Electors Meeting at 5:30 on Monday at Manning Bowls Club, in response to a petition against development by Homes West at 4 Downey Drive, Manning. While many in our city are doing well, there are others that are in hard times and need our support. All in our community need shelter and security, basic needs for all that live on Earth. There are real questions around how we ensure such core needs for our residents, in an envelope of trust and respect. It is certainly not easy and I hope all that attend share these key values.

Manning residents will choose a new Councillor soon, as Cr Les Ozsdolay resigned this week. Les has worked hard and done wonders, being the driver behind Clontarf Markets, the chef for innumerable sausage sizzles and an ear for many residents. A by-election will happen some time soon. With heaps of support, I will be nominating and hope to be as useful.

Click on Comments below or just email me, to have your thoughts published here.

Preston Street for Dinner?

It’s Friday night in Como. Where shall we go for dinner? Preston Street of course! Sunset view down the hill, sails on the water, a cool drink to hand. Ahh, I love this place.

Now, what can we do to make it even better? What if we encouraged the restaurants to place tables on the pavement, leaving a walkway on the building side? Patrons at Just Tapas, Empress, Coffee at Cygnet, Wild Lime, Golden Mile, Lago di Como and others could enjoy sunset even more.

Then what if we did a bit of engineering and shaped the pavement a bit so tables stood straight? What if the businesses chipped in for the cost? What if we had a bit of gentle street music?

Do you have an idea? If we work with our Council we can do wonders with our City. Click on Comments below or just email me, to have your thoughts published here.