Sky's Vic Park Newsletter #2
Kaya!
I hope that you're all well and managing through the heatwaves that we've been experiencing. It's certainly made it a bit tiring cycling everywhere, but at the same time I feel more appreciation for shaded paths and green spaces that we travel through.
This newsletter will tell you about what's happening behind the scenes at council; suggest opportunities to have your say; talk a bit about Local Planning Scheme #2; and offer some suggestions for inspiring reading/watching/listening.
If there's anything you want more of in future newsletters, let me know! And, as always, feel free to forward this on to others who might be interested.
Behind the scenes
After taking a break in January, council meetings have now restarted. There are two kinds of regular public meetings: Agenda Briefing Forums (where no decisions are made, but we can ask questions about the coming motions) and Ordinary Council Meetings (where the decisions are made). You can watch these in person or online, and you can attend to ask questions, make statements, or present deputations or petitions.
While public meetings are important, there's also a flurry of activity happening behind the scenes. We ask a lot of questions about upcoming decisions by email rather than in the public meetings - there are different ideas about what kinds of questions to ask by email as opposed to publicly, and I'm still working it out myself!
Every other Tuesday there's a training session for elected members (this month the theme is 'managing conflict') or a concept forum (like the workshop on the Local Planning Scheme that I'll discuss below).
Amidst all of this, I'm still trying to work out how to pursue some of the community priorities that seem most important. I'm getting the hang of responding to items that come up, but how do I get new ideas onto the agenda? Happily there are many people who have offered to share their knowledge, so I'll get there eventually!
I also get a few messages a week from locals about the issues that matter to them. Recently, these have included concerns about bicycle infrastructure, the CCTV program, dog poo bags, and the update to exercise equipment at Read Park. Often, I'm slow to reply as I spend a week or two thinking and doing research.
Get involved
The agenda for the 20th February council meeting includes funding for community groups; potentially renaming Duncan St reserve; and a decision about whether to further consider sale of the Town's carpark at 47 Planet St Carlisle. If these or other issues on the agenda are important to you, email us or come to the meeting.
After tussles between local governments and the WA state government, the state government have now opened up feedback on a potential urban greening strategy. You can have you say here - it only takes a few minutes.
Related to this, I'm heartbroken to see that polyphagous shot-hole borer has started to affect Vic Park. Several beautiful trees have already been removed. You can help by ensuring you don't accidentally spread it and alert DPIRD if you see signs of the beetle.
Deep dive: Local Planning Scheme No.2
One of the big issues we're discussing in the coming month is the passing of Local Planning Scheme No.2 (LPS2). This is a high-level plan for what Vic Park will look like, and it needs to go to the WA state government for approval. That means that some changes might not be accepted - for example, it's been made clear that all councils need to plan for increased density, that we cannot ban new gas connections, and that council-level protections for trees on private land will not be accepted.
Once the LPS2 is passed, changes will continue to be made to the Town's planning schemes through Precinct Structure Plans, so this is only a very big-picture look.
Reading the first few pages of the new draft is useful: the proposed changes are written in red, and they include some heartening goals...
"To encourage a diversity of housing...to cater for diverse and changing housing needs."
"To promote active transport use through balancing the needs of pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users with those of private motor vehicles."
"To avoid the over-supply of parking to reduce dependence on private vehicles, and facilitate development that is designed for access via active transport means."
"To maintain and enhance open spaces and improve access to open space areas to meet the needs of current and future populations."
"To protect and enhance the natural environment with due regard to: maintaining biodiversity, minimising non-renewable resource use and greenhouse gas emissions, increasing tree canopy, reducing urban heat island effects and minimising waste and pollution."
One of the issues that Council needs to decide is whether this will be handed over to the Western Australian Planning Commission as-is for approval, or whether we might try to make other changes.
There are many planning issues that I'd love to dive into here. Thoughtful urban infill can do a lot not only to make housing more affordable for everyone, but also to create safer, more vibrant neighbourhoods that are better serviced with public transport, local shops, and opportunities for community connection.
I have a lot of questions about the LPS2, some of which will take a while to work out. How do we ensure good public green spaces? How do we reduce the urban heat island? Can we ensure that new buildings are energy-efficient and comfortable (especially workplaces and apartment buildings, where the people spending time may not be able to retrofit later)? Can we have convenient and secure bike parking at apartments, workplaces, and retail space as well as parks, libraries, and other public places?
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Inspiration from elsewhere
If you care about affordable housing, connected communities, climate action, or better cycle and pedestrian paths, you need to pay attention to parking. I've been slowly reading through Paved Paradise, a fascinating reflection on how parking shapes cities. (If you prefer podcasts, you might enjoy learning about the high cost of free parking or listening to the 99% invisible Paved Paradise episode.)
I love having moments where I spot a big gap in my thinking. I've been thinking a lot about the groups that should have a voice on bike infrastructure: commuters, cargo-bike and trike users, people with disabilities, children and parents. This wonderful episode about a NYC e-bike charging company reminded me that I've been overlooking the delivery cyclists working in our area.
Perth has great beaches, but the fuss of getting there means I'm rarely excited about going. I loved this story about how Copenhagen created more public blue spaces - and it's definitely led to a lot of daydreams about a more swimmable river! Especially given how many lovely shady riverside spots we have close by. (You definitely can swim in Derbal Yerrigan and Djarlgarro Beelier, but check the beach grades first.)
Although the Town provides dog waste bags as a courtesy, these sometimes run out and it seems that some park users haven't been bringing their own - or simply don't pick up after their dogs whether there are bags or not. I've been doing some research into different solutions and came across an interesting study on setting up compost stations for dog waste.
We are all connected
Recently the Australian government pulled funding from the UNRWA after unsubstantiated claims that eight of their 30,000 staff were involved in the Hamas attacks. UNRWA is one of the few organisations able to offer some relief to Palestinians in Gaza, the majority of whom are now facing starvation. You can help by calling your federal member and asking for funding to be reinstated immediately, and by donating directly to UNRWA.
They Vote For You is an excellent resource for looking up your federal representative and seeing how they've voted.
That's all, folks!
Thanks for reading! As always, I encourage you to get in touch if there's anything you want to chat about.
best wishes,
sky.
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