Sky's Vic Park Newsletter #23: safer streets, more trees, sustainable building, and the budget
Items coming up in July, including tree retention, sustainable building policy, safer streets, and the budget
Kaya!
I hope that you’re well!
As I settle in to finish the newsletter tonight I’m still glowing about how lovely today’s Community Planting Day was. There’s something very special about knowing that we’ll see today’s plants grow in coming years, providing habitat for animals of all kinds. There’s one more community planting day this season, on 27th July.
This newsletter covers:
How to get involved;
Items coming up in July, including tree retention, sustainable building policy, safer streets, and the budget;
What we decided in June, including the Albany Highway Precinct Plan, a shopping centre and daycare at the corner of Shepperton Rd and Albany Hwy, and more discussion of parking.
Get Involved
Are you a member of a community group or club? Participate in consultation in person or online to guide our investment in programs, events and facilities for local clubs and groups.
Want to keep up with what’s happening around the Town? Subscribe to a newsletter; check out what’s on at the Community Centre; visit the Library; borrow some tools or kitchen equipment; and more!
With local government elections coming up in October, Deputy Mayor Ife, Cr Hamer, Cr Devereux, and Cr Miles will end their terms (and decide whether to run again). If you want to run in the local government elections, or support others who are running, it’s a good idea to start thinking about it soon.
Coming up in May
You can read the full Agenda Briefing Forum notes here: the ABF (where we ask questions about items) will be held on Tuesday 1st July at 6:30pm, with the Ordinary Council Meeting (where we make decisions) to be held on 15th July.
Two items, 11.3 Advocacy Priorities Projects 2025-2026 and 14.4 Adoption of Annual Budget 2025-26, will be presented at the Special Council Meeting on 8th July.
Item 11.3 Advocacy Priorities Projects 2025-2026
After a workshop with elected members, staff propose the following priorities (p. 15):
(a) Support to Reduce Rough Sleeping and Homelessness;
(b) Macmillan Precinct Redevelopment;
(c) Kent Street Sand Pit Restoration;
(d) Burswood Station Precinct;
(e) Mid-Tier Transport Project.
Item 12.2 Adoption of Local Planning Policy 39 'Tree Retention' and Local Planning Policy 45 'Tree Planting for Non-Residential Development'
Given that a substantial proportion of our canopy loss is happening on private property, these policies are proposed as a way of supporting our Urban Forest Strategy. The ABF notes include the draft tree retention policy, tree planting for non-residential development policy, public feedback, and unwanted trees list.
Item 12.3 Adoption of Local Planning Policy 46 'Sustainable Development'
Drawing on public feedback on the initial draft of this strategy, staff recommend adjustments (p. 33 on) to the draft policy before it is adopted. Staff responses to feedback from the community can be read here.
Item 12.4 Endorsement to Proceed to Stage 3 of the 40kmh Safer Speeds Project
This item (p. 43) presents a summary of community feedback on the proposal, and recommends proceeding to Stage 3 of the project. The notes include a fact sheet.
(For those of you who wrote in with support for lower speeds and are surprised to see that only concerns and opposition were included in the summary at 12.4.1, I've emailed to ask about why this is and whether it can be remedied.)
Item 12.5 Endorsement for Advertising: Draft Arts and Culture Strategy 2026 - 2030
This would allow opening the Draft Arts and Culture Strategy for public comment before it is adopted, and provides an impact report on our existing Arts and Culture Strategy.
Item 12.6 Endorsement for Advertising: Library Services Strategy 2025-2030
Again, this sends out a draft for public feedback before the Strategy is endorsed. There is also a report on community engagement, which includes wonderful feedback on work by library staff and the importance of the library to our community, and expresses a desire for longer opening hours and a more space for the library.
Item 12.7 Endorsement of the Youth Action Plan 2025-2028
This Plan "outlines the Town’s ongoing commitment to supporting young people aged 12–25 years to feel safe, connected, informed, and empowered to thrive in the community". Attachments provide background, an impact report, and a detailed action report.
Item 13.1 TVP/25/09 Maintenance of Bores, Pumps and Associated Works
This recommends awarding the tender for this work.
Item 13.2 TVP/25/11 FOGO Processing
This recommends awarding the tender to allow FOGO rollout to begin. While it’s exciting to see us getting closer to FOGO, don’t forget that composting at home is a great way to help your garden and decrease emissions!
Item 14.1 Statement of Accounts- May 2025
This includes the May payment summary; credit card transactions; and fuel and store card transactions.
Item 14.3 Hubert Street Parking and Restriction Project
After various communications with Hubert St residents (summarised from p. 82 on), staff recommend that council endorses the implementation of staggered no stopping restrictions and staggered unrestricted on-street parking on Hubert Street, between Miller and Mint Street.
Item 14.4 Adoption of Annual Budget 2025-26 (to be decided on at the Special Council Meeting, 8th July)
Tucked away at the end: the budget (p. 87 on)! There’s quite a lot of detail here, and several attachments, including the proposed budget itself (in standardised format); and the proposed capital works program for next year. There’s a strong focus in the draft capital works program on maintaining or replacing existing facilities, and on completing projects that have matched State funds.
Decisions from June
The June Ordinary Council Meeting took place on June 17th: you can read the notes here and watch the recording here. I’m highlighting a few of our decisions here, but it’s always useful to read the full minutes!
During public question time, members of the community asked about our capital works programs; bus stop shelters; the Auditor’s findings; elected members’ catering and refreshments; aspects of the Albany Highway Precinct Plan; whether the Town’s procurement policy ensures we are not contributing to human rights abuses carried out by israel; the Town’s commitments as a Refugee Welcome Zone; and the traffic lights at Shepperton and Miller Roads. You can read answers on page 9 of the minutes).
Item 11.2 Black Swan Theatre Partnership - The Pool
We endorsed a partnership with the Black Swan Theatre to host a production of The Pool.
Item 12.1 Albany Highway Precinct Structure Plan (AHPSP) - report on submissions and recommendation to endorse for WAPC approval
This is a big one! The Albany Highway Precinct Structure Plan sets out a long-term vision for increased density, a healthy local economy, good public spaces (including green spaces), and diverse transport options.
As the answers to questions from the Agenda Briefing Forum indicate (p. 37 on), there was a lot of discussion about the details of this plan. (As well as considerable discussion previously about whether additional changes were necessary to protect sump gardens as biodiverse green spaces.)
Cr Minson put forward a number of amendments (p. 42 on) which, roughly summarised, intended to:
a) Retain the requirement for future large developments to pay 5% to contribute to public open space projects (this passed);
b) Maintain the full 1% public art contribution from developers (passed);
c) Maintain the community benefit contribution rates at 3% of the bonus construction value (passed);
d) Maintain the original list of community benefits, as shown from page 53 on the advertised plan (passed);
e) Maintain the requirement for single public open spaces and their minimum size requirements on major sites (passed);
f) Maintain the building height as 8 stories standard in the area near the corner of Albany Hwy and Sussex St (did not pass);
g) Modify the zoning of the lot on the corner Geddes and Albany Highway (181 Albany Highway) to a lower density to ensure Victoria Park Primary School is protected from direct overdevelopment impacts (passed).
Item 12.2 Development application for Proposed Shops (including Supermarket), Restaurant(s)/Cafe(s) and Child Care Premises - corner Albany Highway and Shepperton Road, East Victoria Park
This development application (p. 47 on) is for a childcare centre, Woolworths, and other shops. It was deferred from an earlier meeting in order to allow developers to provide updated information, including addressing issues with traffic management.
I included a small amendment to our list of recommendations to the Metro Inner Development Assessment Panel, to require bicycle facilities within close proximity of the entrance to the childcare centre. Council unanimously recommended that the Development Assessment Panel approve the application subject to various conditions (listed on p. 58 on).
Item 14.3 Transitional, Residential, and Support Worker Parking Permits Report
Cr Hamer put forward an alternative motion (p. 93), going further than noting the report findings around the trial on Willis, Balmoral and Hampshire Streets, to also host a concept forum with elected members before the October 2025 Ordinary Council Meeting to determine a new eligibility criteria, number of permits per property, and cost per permit.
I argued, somewhat inarticulately, against the alternative motion, trying to express that the question being posed for this concept forum was the wrong one, and brought with it assumptions that don’t align with our Climate Emergency Plan or our Integrated Transport Strategy.
Cr Hamer’s alternative passed, with Cr Anderson, Cr Devereux, Cr Hamer, Cr Miles and Cr Minson voting for; and me, Deputy Mayor Ife and Cr Melrosa voting against.
Inspiration from Elsewhere
I’ve just listened to the CIHP podcast on ‘The Lessons of 20 miles per hour in Wales’, which included discussion about the necessity of political leadership, the evidence on how slower speed limits save lives, and how attitudes shift once people experience safer roads.
How peer research can help to make space for girls.
We are all connected
Our local decisions ripple out to affect others. What happens in the world spreads back to us. The only way to build a better world is to care for those beyond our borders, as well as our own community.
If you have money to spare, you can send help through large organisations or smaller efforts.
If you have time to spare, take action.
That's all folks!
Thanks for reading! As always, if you have questions, ideas, or concerns, please do feel free to get in touch!
best wishes,
sky.
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