Sky's Vic Park Newsletter #24: advocacy, housing, waste, and batteries
Coming up in August: advocacy priorities, short-term rental accommodation applications, the strategic waste management plan, the Rutland Ave separated cycle path, community batteries, and a progress report
Kaya!
I was a bit dubious about the idea that we’re shifting from Makuru to Djilba in line with the calendar year, given all the cold and rain, but the last few mornings there’s been a shift in the air.
There have also been some big shifts in my life, with my grandparents moving into the area and my day job hitting a busy period.
I hope that you’re well and getting some time out in nature between the rain.
This newsletter includes:
Getting involved;
Local elections;
Coming up in August: advocacy priorities, short-term rental accommodation applications, the strategic waste management plan, the Rutland Ave separated cycle path, community batteries, and a progress report;
Decisions made in July: the budget, tree protections, sustainable building, 40km/hr streets, FOGO, and parking;
Inspiration from elsewhere.
Get involved
Let us know what you think of the Library Services Strategy: but get in quick, the survey closes on 11th August!
As always, there’s far more happening around the Town than I have time to get to. If you want to meet people and find community, you could check out the Collective Shed; see what’s on at the Community Centre; visit the Arts Centre; help care for Jirdarup; Save Burswood Park; and much more.
Share your talent on the Community Stage at the Summer Street Party!
Consider applying for a Community Grant, or (for non-profit organisations) a Streets Alive grant.
Behind the Scenes at Council
The local government elections are coming up on 18th October. On council, we can’t achieve anything alone. We rely on the skills, knowledge…and ultimately, the votes, of other elected members. This year, Deputy Mayor Ife and Cr Hamer (in Jarrah Ward), and Cr Miles and Cr Devereux (in Banksia Ward) will end their terms. Crs Miles and Devereux have said that they’ll run again, which I’m glad to hear. They have both consistently demonstrated their diligence, their care for the community, and their commitment to their values.
I have to admit I’m already anxious about the elections! Over the last two years I’ve appreciated getting to know other councillors and learning more about how to work with them. Potentially ending up with a reshaped council will mean new possibilities and dynamics.
Local government is the only level of government in Australia where voting is optional. At the same time, local governments often shape many aspects of people’s everyday lives. And those who pay attention to local government and get involved are often older. Please do encourage young people you know to register, and to vote!
On the agenda in August
With the Ordinary Council Meeting coming up on 19th August at 6:30pm, the Agenda Briefing Forum (where Elected Members and the community can ask questions ahead of decisions being made) took place last Tuesday. You can read the minutes here, and watch the recording here.
As always, while I’ve highlighted a few items it's best to read the meeting notes for full details.
Item 11.2 Policy 011 Elections
With local elections coming up in October, updates are intended to align our policy with recent changes to the WA Local Government Act. During the caretaker period before elections there are limits on the kinds of decisions council can make, and the use of media and communications.
Item 11.3 Minor Review of the Corporate Business Plan
As the draft notes, the Corporate Business Plan "outlines the projects and services that will be delivered over a four-year period to help achieve Town objectives and community priorities in the Town’s strategic direction. It ensures that medium-term commitments are strategically aligned, resourced and affordable."
It provides a useful overview of specific funding allocations for different community priorities in the 25/26 Budget, from pages 12 on. For example, the Safer Neighbourhoods plan is allocated $244,000; delivering the Homelessness Action plan is allocated $50,600; the Community Funding Policy is allocated $560,752; delivering the Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan is allocated $61,000; delivering the Arts and Culture strategy is $389,500; the budget for the Urban Forest Strategy is $1,107,353; and delivering the Climate Emergency Plan is $25,000...and much more!
There's also an overview of our workforce plan; risk management approach; and approach to evaluating performance.
Item 11.4 Advocacy Priorities Projects 2025/26
The recommendation (pg. 21) is for council to endorse the following priorities:
Rough Sleeping and Homelessness in the Town
Burswood Station Redevelopment
Kent Street Sandpit Restoration
Higgins Park and Playfield Reserve Masterplan
Rutland Ave Shared Path
Perth Entertainment and Sporting Precinct – Motor Racing Circuit opposition.
Applications to change from single-house to unhosted short-term rental accommodation
There are three development applications (pg. 38 on) for changing from single house to unhosted short-term rental accommodation:
Item 12.2, 12B Gresham St, Victoria Park: The officer recommendation is to allow a one-year approval as a trial. There were several public statements related to this application (at approx. 6min on) and you can see questions asked by council from 45min on.
Item 12.3, 18 Blair Athol Street, East Victoria Park: The officer recommendation is to refuse this application as it does not meet the location requirements set out in the Town’s Local Planning Policy 31 – ‘Serviced Apartments and Residential Buildings including Short Term Accommodation'.
Item 12.4, 47 Sussex St, East Victoria Park: The officer recommendation is to refuse this as it does not meet the location requirements in our policy.
Item 13.1 Strategic Waste Management Plan 2025-2030
Waste management has a significant impact on our area's emissions, and on the Town budget. As well as the draft Plan, there's a schedule of community submissions in the attachments. As always there are a range of views expressed, including some strong support for a shift to FOGO collection and the lovely suggestion that the Town provide a 3D printer for community use to help with repairing broken objects.
Item 13.4 Rutland Avenue Advocacy & Project Update
This notes (at pg. 102 on) ongoing advocacy and the need to explore options to complete the Rutland Avenue section of the Principal Shared Path. At the moment there is no clear commitment from State or Federal funding sources to cover the approximately $10.4million required to build a separated path to connect up the PSP while retaining both lanes of road on Rutland Ave.
Item 13.6 Western Power Community Batteries
The recommendation is to approve Koolbardi Park, Parnham Park, and/or Manners reserve as sites for Western Power Community Batteries. Community batteries can help improve access to renewable power and stabilise the grid for residents. Several questions were asked about this during public participation time and by elected members.
Item 14.1 Statement of Accounts- June 2025
This includes a summary of payments, credit card transactions, and fuel and store card transactions.
Item 14.3 Budget Amendment - receipt of capital funding
This approves amendments allowing the progress of the State Street and Albany Highway Intersection Improvement, and the New McCallum Park Toilet Block, facilitated with State funding.
Item 15.1 Purchase Card Audit
The Town response to the State government audit of purchase notes (on pg. 17) that "the performance audit did not find any evidence of fraud or that the Town’s cardholders misused public money". This item notes Town responses to areas for improvement identified in the audit, and refers relevant policy to the August 2025 Policy Workshop for review.
Corporate Business Plan Quarter 4 Progress Report (April - June 2025)
This is tucked away at the end, but it’s an important item! The progress report gives a breakdown of how the Town is going achieving set goals, with handy colour coding. That includes monitoring the delivery of the Community Benefits Strategy (pg. 9 on); updates on our Reconciliation Action Plan and work on dual naming (pg. 11); delivery of the Arts and Culture Plan (pg. 14); updates on the Urban Forest Program (pg. 23); and the delivery of the Integrated Transport Program, including a note that the first community counts were completed, showing “A total of 1015 movements … across 6 intersections during the two-hour survey, 928 of these were made by bike riders, 87 movements made by micromobility riders, and 78 made by e-bikes. The busiest site was Ellam St PSP near Taylor Reserve” (pg. 37 on).
Decisions from July
As always, you can see the full minutes of all past meetings online, and watch past meeting recordings (scroll down to the item number of recordings to watch a particular section of the meeting). The big ones were the 8th July Special Council Meeting (where the budget was decided) and the 15th July Ordinary Council Meeting. I’ve provided a summary of some highlights here, but as always I encourage you to look at the full minutes for more detail.
2025/2026 Budget
Mayor Vernon put forward an amendment to the staff recommendation, reducing the rate rise from an average of 5% to an average of 4% (see page 34). This came with a reduction in the amount of money put intro reserves. This passed unanimously.
For those interested in more detail, the full minutes provide the budget; capital works program; and other information. MyCouncil is also useful, providing an overview of financial information and historical rates.
Item 12.2 Adoption of Local Planning Policy 47 'Tree Retention' and Local Planning Policy 45 'Tree Planting for Non-Residential Development'
These policies are intended to support our Urban Forest Strategy on private land, where we are currently losing tree canopy most rapidly. Both were adopted (LPP 47 and LPP 45 are now on the website), with a successful amendment put forward by Cr Miles (pg. 49) requiring the CEO to report back to council in a year on the effectiveness of the ‘Tree Retention’ policy, and a successful amendment from Cr Minson (pg. 50) to waive development application fees related to tree-damaging activities until 30 June 2026. Cr Hamer voted against the adoption of the tree retention policy, LPP 47 (see pg. 51), but support was otherwise unanimous. You can watch full discussion of the item at 1hr 58min of the recording.
Item 12.3 Adoption of Local Planning Policy 46 'Sustainable Development'
This planning policy aims to encourage more energy-efficient, accessible, and sustainable building in the Town. LPP 46 received unanimous support, and will take effect on 8th January 2026 to allow for public education.
Item 12.4 Endorsement to Proceed to Stage 3 of the 40kmh Safer Speeds Project
The 40km/h Safer Speeds Project aims to improve road safety by reducing speeds on local roads
and residential urban streets (not all streets within the Town). Progressing to Stage 3 includes preparing an evaluation framework, data collection, implementing a communications plan, signage design, and staging signage changes.
This passed, with Mayor Vernon, Cr Anderson, Cr Croeser, Cr Devereux, Deputy Mayor Ife, Cr Melrosa, Cr Miles and Cr Minson for, and Cr Hamer against. The item is at 2hr 29min in the meeting recording.
Item 13.2 TVP/25/11 FOGO Processing
We awarded the tender for receiving FOGO waste! 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 14.3 Hubert Street Parking and Restriction Project
This item was brought forward as there was considerable public interest from residents of the street (you can see their questions and statements during public participation time in the recording). After considerable discussion, Mayor Vernon put forward an alternative motion (pg. 23) requiring staff to carry out further engagement and bring a report back to council.
Inspiration from elsewhere
Helsinki had no traffic deaths for a full year!
Iowa City Council unanimously passed a resolution to boycott investments in israel.
I continue to enjoy listening to Rob Hopkins’ beautiful What If to What Next podcast.
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 or raise your voice for peace.
That's all folks!
Thanks for reading! As always, if you have questions, ideas, or concerns, please do feel free to get in touch. And if you’ve read this far and found it useful, please consider sharing with friends!
best wishes,
sky.
Want to stay in touch?
Subscribe to this newsletter: https://buttondown.email/CrSky (Why not tell your friends!)
Email: scroeser@vicpark.wa.gov.au
You can follow me on Mastodon, Bluesky, Facebook, or Instagram.
Read old newsletters here: https://buttondown.email/CrSky/archive/
Had enough? Unsubscribe here: