MELVILLE councillors have rejected a design and budget for a contentious park in the Canning Bridge precinct.
The park is one of two that residents are pushing to have developed in the precinct to cater for greatly increased densities, but councillors were concerned about the burden the $1.7 million price tag would have on ratepayers.
Central Ward councillor Scott Green argued at last Tuesday’s monthly meeting the proposed budget would be better spent elsewhere awhile the land could be utilised for a greater purpose.
“There are better sites for tree-planting than The Esplanade,” Cr Green said. “We need much more bang for our buck.”
Applecross-Mount Pleasant Ward councillor Clive Ross has been one of the key supporters of the project and says “$1.7m equates to 38.25 cents for each ratepaying property in the City of Melville”.
Cr Ross said that amount would decrease even further if the current level of properties under construction was taken into account and more people moved in.
He said the City had failed in its obligation to provide public open space within the walkable distance of 400 meters from each resident, estimating more than 700 faced a longer trek to access a bit of nature.
Save Our Space co-administrator Sue Flis told the Herald the decision to reject the motion had fuelled the already raging uproar of residents in the area who were keen to finally have a liveable space with a bit of fresh air.
Earlier this year, more than 2000 people signed a petition asking the council to “go ahead and fund the park that they’d agreed to create” Ms Flis said.
She says it’s understandable the council is pushing for high rise buildings to promote density and combat Perth’s sprawl but she hopes councillors pay attention to the value of public amenities as well.
She says the only POS in the City is Apex Park which is bound by a “black-watery swamp” and the “little perimeter border along the banks of the river”.
Ms Flis hopes the council will have secured enough funding by the time a review of the park problem is considered at its June meeting.
by CINDY CARTOJANO