Report on future population of inner city of Perth

A detailed report on plans to boost by several thousand the numbers of people living in the inner city of Perth was today tabled at the first meeting of the newly-formed Perth Planning Committee.

In a joint decision, Premier Carmen Lawrence and Lord Mayor Reg Withers agreed to consider the strategies recommended by the Inner City Housing Taskforce.

A key part of the report recommends the introduction of an urban village concept in the inner city.

The report said it had also identified that people wanted and needed to live in the inner city.

The taskforce established that an increase in inner city housing could be achieved in the short term.

Several specific case studies show projects that could be made financially worthwhile and which could house about 500 people.

The Inner City Housing Taskforce was jointly funded by the Federal Government, the State Government and the City of Perth.

The chairman of Debenham Tewson International/Peet and Co Ltd, Mr Tony Lennon chaired the taskforce.

The study area covered 742 hectares bounded by Thomas Street, Bulwer Street, the Causeway and the Swan River, effectively including West Perth, the central area, Northbridge and East Perth.

The report assumes inner city housing is desirable and:-

·         presents a vision of what inner city housing could mean for Perth;

·         examines the issues and potential solutions in making inner city housing happen;

·         outlines a strategy by way of recommendations for action to turn the vision into a reality; and -

·         addresses the hard financial realities involved in succeeding with inner city housing.

Final recommendations in the report embrace the subjects of land costs, private and public sector costs and funding, market research and promotion, planning regulations, design and development and an implementation plan.

Some of the 40 recommendations are:-

·         that all levels of government be involved in making vacant land or buildings available for inner city housing;

·         a principle that all government charges on all types of inner city housing be based on the residential useage;

·         negotiate with building unions to treat inner city housing development as a special category;

·         capital funding on a joint basis between all levels of government, including accessing Federal funds and the private sector;

·         compile a comprehensive register of all possible sites and buildings for inner city housing involving both public and private property;

·         establish an inner city housing advisory resource centre; and

·         establish an inner city housing developers' association.

The report identifies six areas of the inner city as being suitable for development as urban villages.

Today's meeting endorsed the printing of the taskforce report.  However, the document has yet to be considered by Cabinet and the Perth City Council.

This process is expected to take about three weeks, when the final document will be available for distribution to relevant departments and interested community groups.

The Premier and the Lord Mayor said that comments from everybody interested in the report would be welcomed.

In the joint statement, the Premier and the Lord Mayor said that inner city living was a major initiative which would boost the city, making it a vital, interesting and attractive focus for the metropolitan community.

The aim was to create an attractive residential environment with a range of housing options at affordable prices.

The joint statement said that it was very important that the State Government and the Perth City Council continued working together to revitalise planning for central Perth.

The Premier and Lord Mayor agreed Perth should be one of the great smaller cities of the world.