Report recommends inner-city living for Perth

A major report has recommended landmark changes to rejuvenate the Perth city precinct by encouraging inner-city residential living.

The plan aims to satisfy the desire of thousands of people who want to live near the heart of Perth.  The inner-city population when last surveyed in 1986 was just 15,000.

Premier Carmen Lawrence and Perth Lord Mayor Reg Withers today released for public comment the 'City Living' report of the Perth Inner City Housing Taskforce.  The taskforce was funded by the Federal and State Governments and the Perth City Council (PCC).

It was chaired by Tony Lennon, chairman of Peet and Company and of Debenham Tewson International (WA).

The report called for changes to tax, water authority, fire brigade, zoning and parking regulations to allow more innovative inner-city housing.

It called for the promotion of inner city living to give the estimated half of Perth households which consisted of just one or two people more lifestyle options.

It wanted unused upper storeys of retail buildings such as Walsh's building and the Fitzgerald Hotel to be developed as housing, the conversion of warehouses to numbers of living units, and the use of available inner-city land such as the PCC depot in Northbridge for residential development.

The report called for a register of all possible sites and buildings for inner city housing, including public and private property.

It is expected that one of the first projects to be undertaken will be the redevelopment of the Railway Institute building in Wellington Street.

Some of the other locations identified with potential for greater inner city housing, were:

·         Northbridge

·         the area around King and Queen Streets

·         East Perth centred on Goderich Street.

Deputy Prime Minister and Federal Minister for Housing, Health and Community Services Brian Howe said he was pleased to have provided funding for the report as "it is absolutely necessary for our cities to be rejuvenated as exciting, affordable and accessible places in which to live".

"Inner-urban housing is one of the many options our cities need, to provide a greater range of choice in location and housing type, as a far greater proportion of households will comprise only one or two people," Mr Howe said.

The Premier said the report recommended a comprehensive planning approach to create six urban villages in the 742-hectare city area bounded by Thomas Street, Bulwer Street, the Causeway and the Swan River.

Dr Lawrence said the report was open for public comment till the end of April.  Copies could be obtained from either the Perth City Council or the Department of Planning and Urban Development.