Big milestones for big projects

The second half of the year generally signals the start of those annual bills rolling in including your rates notice. After a lot of deliberation and number-crunching, I’m happy to say that the City set its rate increase at 0.9 per cent, well below the forecasted CPI of 1.75 per cent.

The City and Council worked hard to develop a budget that had a minimal financial impact on residents and rate payers, while still allowing us to continue to deliver the more than 200 services that you have come to rely on.

We have been able to achieve a low rate increase despite the fact we have had to absorb increases to a number of government services, including a 2.5 per cent increase to water, 2.3 per cent increase in vehicle registrations and up to 3.7 per cent in increases to street lighting and electricity. It’s also great to report that the City has again retained its debt-free status.

The City’s budget totalling $320.9 million has allocated more than $82 million toward capital works projects. Amongst those projects are a $1.6 million upgrade to the pavilion at Des Penman Reserve in Nollamara and $24 million towards the construction of the Stephenson Avenue extension.

On the topic of Stephenson Avenue, the City reached a big milestone for the project earlier this month. The State Government and the City co-signed a Statement of Intent to progress the first phase of the project. Being delivered in collaboration with Main Roads, the project will extend Stephenson Avenue from Scarborough Beach Road through to Cedric Street. Ultimately, it will connect key activity hubs, including Westfield Shopping Centre, the Osborne Park industrial area and the Stirling City Centre.

With the design development almost complete, geo-technical investigations and environmental approvals well underway, construction of phase one of the Stephenson Avenue extension project is set to get underway in early 2020.

As well as working to reduce urban sprawl, the project is the first step to realising the City’s number one priority – a trackless tram down Scarborough Beach Road – which will provide a connection from Stirling straight to the heart of Scarborough Beach. The Stephenson Avenue extension project has received a commitment of $60 million in State Government funding and $65 million in Federal Government funding.

Another exciting project allocated funding in the City’s 2019-20 budget is the Princess Wallington Community Parkland set to take shape in Balga. On completion, the project at Princess Wallington Reserve will deliver a new skate facility, multi-courts sports area, BMX track, regional playground and more. Most recently, the City has advertised a tender for construction works.

Balga Ward Crs Keith Sargent and David Boothman visited the reserve last week to talk to City staff about all the latest news on the project. The tender period closes on Wednesday 14 August and construction is scheduled to start later this year. Lotterywest has contributed $2.34 million to the $6.2 million project.

For many people across the community, the beautiful Mettams Pool in North Beach is a favourite beach to visit and explore. Unfortunately, the effects of harsh winter storms have caused damaging coastal erosion at the popular beach.

To weigh up options of how we can tackle coastal erosion at Mettams Pool, the City held a community forum in North Beach on Saturday 6 July. Close to 100 residents provided their feedback on concept plans that aim to help manage the coastal erosion now, and into the future. The plans incorporated feedback from hundreds of community members who had previously completed an online Community Values Survey.

Coastal Ward Cr Karen Caddy took part in the two-hour forum, where residents considered three coastal management options that aim to protect the beach, walking paths and West Coast Highway. From here, we will be ensuring that the community’s priorities and views are incorporated into any preferred engineering options and plans.

Visit the City’s Your Say Stirling website for more information on how the City is responding to coastal erosion at Mettams Pool including presentation materials and concept plans. You can also sign-up for email updates about the project.

KATENA – Architects of Air proved an absolute sensation when it landed at Carine Regional Open Space last week. The spectacular art installation with its dazzling maze of winding paths and soaring domes ended up attracting much larger than expected crowds.

A big thank-you goes to everyone who attended the event and for their understanding when its popularity quickly exceeded all expectations. We hope that everyone that made it along to see the inflatable KATENA luminarium enjoyed the experience. If you didn’t get to KATENA, we hope to bring Architects of Air back soon.

Next time you visit Main Street in Osborne Park, keep an eye out for new trees lining road medians. Our Osborne Ward Councillors worked closely with the State Government, local businesses, user groups and the innovative Main Street Coop to make it happen. While a smaller project, it has proved a great way to liven up a streetscape and to partner with a range of stakeholders so we can add a bit of extra vibrancy to the local community.