Significant milestones marked in February

February may be the shortest month of this year but we’ve managed to mark some significant milestones.

The official opening of Manning Community Centre was both significant and special. Whilst I am personally very proud of this project, it was the result of cumulative efforts of elected members and City staff that made it a reality. It has indeed been amazing to watch its evolution. At $17m, this is the largest project the City has invested in and it has been completed on-time and within budget. A fantastic example of the great outcomes we can produce for our community.

Incorporating  the new Manning Library and Community Hall, the Centre is a spectacular new facility and if you haven’t visited yet I encourage you to do so. Places like this have a real, tangible benefit and positive impact on the lives of those in our community who use them. I think it’s safe to say we are all extremely proud of the new facilities the Manning Community Centre provides. The public art surrounding the building is truly beautiful, especially the  large kinetic sculpture, the principal component of IMPRINT, which is constructed of polished stainless steel panels that reflect the surrounding light and sky, with woven stainless steel mesh components that move in the wind.

In February, I also had the pleasure of officially opening and celebrating the completion of works at Millers Pool in South Perth. It looks wonderful and its natural beauty is a pleasure to experience visually and physically. We have already received really positive feedback from the community. People love the improvements and have been enjoying the new walkways and seating areas, as have the birds there that I spied the other day watching the baby bream very closely.

Millers Pool has a rich indigenous history. The area and its surrounds was part of an important camping and fishing area for the Noongar/Bibbulmun people. As part of the project, the City engaged its Aboriginal Reference Group and worked collaboratively with an indigenous advisor for comment and approval of the public art. The artworks respond to a sense of place and reflect the cultural, contextual and geographical history of this important site.

Millers Pool is part of the City’s South Perth Foreshore Strategy and Management Plan. The project improves amenity, access and natural features of the foreshore.

Works commenced in September and were completed in December 2016, a short project with a great outcome. Improvements include lighting, picnic and seating areas, a boardwalk and small viewing jetty across the pool and planting of native vegetation and trees.

I especially like the way the view towards the Old Mill has been opened up and highlighted by an avenue of trees. With a new path network connecting the pool with a foreshore walk from the Esplanade to join with the recently completed paths and picnic areas west of the Narrows Bridge, it has made the area much more accessible for more people to enjoy.

February also marked the start of the City’s place and design study for the South Perth Station Precinct (SPSP), in collaboration with the community and stakeholders. The project builds on the existing vision, consultant research and stakeholder input to date, and also considers development that is currently occurring in the area.

At the Business Workshop held on 22 February and the Community Workshop held on 25 February, business representatives and local community members were joined by City staff and Councillors, and planning, urban design and place making consultants RobertsDay to discuss a range of issues specific to the SPSP.

The workshops provided an opportunity for the participants to express their views on the future of the SPSP. The feedback captured will inform a best-practice Planning Design Forum, to be held from 13-17 March.

At the Forum, community and stakeholder representatives, including relevant State Government agencies, will collaborate with City staff and a team of urban planning and design, architecture, traffic and transport, and economic consultants to review the planning and development of the SPSP to date, and establish a new understanding of how the area should develop into the future. To find out more about this project, please visit Your Say South Perth.

February drew to a close with the City’s annual Fiesta Concert held on Saturday 25 February. The celebrations returned to the South Perth foreshore. Around 9,000 people turned out to see Australian musicians Emma Louise and Thelma Plum perform. It was a wonderful, balmy summer evening and Sir James Mitchell Park was the perfect location for this family-friendly event. The Pagoda Resort & Spa fireworks lit up the sky and were a hit with the crowd. Thank you to all who attended and made it such a special night.