WA councils threaten to abandon reform over insufficient funding

Western Australian Premier Colin Barnett is under attack from councils over inadequate funding in the State Budget 2014-15 for ambitious local government mergers.

16 May, 2014

WA councils attack Barnett over lack of funding in state Budget

Following the release of the Colin Barnett government’s 2014-15 Budget, the local government sector has reacted with fury at a lack of adequate funding for the state’s metropolitan local government reform process.

13 May, 2014

Brookfield named as preferred bidder to build new Perth Stadium

The Colin Barnett government is pushing ahead with its highly anticipated project to create a new Perth Stadium, naming its preferred tenderer to build, maintain and manage the planned sports facility.

16 April, 2014

WA solar energy lobby claims success in swinging votes away from renewable energy skeptics

The abolition of the Carbon Tax was sold as the cure for soaring power bills, but in Western Australia the prospect of households losing the opportunity to feed into the grid and cut their power bills is burning a few fingers.

8 April, 2014

Barnett peddles final bicycle network plan to the public

Urban planning over the next two decades in Western Australia will focus heavily on creating an environment friendly to cyclists in the Colin Barnett government’s ambitious new Bicycle Network Plan.

1 April, 2014

Councils slam rate pegging slug in South Australia

A pledge by the South Australian Opposition to force rate pegging onto local governments after the March election has put councils immediately offside.

3 March, 2014

WA’s country councils shake Barnett and Buswell for royalties revenue

Regional communities in Western Australian are pushing the state government hard to scrap cuts and restore funding needed to clear a $2 billion project backlog.

20 February, 2014

Perth councils divided over Barnett’s boundary overhaul

By Paul Hemsley An ambitious and controversial bid to overhaul Perth’s metropolitan local government areas by Western Australian Premier Colin Barnett has triggered widely differing reactions from councils targeted to have their boundaries radically redrawn. Formally revealed this week, Mr Barnett’s plan will slash the number of Perth-based councils from 30 to 15 and has […]

13 November, 2013

City of Perth to absorb neighbours under boundary reforms

By Paul Hemsley The City of Perth will swallow up all of the City of Vincent, Kings Park, the new Crown Casino and the new Perth Stadium at Burswood under Premier Colin Barnett’s final proposal to the independent Local Government Advisory Board (LGAB) to rationalise metropolitan boundaries. The ambitious plan by Mr Barnett to create […]

5 November, 2013

Barnett raises shark shields at Dunsborough beach

By Paul Hemsley As if shooting sharks didn’t make it safe to go back in the water, Western Australian Premier Colin Barnett has bolstered the state’s coastal defences by starting a trial with the City of Busselton to install a “shark-proof beach enclosure” at the Old Dunsborough beach to keep marine predators away from people. […]

22 October, 2013

Perth councils push their ideas for mergers

By Paul Hemsley The Western Australian government’s ambitious and controversial plan to “create fewer, bigger, stronger councils” by amalgamating Perth’s metropolitan councils is quickly taking shape after 19 local governments submitted their own merger ideas to the Independent Local Government Advisory Board (LGAB). The council submissions are the latest step in Premier Colin Barnett’s wider […]

15 October, 2013

Barnett blows $200 mil into WA windfarm

By Paul Hemsley Western Australian premier Colin Barnett is continuing the state's strong campaign to harness renewable energy sources, spinning up the Mumbida Wind Farm near Geraldton as the latest government move to tap greener, sustainable resources to fuel the state’s demand for power. The project is a joint venture between state-owned electricity producer Verve […]

1 October, 2013

Perth’s council merger triggers conservative revolt

By Julian Bajkowski and Paul Hemsley Attempts in Western Australia to push through reforms that would allow the government to halve the number of metropolitan councils have come conspicuously unstuck after local government reform proposals triggered a fiery backlash inside Premier Colin Barnetts’ own party room. The WA Premier this week ducked putting the issue […]

20 September, 2013

Perth Stadium build wired for wonder

By Paul Hemsley Western Australian Premier Colin Barnett is busting to make the new Perth Stadium a giant new technology hub for sports fans to make gaming events even more immersive – even when they are forced to leave their seats to answer the call of nature. After more than a century of sports fans […]

27 August, 2013