Greens Member for East Metro, Tim Clifford MLC will deliver 1,000 postcards signed by City of Swan residents and ratepayers to councillors at tonight’s council meeting. Residents have eagerly signed the Valentine’s Day themed postcards that send a strong message to let council know that they were not consulted and that the Midland Oval Redevelopment Masterplan must be changed to retain the oval. Residents also want to see a sound business plan and for the development to acknowledge the heritage value of the oval.
A Special Meeting of Electors will be held on March 13 to allow residents to have their concerns heard about the lack of public consultation regarding the Masterplan.
“The City has previously claimed that only a small but vocal group of people opposed the Midland Oval Development. However, 1,000 signatures clearly demonstrates that there are plenty of people in this City who love the oval and want to see it retained in any redevelopment plan,” said Mr Clifford.
“Residents want to see a business case. It’s outrageous that a development of this scale does not have a business case and residents want to know where their rates are going. It’s not just Midland locals who care about this – ratepayers from other parts of the City of Swan are upset too.”
At a stall held last Sunday at the Midland Markets, Mr Clifford found that people were eager to stop and make their views known to him.
“The development is clearly a hot topic and I was surprised by the passion expressed by locals. They are clearly frustrated by Council’s apparent refusal to listen to the community.
“If the Council is serious about revitalising Midland, why not build an appealing place that people would want to live in, one that includes green space that will enhance the liveability of the city.”