WA Mayoral Candidate Spotlight: Reece Harley
The Property Council sat down with Perth Lord Mayor candidate Reece Harley to get some insight into what we can expect at the Property Council’s upcoming Lord Mayoral Election Debate.
What do you love about Perth?
Perth is an incredible City, which is why I’ve chosen to live right in the very heart of it. We have a fascinating history and an incredibly bright future with so many natural and economic advantages. I walk through the City every day, and it’s an ever-changing landscape. State Government projects like the Northbridge link, Elizabeth Quay and Waterbank are reshaping Perth forever. The State’s revitalisation of the Perth Cultural Centre, 140 William, the Perth Arena, the MRA’s restoration of William Street and of course the 2007 Small Bar legislation have all combined to transform our City in recent years. Successive State Governments have had a strong vision for the City and the entire community has benefitted from it.
I love the laneways and arcades of Perth, the growing number of tucked-away cafes, shops and small bars are all adding a new cultural layer to our City. The urban art generated by FORM in the last two years has turned many of our buildings into architectural canvases for artistic expression, while bold new architecture is reshaping Perth’s image and outlook.
The new Treasury precinct will set a new benchmark for Perth in just a few short weeks. I can’t wait to have a drink at one of the bars and make a booking at the new rooftop restaurant once it’s open. This project, like Brookfield Place before it, demonstrates to industry and to the Council that the people of Perth crave an authentic City which respects and upholds its history, as we move forward with greater ambition and civic pride.
The City will always be a place of business, but increasingly it is becoming a diverse residential community made up of local precincts with their own unique identities and small businesses catering to local residents; from espresso bars and whiskey joints in the City to breakfast overlooking Claisebrook Cove and the view of the City from Frasers at dinner. The growth of Perth’s residential community is an exciting aspect of our future which I am keen to foster and champion.
What made you decide to run for Lord Mayor?
I sincerely believe that the people of Perth are ready for change. All strong and vibrant organisations need fresh blood and new ideas to keep up the momentum and to re-energise their efforts periodically. We must match the recent investment of billions of dollars of private and State Government money in the central city area with new focus, energy and fresh ideas to genuinely deliver a City for people to live, work and play.
We must not rest on our laurels. I believe the City needs a new pair of eyes looking over the workings of Council and driving improvements from within. With close to 700 staff, a $200m annual budget and around $80m in cash reserves we can do much better than we already are. We should lead in transparency and accountability, keep rates low, slash bureaucracy and cut frivolous spending so that we can invest more strongly in supporting our local economy and shaping a City which serves the needs of people now and into the future.
The Council should be a facilitator not just a regulator. Cutting red tape and abolishing alfresco fees are high on my agenda. Why should the City impose fees on businesses that seek to bring their customers out onto the street? It is a tax on activation – clear and simple.
We can do more in the area of small business grants and dollar for dollar matching improvement grants right across the City. The City should work more proactively, innovatively and in partnership with City stakeholders and property owners to transform precincts which have been neglected.
In my conversations recently with residents and business owners in West Perth no one was able to identify a single initiative or project that the City had delivered for them in the last 8 years. The introduction of paid parking in West Perth on weekends has significantly impacted their trade. There are 11 retail premises up for lease in one block along Hay Street at the time of writing. What is the City currently doing to bring new life to the area? Many East Perth traders have expressed similar concerns to me.
I believe in stronger engagement between Council and the community. I will work to establish local business and resident precinct groups to support City traders and our vibrant urban centres at a local level. A resident of West Perth told me last week that a group of residents had written to the council proposing to temporarily close off a small section of their residential side-street to have a neighbourhood Christmas Party and were declined by City Officers; too complicated. A local business owner in East Perth recently proposed a small one-off street festival to promote the area and to cater to the local community. They were given a flat no from Council officers and after weeks of attempting to get a positive outcome they gave up in frustration.
I believe that these fundamental issues and concerns are not given enough attention and focus at the moment. It is important for the City to market itself internationally and to promote our brand, but there is still much work to be done on the ground to truly transform our City. This is where my passion lies.
As a resident and sitting Councillor I am an independent candidate offering an alternative vision based on innovation, a hands-on approach, hard work and integrity.
Where do you see Perth going over the next three years?
It’s onwards and upwards for our City and for the State of WA, but it is imperative that we diversify our economy at this time. We need a much stronger focus on the business conference and events sector to capture international and interstate tourism and investment for our City. Business travel, traditional tourism and international education combine to deliver a $3.8billion financial boost to WA and we can grow this market. Perth is continuing to build more and more hotel rooms. We now need to make sure they’re occupied and that visitors are entertained seven days a week. With a concerted effort we can continue to bring more people to the City on weekends, and make Perth a destination for weekend city breaks and recreation.
There are huge opportunities for local tourism operators and the hospitality industry in the coming years. I would love to play a role in actively supporting more Indigenous tourism in Perth. Our local Indigenous history is unique only to our City and I can see the opportunities available to us all if we foster and truly embrace and uphold our Indigenous history, and play to those strengths.
As our property market has ebbed we may start to see older commercial premises re-purposed for residential use, which is something I would support through Council. To battle increasing congestion, and to create a 24/7 economy that is more economically resilient we need to support greater density and a substantially increased inner-city residential population. These new residents will create a strong market for local shops and restaurants operating in the evenings and weekends to cater to local crowds.
Density is not a dirty word. Density done well creates cities like Paris, Berlin and Barcelona which all have strong inner city residential populations. While our city is much younger, we should not shy away from bold ambition. We can do much more within our own boundaries to encourage more residents to choose the City as their home. I believe that the City of Perth should play a much greater role in leading public discourse around architectural excellence, densification and city and street design. As the Capital City of Western Australia we should be much more active in these debates and engage the naysayers. We should prove by example that our community is capable of building greater density while retaining and indeed improving residential amenity, commercial vibrancy and community safety and wellbeing.
Under my leadership the Council will triple our annual investment in cycling infrastructure. Our current efforts are insignificant compared to other cities around the world. We need to rapidly bring about greater mode-shift to build more appealing and pedestrian friendly streets and precincts. We must genuinely build a City that puts pedestrians at the heart of our planning processes and creates incentives and opportunities for people to engage in active transport.
What can we expect from you at the debate?
It’s my first time debating these kinds of issues in this format, so it will be a new experience for me. I’ve not had the benefit of incumbency and the access to information and to people that comes with the office of Lord Mayor but I will do my best to speak from the heart and share my thoughts on the future of our City.
I will use the opportunity to tell people more about who I am as a person, my background, and the attitudes and values I will bring with me into the role of Lord Mayor. I will speak about my passion for Perth, and my vision for the City as we move forward into the next phase of our growth.
Register here to attend the Lord Mayoral Election Debate on 2 October 2015 and learn more about Mr Harley’s vision for the City of Perth.