Eyes on the prize: Why are the WA Liberals so interested in South Perth's trees?
The situation is frustrating locals focused on the riverfront environment, who perceive the council's machinations as muddying the waters – and the Liberal Party's involvement as flooding the zone.
The vote to remove trees to protect 'million-dollar' views deepens a pattern of controversial splits over council motions in the past year, including over a hockey club lease and a motion to grant 'in-principle support' to a development proposal before its lodgment.
In these and other matters, Mayor Greg Milner has tended to side with the administration, in opposition to Deputy Mayor Bronwyn Waugh and other Liberal Party members.
Interpersonal tensions are severe, evident in council meetings, councillors not acknowledging each other when meeting in public, and one recently lobbing a Facebook insult at the mayor by publicly thanking each individual councillor for being such good a colleague – omitting Milner.
Other members are taking substantial leave periods but returning for controversial votes, and there has been a complaint made against one councillor with others moving to dismiss the adverse findings of an independent investigation, none declaring an interest.
There has also been a string of major resignations at the city, with two councillors, the chief executive and then acting chief executive all quitting within the past four months.
The situation has frustrated Local Government Minister Hannah Beazley, who, fresh off dissolving the Nedlands council, said she was 'growing impatient with the number of internal disruptions occurring'.
A community figure with knowledge of the council who asked to remain anonymous stated there were widespread community concerns that a faction of the Liberal Party had made a concerted effort to 'take over' the council over the past year.
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