Housing call to save suburb's once-popular main street

Perth Now

12 hours ago

Bassendean MP Dave Kelly has called for more housing to assist in revitalising the area's once-popular main street.
Mr Kelly recently presented a grievance in State Parliament about the state of Old Perth Road and the housing crisis.
Mr Kelly said his office was consistently being contacted by people who could not find suitable or affordable accommodation, and by others who were concerned about their children not being able to enter the property market in an area they grew up in.
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'The distress this causes is significant,' he said.
'As well as a shortage of affordable housing, the Bassendean town centre along Old Perth Road is experiencing very challenging economic conditions.'
He described Old Perth Road as once the 'bustling business heart of Bassendean' where people would go to do their shopping.
'Old Perth Road was the place to be,' he said.
He said a lot of commercial activity had been 'sucked up' by the Hawaiian's Bassendean Shopping Centre, which had resulted in the road lacking foot traffic and customers for local businesses — with shops now looking run-down and in need of maintenance and refurbishment. Bassendean MLA Dave Kelly. Credit: Jackson Flindell / The West Australian
'The state of Old Perth Road is a concern to many in my community,' Mr Kelly said.
'People want to see Old Perth Road revitalised with viable businesses and well-maintained buildings.'
Mr Kelly said more than 30 local businesses had signed a petition for housing on Old Perth Road.
'People are more likely to shop locally when businesses are in close walking distance. People will shop on the high street if it is convenient,' he said.
'(This) competes well with jumping in the car and driving to a crowded shopping centre with crowded car parks.'
Housing and Works Minister John Carey agreed that housing was a 'critical driver for the revitalisation of communities and town centres'.
'If we cannot do density there, then where can we do it? We know that, due to market conditions, it is a challenge to get private development to move in the inner north and the east,' he said.
He said the Bassendean town centre, which includes some areas along Old Perth Road, needed a structure plan to guide its future use. Housing and Works Minister John Carey. Credit: Justin Benson-Cooper / The West Australian
Old Perth Road Toe Beans cafe owner Silvia Wong said the problem was a lack of businesses on the strip, with a noticeable number of vacant buildings along the road.
'No one wants to come here because there's nothing around ... No one cares,' she said.
'To the left of us is empty and has been for two years.
'Across the road is empty, and the next two shops are empty as well.'
Ms Wong said the area had been also dealing with anti-social behaviour, with her cafe being the victim of a recent theft of padlocks, tips and even coffee beans and destruction of their bathroom door.
'Someone actually came inside and yelled, and then stole our tips ... there are so many things like this,' she said.
The owner of the award-winning Jake's Continental Butchery, Jake Wilkinson, said the Town of Bassendean had tried to activate the strip a couple of years ago but it ended up negatively impacting businesses as the road was blocked off and people were unable to park.
'They had painted crates which was made into chairs, and it just looks like somebody from the kindergarten made it,' he said.
'And then there was days when the leaves will blow around everywhere, and nobody come and clean it up. Jake's Continental Butchery on Old Perth Road. Credit: Sophie Gannon
'All we had was all the people from the pub that had just opened were going over and sitting on the chairs and smoking cigarettes.'
He said apartments currently being built behind his business would be a good thing in the future but in the meantime the tradies are taking up half of the parking space around the area.
A property on Park Lane in Bassendean has been identified by both the town and Mr Carey as a 'number one priority' for housing near Old Perth Road.
Mr Carey said this site would be one of 14 used for essential social and affordable housing.
The proposal for the site is for 74 dwellings over nine storeys.
'This really is a win-win for Bassendean,' Mr Carey said.