Latest news with #Landgate
Perth Now
3 days ago
- Politics
- Perth Now
Controversy over ‘offensive' park name getting ‘woke' change
Blackboy Park in Mullaloo is set to be renamed by the City of Joondalup after community consultation showed broad support for a change — but it will need to come up with a new name after a proposed one was rejected. The city held public consultation on the proposed name change earlier this year after years of debate and an 11-1 council vote in December approving the change to Koorlangka Park. Just more than 1800 submissions were received, with 55 per cent backing the name change, while 43 per cent supported keeping the original name. Your local paper, whenever you want it. Of the 1802 submissions, 40 per cent (746) were from people living outside the City of Joondalup. Despite public support, the city will need to return to the drawing board for a new name after Landgate said 'Koorlangka Park' would not be supported due to its similarity in pronunciation and spelling to the nearby Koolyanga Road. The park is named Blackboy Park due to the presence of xanthorrhoeas, plants more commonly known today as grass trees. Credit: Simon Santi / The West Australian City officers have recommended the city pursue an alternative Aboriginal place name through an Aboriginal-led engagement process. The decision comes despite Landgate, the authority responsible for place naming in WA, previously expressing general support for the proposed name. The city had engaged Aboriginal consultancy Nyungar Birdiyia in early 2024 to provide a recommendation for the renaming. Koorlangka Kallip, which loosely translates to 'children's park' in Noongar, was initially suggested by the group, though city officers advised keeping 'Park' based on feedback from Landgate. The park is named Blackboy Park due to the presence of xanthorrhoeas, plants more commonly known today as grass trees. Currently there are only a handful of these grass trees in the 20,750sqm park. Common points raised by those in support of the changes during the community consultation included that the current name was 'offensive, outdated, derogatory and racist', and that renaming the park would be 'more respectful and welcoming'. The main arguments of those opposed to the change were that the current name was 'not offensive', that it referred to a plant name, and that changing it was seen as 'woke'. City officers believe the council should still consider changing the park's name as the community expected it. 'The community consultation undertaken revealed that, overall, a majority of those who responded support the renaming of Blackboy Park,' city officers said in a report. 'Actions undertaken by the city and decisions of council on this issue to date have raised an expectation with the community that Blackboy Park will be renamed, and more specifically renamed with an appropriate Aboriginal place name. 'Not proceeding to rename Blackboy Park, or renaming the park with a non-Aboriginal name, creates a reputational risk with members of the community that consider reference to the term 'blackboy' is outdated and offensive.' The Joondalup council will consider the city's recommendation at their meeting on June 24, following discussion at the agenda briefing on June 10.
West Australian
02-06-2025
- Business
- West Australian
Town of Port Hedland set to slug ratepayers an extra 8 per cent on minimum residential rates for 2025-26
Residents are again set to be hit in the hip pocket as the the Town of Port Hedland puts next year's rates out for public consultation, with the average residential bill set to be $2481, with a minimum of $1404. The rate in the dollar amount for 2025-26 is actually proposed to reduce for all categories except unimproved mining and pastoral land, to account for Landgate's valuer-general revised valuations, which have seen large increases across the board. The rate in the dollar for residential properties for next year is proposed to sit at 4.72¢, down from 6.7¢, but giving a clearer picture of the actual hip-pocket cost, the minimum residential bill would sit at $1404, up 8 per cent, from $1300 this year. To calculate a property's council rates bill, the rate in the dollar amount — set by the local authority — is multiplied by the property's valuation amount (gross rental value, or GRV) — set by the valuer-general. If the figure falls below the minimum rates level, you will pay the minimum charge. As a result, while the rate has technically reduced, the overall effect still leaves ratepayers slugged a larger amount to help fill a 6.84 per cent increase in the local authority's operational expenditure for the next financial year. For comparison, the Consumer Price Index rose by 2.4 per cent in the 12 months to April 2025. The budget increase includes an extra $1.3 million for 'regulatory and new IT staff', $1.5m for the 'building cleaning contract', $1.4m for the 'public open space cleaning contract', just under half a million for a 'security contract' and nearly $230,000 in added insurance costs. Offsetting those rises slightly, however, is more than $800,000 predicted to be wiped off as a result of a decrease in 'established (staff) positions, vacancy rates'. In proposing the new rates model, council officers noted residential values had been particularly hard-hit by the new valuations. 'The new triennial revaluation of properties received from the valuer-general has seen a significant increase in residential valuations, moreso than other categories,' they told the council within the May 20 special council meeting agenda. 'The rate in the dollar charge has been adjusted accordingly to maintain as near to the current apportionment of the burden of rating across all differential categories. The new minimum rates charge for commercial, pastoral and mass accommodation plots is proposed to be $1900, an increase of $100 a year, representing a 5.26 per cent rise on the 2024-25 amount. Minimum 'mining' rates remain at the 2024-25 level — $250. But the rate in the dollar figure for mining has actually increased, by just over 5 per cent. The pastoral rate in the dollar follows just behind with a 4.5 per cent rise. The proposed rates motion was carried unanimously at the council's May 20 special meeting. Also agreed within the motion was the maintenance of the pensioner rate cap gap program, but with the financial support limited to a maximum of $200.
