Council bans New Year’s Eve shows

Tuesday, 17 August, 1999 - 22:00
• NO NEW Year’s Eve parties will be held on City of Perth reserves, council has decreed. Sunset Coast Special Events applied to hold a New Year’s Eve concert on the Esplanade reserve that was estimated to draw between 20,000 and 30,000 people. The concert was to include an outdoor cinema for direct satellite links to major cities around the world, a fireworks show and a slide project on city buildings presenting a century of images. Council refuse the request and justified its New Year’s Eve ban as being in the interests of public safety. A staff note to council said such an event would put an extra load on emergency services including police and ambulances that would already be stretched by New Year’s Eve festivities around Perth.



• Roe Street car park is to receive a $421,000 facelift. Council is opposed to its car parks looking like car parks and has hired Multi-plex to place decorative facades on the building.



• COUNCIL may soon offer free parking to promote city shopping. Councillor Jennifer MacGill raised the issue when council was considering road closures for the Triathalon World Champ-ionship event to be held in Perth on 30 April. Mrs MacGill said closing major city streets could hurt traders. Council CEO Garry Hunt said new powers given to council under the Parking Management Act made it easier for council to consider offering occasional free parking.



• COUNCIL has agreed to lease the Perth Concert Hall to the Ministry of Culture and the Arts for five years for a total of $5. While the council owns the building, the WA Government has paid for much of its maintenance. Councillor Michael Sutherland said council could be seriously out of pocket if it had to pay for building maintenance and charge a market rent.