Hands-off approach a positive sign?

While the business sector’s apparent lack of involvement in the affairs of the City of Perth council is considered a sign of apathy or a lack of interest, an argument could be mounted that a hands-off approach is a sign that all’s well.

The city has traditionally focused on economic development in three business areas – the evening economy, tourism and retail.

Proprietor of four Perth city souvenir shops David Wartzki said that, from a retail perspective, he had no problems with the City of Perth, and that a lack of involvement of business in council may reflect satisfaction more than apathy.

“A lot of retailers are national companies and I don’t think they have a problem with the city and how they run things,” he told the luncheon forum.

“They think the city is doing a great job, so don’t take the time to fill out the forms and get involved because they think the city is going well.”

Hotel proprietor Laurie O’Meara agreed with Mr Wartzki regarding tourism, saying he didn’t believe the tourism industry would have any complaints about the way the city promoted itself to visitors.

The city also engages in some other less obvious and traditional ways to engage with and promote business.

For example, Lord Mayor Peter Natrass is the vice-president of the World Energy Cities Partnership, a partnership between 14 major ‘energy cities’ around the world including Aberdeen, Calgary, and Houston, all major resource-based cities.

“Basically it is a network of capital cities which are at the centre of oil and gas production,” said Dr Natrass, who credits the idea as being spawned in Terry Budge’s office in 2000.

For his part Mr Budge said the idea was triggered from a discussion over what to do with the city.

“I am not quite sure where it started, but a few of us were talking about it and wanted to do something about it,” he said.

“We developed it from the base of nothing, and it is quite a big thing.  They have conferences here, they have expos here – it is huge in terms of tourism.”

The City of Perth has also recently adopted in-principle the concept of creating an international business centre, aimed at helping international businesses that want to establish in Western Australia.

Councillor Michael Sutherland said councils came under constant public scrutiny for any costs incurred as a result of expanding business networks.

“If you are going to do these things and go to these expos and take proper part in the World Energy Cities you need the community to also be supportive – you don’t want all this snide sniping all the time,” he said.

On a broader scale, Dr Natrass said Perth’s involvement was a reflection of all of business in WA.

“If you don’t think putting an above-ground railway around the river’s edge is of importance to this city; if you don’t think sinking the railway is of importance; if you think plonking a small theatre in Northbridge is the way to solve performing arts in WA; if you think questions over foreshore development are not important to the city then don’t have an interest in local government, but realise these things are important to this city and are reflected in tourism and business,” Dr Natrass said. “No-one wants a capital city that is not vibrant and that is unattractive.”