WHO needs the Swan River foreshore development, a major sports stadium or the deregulation of trading hours? Despite these festering sores that cause so much angst in Western Australia, Perth has again been ranked in the top 10 most-liveable cities, according to The Economist.
Sharing eighth spot with Adelaide, which has none of that stuff either but can claim a world famous wine district on its doorstep, Perth has consistently performed at the top end of the endless cycle of liveability surveys, even though the local heads of multinationals bemoan the city’s lack of culture and amenities.
Of course, Melbourne is often offered as an example of what Perth ought to strive for. It has the big sports stadium and plenty of other culture. The Economist has placed it first, toppling Vancouver for the first time.
Melbourne scored 97.5 per cent, just beating Vienna on 97.4 per cent and Vancouver on 97.3. A ranking of 100 per cent is considered ‘ideal’.
Sydney, Perth on steroids when it comes to water access, beaches and brash millionaires, came in sixth.
The survey ranks 140 locations as having the best or the worst living conditions, with cities scored on political and social stability, crime rates, access to quality health care, cultural events, the environment, education and the standard of infrastructure.
“Australia, with a low population density and relatively low crime rates, continues to supply some of the world’s most liveable cities,” Economist intelligence unit survey editor Jon Copeland said in a statement.
While Perth is viewed as close to ideal in The Economist’s approach, not everyone agrees.
Last year, not-for-profit group FORM did its own liveability survey and found Perth’s natural assets and the quality of its education offerings were overshadowed by the capital’s perception as complacent, over-regulated and risk-averse.
The Perth-based organisation recently gathered 80 of the city’s business leaders, design professionals and local government representatives to assess the ‘creative pulse’ of Perth.
Perth has been ranked Australia’s least sustainable city in a new index created by the Australian Conservation Foundation.
The Sustainable Cities Index tracks the progress of Australia’s 20 largest cities across 15 indicators including air quality, ecological footprint, green buildings, water, biodiversity, health, density, wellbeing, transport, employment, climate change readiness, education, food production, public participation and household debt.
Perth recorded the highest level of water use, car ownership, and ecological footprint per person.
