Simply improving street lighting will make the City of Perth a safer and more vibrant place, says retail outlet T Sharp owner and council candidate Jennifer MacGill.
Ms MacGill said adequate lighting was a deterrent to criminals and also made the city more attractive.
“The more vital the residential areas are the more vital the city becomes,” she said.
“I think the inner city living lifestyle is different. People want to be able to walk to work and walk home at night safely. And when they get home they don’t want to see their streets clogged with cars.”
Ms MacGill said the residents of West Perth felt forgotten.
“They want to be a part of a living city. West Perth has forgotten its roots,” she said. “The CAT bus service is really poor up there and parking is difficult.
“And the businesses of West Perth don’t want it to become just another office block.”
Ms MacGill said the city had to be more competitive to lure shoppers away from suburban shopping centres.
“The main reason people aren’t coming into the city is because they can’t bring their car,” she said. “What’s wrong with giving shoppers two hours of free parking after 10am on weekdays and free parking on the weekends?
She said tourists were in favour of the city’s strip shopping.
“We are a young community but we should still have some history. Strip shops have so much to offer. We shouldn’t turn it all over to chrome and glass,” she said.
