Anne Bontempo is a frustrated business owner, and she has resolved to do something about it by standing for election as lord mayor of Perth.
SITTING in Anne Bontempo’s temporary office in King Street, the city’s office towers and shopping malls could be a million miles away.
Located on the third floor of an elegant heritage building, and accessed only by twisting timber stairs, Mrs Bontempo’s expansive office has an eclectic collection of antique furniture, books and artworks.
This interior is reflected in the external streetscape, which is a rare gem in a city characterised by glass office towers and modern shopping malls.
Mrs Bontempo and her husband Charlie bought their first building on King Street in 1989, and have since acquired six properties either on the street or nearby – five of which are heritage buildings.
Since that first investment, King Street has become an increasingly fashionable retail precinct. It is the preferred location for luxury brands such as Tiffany’s, Prada and Louis Vuitton, and local designers like Ruth Tarvydas and Wheels & Doll Baby.
While no doubt pleased with the evolution of King Street, Mrs Bontempo isn’t pleased with the city’s overall development.
“I haven’t seen anything really impressive that’s happened in the past four years,” she says.
“We should be aspiring to make Perth the most liveable city in the world.”
In pursuit of that goal, the quietly spoken political novice has decided to stand against Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi in the October local council elections.
It will be a very big challenge, because while Ms Scaffidi has copped some criticism for the extensive public works program currently under way in the central city, she is generally well regarded and considered a firm favourite to retain the role.
A sixth-generation Western Australian, Mrs Bontempo traces her family roots back to one of the state’s earliest settlers, Georgiana Molloy.
She grew up in Victoria Park and attended Kent Street High before leaving at the age of 15 to work in a range of jobs, from banking to a shearing team.
She married Italian migrant Charlie Bontempo, who was one of the co-founders of United Engineering, a highly successful business that listed on the stock market in the 1980s and is now known as UGL Limited.
Having raised two children, the now 60-year-old Mrs Bontempo has spent the past two decades focused on managing the King Street properties – hence the common moniker Queen of King Street, to which she shrugs her shoulders.
She talks enthusiastically about the interesting basements and courtyards in her buildings, which give them character and present commercial opportunities.
“I love the heritage buildings and I love the history,” Mrs Bontempo says.
“I’ve spent a lot of time going to Europe and I love their cities; this has the most European feel of any street in Perth.”
She believes her hands-on experience gives her a good platform.
“We understand what the city needs for its residents and businesses,” Mrs Bontempo says.
“If you get it right for the residents and the businesses, it will flow on to the visitors and tourists who go there.”
She believes the city should focus on the everyday issues, such as delivery of basic services like road works and rubbish collections.
She is clearly frustrated at the disruption caused by council works, and believes the city does not listen enough.
“There hasn’t been enough consideration of the existing residents,” Mrs Bontempo says.
“They feel powerless, that they are not being respected or listened to.”
Personally she has made efforts to block vehicle traffic from King Street at specified times such as during late night shopping, but has been rebuffed.
“People often say that’s the way it is, that’s how it’s done.
“I’d say: It doesn’t have to be done like that, there is another way.”
Reflecting on the difficulties encountered in getting small changes made in Perth, Mrs Bontempo recalls visiting Paris during the summer, when a major road by the River Seine is closed to traffic, sand is trucked in, swimming pools erected, deck chairs distributed, a cool mist sprayed into the air, temporary libraries established and bocce games played.
And the area is sponsored but does not have gaudy signage for all of the sponsors.
Mrs Bontempo is still refining her ideas, but the buzzwords she promotes include accountability and transparency.
For instance, she questions why hearings of the council’s finance committee are not open to the public.
“That’s the most important area that people need to know about,” she says.
Mrs Bontempo believes part of the answer for Perth is to get more community engagement.
“We need to encourage people to get involved. That’s why it’s so important to reintroduce the community forums for the whole city,” she says.
“If you don’t have that input from the ratepayers and residents, you will never have a great outcome.
“They know what the problems are and quite often they know what the solutions are.”
