f o n w o T The k r a P a i r o t Vic
“The aim is to create a vibrant place day and night, which encourages the community to be connected socially and physically.”
k r a p e h t #lifein The Town outsourced its annual end of year event to an events group who worked closely with a community group to deliver the awesome Vic Park Summer Street Party 2015.
Town of Victoria Park: This is us! The Town of Victoria Park is a quirky, urban community located just 10 minutes from Perth’s CBD, across the Causeway on the south side of the Swan River. The Town is centred around the vibrant and bustling Albany Highway, famed for its culinary smorgasbord, buzzing café strip and unique retail stores, and includes the Burswood Peninsula which is home to Crown Perth, Perth Racing, new Perth Stadium and $4b worth of development.
A range of small and ‘pop up’ initiatives aimed at activating the Albany Highway ‘strip’ and other community activity areas have garnered the Town of Victoria Park both local and international attention.
In recent years there has been a transformation from being traditionally seen as a diverse working class suburb of Perth, into an increasingly sought after destination for residential, commercial and leisure pursuits, with a thriving café culture and increasing investment in mixed-use developments.
“The aim is to create a vibrant place day and night, which encourages the community to be connected socially and physically,” Mayor Trevor Vaughan said.
The Town promotes a ‘vibrant lifestyle’ and its mission is to foster a creative, attractive, friendly and environmentally sustainable place for members of the local community to live, work and play.
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The Town attributes the success of these projects to its enabling attitude when it comes to partnering with local community groups and businesses; cutting the red tape and encouraging them to implement their own projects and initiatives.
“The Town has also been very progressive and insightful in advancing technology to meet the needs of its community in making it easier for everyone to get online, stay in contact and access information when they’re out and about, creating a seamless extension of their living room.”
“We are enabling and easy to do business with which helps community groups achieve their goals.”
“We want to change the face of local government and aim to lead the sector in everything we do.”
Mayor Trevor Vaughan
Anthony Vuleta CEO
VICTORIAPARK.WA.GOV.AU
k r a P a i r o t Vic e l y t s e f i L t n Vibra Lathlain Precinct Redevelopment Project
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The Lathlain Precinct has long been identified by the Town as an area for enhancement and revival. The Lathlain Precinct Redevelopment Project (LPRP), which includes the relocation of the West Coast Eagles AFL club and the Wirrpanda Foundation to the area, is well underway. GREAT EASTERN HWY
There are eight separate project zones making up the LPRP that will undergo redevelopment and/or revitalisation. The redeveloped precinct will deliver a broad range of new and expanded community programs focusing on youth, families, health, Indigenous people, sport and education to be outlined in a detailed Community Benefits Strategy. Read more about the Lathlain Precinct Redevelopment Project at lathlainprecinct.com.au
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Images below: Lathlain Place revitalisation is complete as part of the LPRP. Community information days have kept people up-to-date and made it easy to give feedback.
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Environment and Sustainability Victoria Park Council is focused on the protection and enhancement of our environment to ensure the qualities we enjoy today can be maintained and enjoyed in the future for generations to come. “We have a wonderful array of environmental assets including bushlands, parks and a picturesque foreshore, all of which our specialised environmental team strives to manage in accordance with best practice, for the enjoyment of the community,” said Mayor Trevor Vaughan. A Foreshore Access and Management Plan has been developed and provides a long term strategic vision and direction for the Town’s foreshore by identifying elements that require protecting, maintaining and enhancing, whilst responding to current and future management challenges. “In addition to this, we have several community engagement projects that help educate the community on the importance of environmental sustainability, empower them to improve their quality of life and that of the environment, and to share their knowledge and experience with others.” In planning for the future, the Town has committed to developing a Climate Change Adaptation Plan that will ensure the local community, economic activities and environment are resilient to the long-term risks of climate change. Image left: The Town’s community garden supports residents in growing their own produce.
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Burswood Peninsula and Swan River Foreshore
The magnificent Burswood Peninsula through to McCallum Park has been described as the ‘entertainment hot spot of WA’, a title the Town aspires to keep, and is the product of building relationships with key stakeholders like Crown Perth, Perth Racing and the State Government’s new Perth Stadium, to bring events, entertainment and tourism to the area. The recent addition of pop-up waterpark Xscape at the City has helped to connect the community to the peninsula, and driven traffic to local retailers and cafés. Perth Racing has plans to develop its site over the next few years to become Perth’s newest multi-faceted entertainment and events centre. Crown Perth, the award winning and largest employer in the Town, attracts over nine million visitors per year. Once its six-star hotel and the new Perth Stadium is complete it is anticipated millions more will be drawn to enjoy an array of world-class sporting and music events. “The Town’s enviable expanse of Swan River foreshore frontage and parkland provides a picturesque location for large-scale events and development opportunities, which will turn Burswood Peninsula into a thriving hub of entertainment, drawing people from around the world, benefiting cafés and local businesses throughout the entire Town,” said CEO Anthony Vuleta. Image right: Crown Perth is a valued partner in helping the Town create a vibrant lifestyle for its community.
Development in the Town The Town of Victoria Park has some exciting development projects in the pipeline, with a plan to more than double the population and shape the area into an energetic inner-city community.
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The State Government’s housing target for the Town of Victoria Park is to construct an additional 19,400 dwellings by 2050. This will result in a total of 35,321 dwellings or an increase of 222%, and about 76,000 residents by 2050.
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Current projects:
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Burswood Peninsula District Structure Plan State Government document guiding the future development of the entire Burswood Peninsula, reflecting current approved plans and projects including the new Perth Stadium. Burswood Station East Master Plan to transform a light industrial and underutilised area near Burswood Train Station into a thriving transit-orientated, residential and office hub surrounding an established town square. Albany Highway café strip The most significant retail and business area within the Town, and a focal area for higher density residential and mixed-use development. Belmont Park Redevelopment A $4b vibrant mixed-use transit-oriented development covering four precincts including the redevelopment of Belmont Park Racecourse facilities. Highlights of the Structure Plan include high-density, mixed-use residential and business development up to 46 storeys with a public marina and wrap-around frontage to the Swan River.
Safe, Active Transport People are encouraged to walk, cycle and use public transport instead of their car when travelling around the Town. This aims to create a safer, healthier, more active and environmentally sustainable community. With improved infrastructure upgrades and a streetscape local planning policy that emphasises passive surveillance design, the community aims to be a safe, walkable place which prides itself on being pedestrian and cycle friendly. This is thanks to the Town implementing what is thought to be the first Integrated Movement Network Strategy (IMNS) – a strategic document that considers all modes of transport (walking, cycling, public transport, car etc) and the travel needs of all users, now and into the future. It looks to deliver an efficient, safe, well-connected and sustainable transport system up to the year 2031. One of the key objectives of the IMNS is to ‘enhance the urban environment with greater emphasis on bicycle and pedestrian paths and connections with public transport’. “We wanted to look at ways where people rely less on their cars to get around,” said CEO Anthony Vuleta. “By making it easier for people to walk or cycle we have healthier, happier residents and a much more vibrant, closer community.” Image right: Cyclists enjoy safe 40km/h speed limits on our main café strip.
l Counci ation Particip The Town of Victoria Park entered its 2015 local government election with a record-breaking number of candidates. Never before had six candidates run for Mayor, while a startling 15 others also entered the running for the four ward seats up for grabs. Likewise, voters also came out to support the campaign in larger numbers with the average voter turnout rate across the election for Mayor and the ward positions at 28.87%, an increase of 4.25% compared to the 2013 elections (24.62%). “Our aim last year was to grow participation in running for Council and also voting – we hope to see these numbers increasing with each election,” said Mayor Trevor Vaughan. “We have a dynamic mix of young people with more senior members, and within the group there are some longer serving members plus a few who are very new to the sector.” Town of Victoria Park elected members are committed to their roles and passionate about their community.
Engaging to Evolve The Town is in the midst of one of its most important projects ever, the Evolve project —a radically different approach to traditional local government practices. Historically, the preparation of the Integrated Planning Reporting Framework (IPRF) has involved a moderate level of community engagement, but in order to develop, in particular, an even more accepted and realistic Strategic Community Plan, the Town is turning this process on its head and trying something completely new. Through intensive public participation taking place until October 2016, a vision for the Town is being prepared while services and projects that meet the community’s needs and expectations are being identified. “Undertaking this level and type of community engagement on a project is unprecedented for the Town and potentially for other local governments,” said CEO Anthony Vuleta. “We are having sincere and open conversations with the community about the areas where they feel they are being over or under-serviced, so that we can understand the community’s priorities and expectations.” Over 500 residents and ratepayers have signed up to participate through a number of channels and after the intensive public participation phase is complete, the new Strategic Community Plan and other IPRF documents will be prepared in time for the end of the 16/17 financial year. Image right: Café conversations are just one of the ways the Town is engaging with the community on the Evolve project.
yourthoughts.victoriapark.wa.gov.au
l a r u t l u Our C rmation Transfo In 2014 the Town was recognised with a national award for successfully transforming its organisational culture into a constructive and high performing one, by international consultants Human Synergistics at the 16th Australian Culture and Leadership Conference. Human Synergistics gave the Cultural Transformation Award after staff participated in cultural training with Veraison Development which focused on organisational, cultural optimisation – the Town was one of only three organisations in the southern hemisphere to receive an award that year. CEO Anthony Vuleta said transforming a whole organisation was a massive task that required vision, courage, commitment, and being values driven. “Equipping staff with cultural training has ensured they are skilled and able to handle significant change and are in the best possible shape for the future. “Our staff are the best in the business and have undergone a constructive cultural revolution in a short amount of time. It was fantastic for them to be recognised for that,” Mr Vuleta said. Image top: Our values – ‘positive, inspirational and caring’ – are embraced by team members across the organisation. Image right: Town of Victoria Park staff live and breath a fantastic workplace culture.