In October, the City of Melville played host to a visiting contingent from the Shire of Quairading, who came to share and compare experiences in managing rural and metro areas.
Located 12 kilometres from the CBD in the western suburbs of Perth, Melville covers almost 53 square kilometres and has a population of 101,000 people, while Quairading is located around 170 kilometres east of Perth, covers 2,017 square kilometres and has a population of just 1,130 people.
Melville Mayor Russell Aubrey said having Quairading visit was insightful and helped broaden both councils’ knowledge.
“During the visit, we explored the option of sharing resourses – for instance, specialised Melville staff could assist with infrequent country problem areas,” he said. “For example, our City has specialised staff that may be helpful to the Shire of Quairading when establishing specialised frameworks and governance models that our organisation has adopted. We could also provide compliance advice, assist with strategic planning, and offer planning and environmental strategy advice.
“We also discussed ideas around recycling redundant equipment and machinery.
“It’s very important that the City of Melville strengthens ties with other Local Governments within Western Australia so that we can help each other improve and learn. This visit from the Shire of Quairading certainly helped us to do that.
“Metro and country Local Governments share a common bond, yet we are very different in our infrastructure needs and the financial demands placed upon us.
“It is important we develop understanding of these differences as we seek funding from State and Federal Governments. For example, road infrastructure is a major cost to metropolitan councils, but an even bigger burden on country shires with far fewer ratepayers and lengthy road connections.
“I look forward to our continued friendship with Quairading and the possibilities it presents, as well as the knowledge we can share into the future.”
As part of the visit, City of Melville staff and elected members took the group of nine visitors on a tour of the City’s hubs, including the Fiona Stanley Hospital, the new Kadidjiny Park and Point Walter Reserve.
Shire of Quairading Chief Executive Officer Graeme Fardon said regular visits were a valuable part of city and country partnerships to gain valuable insight into the issues facing rapidly developing cities and smaller rural communities.
“This visit highlighted the challenges faced by the City of Melville in planning and managing for the major infrastructure associated with the Fiona Stanley Hospital and its impact on the locality,” he said.
“The delegation also visited major works being undertaken at the Old Melville Primary School Site to transform it into a state of the art public open space and community asset.”
