I had the great pleasure to launch the annual Home is Where My Heart Is exhibition run by the Youth Affairs Council of WA on Thursday the 7th of August in Northbridge. ‘Home Is Where My Heart Is’ is a peer mentorship and photographic exhibition capturing the reality of youth homelessness in Western Australia. The project partners young and emerging photographers with young people who have experienced homelessness, asking them to capture their interpretation of ‘home’. The young people learn invaluable professional skills, while boosting their experience and self-confidence at the same time. Their photographs are then printed and sold at the Home Is Where My Heart is Exhibition, with all sales going directly back into the project. www.homeiswheremyheartis.org

reece.harley@cityofperth.wa.gov.au    

www.facebook.com/ReeceHarley4Perth    

City of Perth Cr. Reece Harley

Home Is Where My Heart Is

At last the scaffolding has come down from the McNess Royal Arcade on the corner of Hay and Barrack Streets, revealing the results of a three-month long restoration project of the Facade. The McNess Arcade was completed in 1897 and is a richly ornamented example of the Federation Free Classical style designed by William Wolf, who later went on to design His Majesty’s Theatre. McNess Arcade was initially designed to be a two storey building, but Charles McNess insisted that a third storey be added to the plans. The building had 50 small offices on the upper floors, a basement pub called the Alhambra Bars (now known as 43 Below) and a beautiful glass-ceiling arcade which ran from Hay Street to Barrack Street with a number of small shops. The Aracde was later filled in to create larger floor-plan retail premises and it is hoped that one day the arcade might be reinstated. The City of Perth provided the owners of the Arcade with $80,000 from the City's Heritage Grants Round to contribute to the estimated $500,000 restoration cost. The City is full of beautiful heritage buildings. Sometimes you just have to look up to notice them!

McNess Royal Arcade returned to former glory  

Independence - Energy - Integrity

(Photo courtesy of Danielle Fusco)  

(Photo courtesy of Matthew Dwyer)  

August  2014  Update  

From the 11th of August the City of Perth was proud to host a huge delegation from Kagoshima Japan to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of our Sister City Relationship. The delegation has led by Mayor Hiroyuki Mori and Mrs Mori and a large number of civic and business leaders. The anniversary was marked with traditional ceremonial and social events, along with meetings of education and business leaders facilitated by the City to strengthen and forge new cultural and economic links on which our friendship thrives. The City of Perth’s connection with Kagoshima is our first and oldest sister city friendship. These relationships connect our cities in so many ways and 40 years is a significant achievement. As the founding customer and equity investor in WA’s iron ore and LNG industries, Japan has been instrumental in ensuring our state’s economic strength. Dignitaries also visited Kings Park, the Belltower and kangaroos at Heirisson Island and attended civic events at Council House, Parliament House and Perth Town Hall.

The City of Perth continues the roll-out of its ‘Cycle Plan 2029’, including the installation of separated bike lanes on Murray Street west and east of the Malls as well as the length of Stirling Street into the City. Recently, the City of Perth started painting sections of bike lanes green to signify potential areas of conflict with other traffic, particularly at intersections. Cyclist head start facilities, where bikes are able to move ahead of vehicles at traffic lights, have also been painted. These head start boxes reduce the incidence of collisions at intersections, as they increase visibility for both riders and motorists. By 2015, green bike lanes will also feature on Barrack Street, Aberdeen Street and Mill Street. There has been a 14% growth in cycling on paths around the CBD in the past year alone, continuing a strong upward trend over the last decade. As a community we need to provide these facilities to help reduce our reliance on cars and to promote healthier options for getting around. The City’s Cycle Plan is available here: City of Perth Cycle Plan 2029

 

New green bike lanes enhance cyclist safety  

City of Perth celebrates 40 yrs with Kagoshima  

Independence - Energy - Integrity

It was my honour to represent the Lord Mayor, Councillors and Citizens of the City of Perth at the Indigenous Veterans Wreath Laying Ceremony at the State War Memorial in Kings Park recently. Thousands of Indigenous servicemen and women fought for their country despite being denied citizenship and the right to vote. The ceremony was a chance to acknowledge the mistakes of the past and to commemorate those who sacrificed their lives in protection of Australia. Around 100 primary and high-school students attended the ceremony along with His Excellency the Governor of Western Australia Malcolm McCusker, representatives of the Armed Services, the State Veterans Affairs Minister and Ben Wyatt MLA, Shadow Minister for Aboriginal Affairs.

Indigenous War Veterans honoured at State Memorial