Steve Irons (Swan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to take this opportunity to update the House on one of the local governments in my electorate, the City of South Perth. For those who are not familiar with the great state of Western Australia, the City of South Perth is bordered on three sides by the Swan and Canning rivers, offering scenic parks and gardens and a beautiful view of the city of Perth from across the Swan. The City of South Perth includes a number of bowling and tennis clubs, two libraries, a bridge club and a range of many other community facilities and junior sporting clubs like the South Perth Junior Football Club and the Manning Rippers junior football club. This, combined with its prime location and its charming buildings, makes it a very popular suburb among local residents and tourists alike.

On the weekend, the City of South Perth celebrated the opening of the Manning Community Hub, a $14 million project which has changed the face of Manning and is a fantastic facility for the broader South Perth community. In 2008, only a year after I was elected to represent the people of Swan, the City of South Perth consulted with its community members to assess options for the site in Manning bounded by Bradshaw Crescent, Conochie Crescent and Welwyn Avenue. The council found strong support for a community facility or a central hub which would include the relocated Manning library. During the community consultation, the City of South Perth endeavoured to target a broad-ranging demographic to ensure the project would fit the needs of kids, teenagers, families and its senior residents. What has resulted is a new state-of-the-art library and Manning community hall, which will house a number of community groups to support the vibrant and growing community of Manning and surrounding suburbs. The Manning Community Hub's design provides opportunities for public art displays, not-for-profit organisations and family-orientated services.

On Saturday, the City of South Perth held an open day for the Manning Community Hub. There were family activities and entertainment, and it was a great opportunity for local residents to explore this exciting project. I attended the open day with my wife, Cheryle, who is also a councillor for the City of South Perth, and we were both very impressed by the centre. It also was an opportunity to catch up with some of my constituents. I ran into an old mate, Kim Fancote, who is a local Manning resident and former WAFL player for the mighty Perth Demons. I would like to congratulate the City of South Perth for their investment in their local community and look forward to many local events at the new hub in years to come.

In addition to the hub, the City of South Perth secured $2.5 million of federal funding in October of last year through the National Stronger Regions Fund. The City of South Perth's Connect South project proposal demonstrated the criteria of contributing to economic growth, addressing disadvantage within the region, increasing investment and building partnerships, and achieving viable and sustainable project outcomes. The total cost of $7.5 million going towards Connect South will deliver an enhanced and invigorated Mends Street precinct, and will play a key role in the long-term economic and social growth of the South Perth peninsula. I would again like to congratulate the City of South Perth on their successful application and I am eager to see the South Perth region transform.

As the local federal member of parliament, it is great to have such a strong working relationship with local councils within the electorate. I met with the City of South Perth's chief executive officer, Geoff Glass, and Mayor Sue Doherty last month to discuss their future plans and direction for the city, as I do with all the local councils in my electorate. It was good to see how eager they both are to further enhance and grow the wonderful community that is South Perth for their residents and to establish South Perth as a major tourist destination within WA. They also have a plan to have another commemorative-type building to celebrate the 10th Light Horse Regiment, which will be revealed in the future.

I would also like to mention the Manning Road on-ramp, which I have been campaigning for since I came into parliament in 2008. In 2010, the coalition committed $10 million to the Manning Road on-ramp. Unfortunately, we did not win the election and Labor did not commit to the Manning Road on-ramp. In 2016 we have recommitted $20 million to the Manning Road on-ramp. Again, we got no commitment from Labor. But now that we are in a state election process, I am looking for both the Labor and Liberal state parties to commit to funding the balance of this Manning Road on-ramp. The local MLA, John McGrath, has been a strong supporter, and we have strong community support, with over 1,000 people responding to a survey saying they need the Manning Road on-ramp. I am hopefully looking for announcements from both sides of politics to support this strong community need. Again, I congratulate the City of South Perth for all the work that they do for their community.