WA government to change legislation in bid to seize City of Perth land for inner-city school build

ABC NEWS (Australia)

A bitter dispute over the future of an inner-city site has intensified, with the WA Government set to introduce legislation to seize land from the City of Perth, for a 150-million-dollar primary school. Perth's Lord Mayor has accused the government of bullying, calling for a fair deal but the government is determined to push ahead with the proposal.

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00:00In a bid to ease overcrowding in the public school system, the government proposed a multi-storey

00:07primary school built on part of the Queen's Garden car park in East Perth.

00:12The City of Perth doesn't hold it for a private purpose, it holds it for a public purpose.

00:16We are not building Club Med here, we're building an inner city primary school.

00:21Under current laws, the land can only be used as a car park, but the government plans to

00:26change that after the city rejected the proposal last year.

00:30We want to help deliver a primary school in East Perth.

00:33What we want is a fair deal to help deliver it, not a state government coming along and

00:39arrogantly spitting the dummy.

00:42The government will pay the city more than $4 million to cover the loss of revenue during

00:47construction, but the city says it's nowhere near enough.

00:51This land they have valued at $40 million, and they are effectively stealing it from

00:58the ratepayers of the City of Perth for nothing.

01:01The Cook Labor Government have the means to give ratepayers of Perth a fair deal during

01:06a cost of living crisis, given they have $170 million in the Perth parking levy.

01:11The government ready to start construction as soon as the bill is passed.

01:16City of Perth had to come to the party for the offer that we made, an incredibly generous

01:21offer.

01:22The school could have opened in 2028, but we are determined that it will open on the

01:26first day in 2029.

01:28The City of Perth is seeking legal advice.

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