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SUBIACO COUNCIL
OPPOSES BIG FLATS
Opposition to the State Housing Commission
proposal to build flats to a height of ten storeys in
Subiaco was expressed last night by the Subiaco City
Council.
The nine councillors present
agreed to a motion asking the
Government to reduce the
number of flats to not more
than three storeys. Two
councillors were absent.
Cr. K. R. Bowen, presenting
the motion of which he gave
notice a month ago, said that
his move was not motivated by
a declaration yesterday by the
Minister for Housing (Mr.
Graham) nor was it "an eleventh
hour" attempt to present the
views of the ratepayers.
He was not condemning flats
by submitting the motion but
he was concerned with the den
sity of population, Mr. Bowen
said.
If the number of flats in the
proposed block was estimated
according to the Town Planning
Commission's minimum area of
6,000 sq. ft. for a house, three
storeys would conform to this
standard.
Secrecy
Councillors had not been able
to tell ratepayers anything defin
its about the size of the flats and
in the early part of the proceed
ings had been handicapped be
cause of the secrecy of the first
meeting of the council with Mr.
Graham.
He believed that the Govern
ment would cooperate in the re
quest to reduce the height of the
flats and come to some under
standing.
The question of cramped con
ditions would not arise if the
flats were built at Daglish where
there were big tracts of open
Land.
Cr. Miss E. H. Parker said that
she was concerned at the num
ber of children who would be
living in the flats with nowhere
to play.
She had estimated that there
would be 138 children in the
confined area.
Backyard Views
Cr. L. A. Jones said that it
would be deleterious to adjoin
ing houses to have people from
the upper storeys of the flats
overlooking the backyards.
Cr. R. M. Clifton said that
when the council had proposes
to the Town Planning Commis
sion that the height of flats in
certain areas should be increas
ed from two to three storeys the
commission had refused the ap
plication.
Yet the Government was now
attempting to foist the flats on
to the community and not only
flouting the council's by-laws
but acting contrary to the com
mission's views.
The Mayor (Mr. J. H. Abra
hams) told the 18 ratepayers in
the public gallery, which is usu
ally empty, that the Common
wealth and State Governments
could ignore the council's by
laws.
"If the application, when it
comes before us, comes from
other than the Federal or State
Governments we will have to re
fuse it in accordance with our
by-laws," said Mr. Abrahams.
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