January 17, 2012

Perth CBD Waterfront Redevelopment - 10 Reasons I Don't Give a Shit, and Nor Should You


The Perth CBD Waterfront Development. Hate it or hate it, it's coming. Maybe. Chalk-lines are on the ground. AM radio talk-back switchboards are running hot. It's time you, as a proud citizen of Perth, took a personal stand to not give a shit. Presenting : Perth Waterfront - 10 Reasons I Don't Give a Shit, and Nor Should You.



1. Subiaco, East Perth, Northbridge.

There is a long proud history of entirely destroying all elements of anything interesting during the process of Perth inner-city redevelopments. Not so long ago, people would flock from around the city to visit Subiaco, and not just for the football, or to pick up mutton. Subiaco was the home of two large and varied markets, side by side. A casual, even eclectic, eating, drinking, and dining environment. Nightclubs where stabbings were not a regular feature. Now, several hundred million dollars later, we have a soulless inner city suburb, stripped of the very character that made it a destination in the first place. Locals have moved on. Poorly designed overpriced apartments with zero redeeming architectural or eco qualities, food franchises, and streets paved with silence are now the defining elements of Subiaco.

The award winning Northbridge redevelopment is a small area of aesthetically terrible and cheaply constructed apartment complexes that are designed to turn-in on themselves and eschew the neighbourhood that surrounds them. Lets call it "Subiaco-lite", and just be happy that the redevelopment stopped where it did.  The inner-city East Perth redevelopment has been superseded in scale by the Mandurah canal development. No, this is not a joke. However, the East Perth redevelopment, is.

Which brings us to the Waterfront. The same machinations that designed all previous Perth inner-city redevelopments will take another stab at the pale, ordinary, and dull, with the CBD Waterfront. It's a done deal. It's starting in April. It will be terrible. Just like every single other redevelopment in inner-city Perth. However, this one will be worse, as it is primarily a precinct directed at business and tourism. No, this time is not different.


2. You won't be able to live there. Ever. 

1700 apartments, in total. The population growth of Perth in a two week period is approximately 2000 residents. These apartments will be expensive, and will be occupied by empty nesters, or just empty. Two weeks worth of population growth is accounted for. Mathematically, you have about a 0.001% chance of living at the Waterfront. Do the figures. It would be fair to say, if you are reading this article, you won't be living there. Ever. Despite international planners like Jan Gehl stating that the number one issue facing the Perth CBD is lack of residents, the local planners have decided that we can only make room at the Waterfront for 0.001% of the population. Message to Jan Gehl: don't bother coming back to Perth, unless there is a large pay-check involved. Nobody is listening, nobody cares, nobody gives a shit, and nor should you. PS, you're awesome, come back and slap the restraint and ordinariness out of the local planners.

3. Arts-and-Culture-Free-Zone.

So, you won't be able to live there. At least you will be able to visit the Waterfront, and immerse yourself in exciting and thought provoking arts and culture. At this point, in this article, there are two types of readers. The readers saying "yes, that will be nice", and the readers saying "lol" (or "meh").  This next part is directed at the readers saying "yes, that will be nice": Anything devoted towards arts and culture at the Waterfront will be almost totally devoid of Arts and Culture, at best. For evidence, look at the WA Museum. Stuffed animals, empty rooms, mechatronic Dinosaurs ex some third rate shopping mall in Singapore. I thought that a child-sized Eames chair would make a nice rest stop, last time I visited the "Museum", and then realised it was a the single focal point of some kind of contemporary/modernist "exhibition".  The pile of asbestos laden rubble next door holds more attraction and culture, but that's just me, I presume.  Has anyone visited the The Bell Tower lately, he asked knowingly.  Not to mention, the painted steps in the "cultural center". I cringe each and every time I see those steps. Who thought, "fuck it, I'll just paint the steps". Really? Paint the steps? What the fuck were you thinking? Still, it's a nice match for the quality of exhibitions at the Art Gallery. No need for permanent Jackson Pollock representation at the Art Gallery, just check out the stained pastel carpet next time you're there. Close enough. List of great exhibitions at the Art Gallery over the last twenty years:

1. Peggy Guggenheim.

End of list.

No, this time it's not different. Arts and Culture will not be provided for in any meaningful way, at the Waterfront. A token, as yet unfunded, Indigenous Arts Center you say? Shut. Up.


4. No loud music. Quiet please!

Any loud music or loud events will have restrictions due to the 1700 residents having more than a fair say. Fair enough, they have invested a large sum of money for the water-views. It's only fair that 0.001% of the residents of Perth have an over-the-odds say about how much noise and activity the other 99.999% of the population engage in, within the CBD. For evidence on this one, stay tuned for my future list: "the top fifty bars/pubs/clubs that have been closed in Perth, primarily due to residents complaints". Go all in on this one, it's a lock.

5. It will be knocked down at some point. 

In a city where the  heritage listings process is confusingly ridiculous enough to heritage list grass, the thorn remains that nobody else in the government cares enough to follow the covenants of the heritage listing anyway. In Perth, you can knock down any building you like, and then pay the token fine. So, whether you like the plan for the Waterfront or not, local history shows that the best elements will be the first to be demolished to make way for a tilt-up concrete mixed use pharmacy development.

6. If you're Generation X, you don't really give a shit anyway, congratulations. 

Been there, done that, preaching to the choir, no point in banging our collective heads against a brick wall, we're all dead in the end. Build it. Don't build it. We're indifferent, and don't really give a shit either way. Or not.

7.  Darling Harbour Sydney, South Bank Melbourne, Viaduct Auckland. 
Alex, I'll take "sterile and boring areas to avoid when you're visiting other cities for $400". There is a long standing tradition of antipodean inner-city Waterfront fuck-upery. North Haverbrook, Shelbyville, Springfield, Perth. If you have one, we want one, and we're prepared to pay for it. Blank chequebook. We want one of everything. One tunnel, one stadium, one freeway. One Waterfront. One World Government. One Army. One common currency. OK, that was the weed talking, but my point stands. Cairns gets Gucci and LV, we want Gucci and LV. Adelaide gets Zara, we want Zara. Canberra gets a new museum, we want a footy stadium and three hospitals. That last one didn't make sense. So what. Waterfront fuck-upery in Perth, is inevitable. It's our destiny. Get me Lyle Lanley, S.T.A.T. MONORAIL! MONORAIL! (cable car cable car?).

8. You won't visit there anyway. 

There won't be a Harvey Norman, a Bunnings, nor a Lincraft.  You can't watch the footy at the Waterfront. There probably won't be a drive-though Macca's. Neither Red Rooster or Chicken Treat have expressed an interest in opening.  All of the essentials of Perth living are found right in your own home theatre. Shutup. Be quiet. Do not attempt to think, or depression may occur. Stay in your homes. Remain calm. The comfort that you demanded, is now mandatory. Be happy. The number one enemy of progress, is question. All sports broadcasts will proceed as normal.

9. Architecture. There won't be any.
You know it. Whatever gets built, most of the key sites will most likely be awarded to a single developer, as with with the Northbridge link. Meaning that financial conservatism will determine what gets built. It's a monopoly. There is no incentive to the developer to do anything other than make as much money as possible. What the fuck were people thinking, awarding the Northbridge Link to a single developer? Here's a list of band names, that may or may not have anything to do with planning in Perth: Corruption. The Greased Palms. The Kick-Backs. That Idiot Can Be Bought. Knock It Down And Pay The Fine. I think I'll stop there, lest some bullshit rebuttal gets published in Inside Cover. "the number of small bars denied in the last three years = zero". Line of the year. Hey clown, news flash, I got the info from YOUR website. RGL.WA.GOV.AU. Click on "Directors Decisions". It's all there. DENIED.  In any case, Corruption is a great name for a Hard-Core band, and I'm sure it's been taken. Ipso Facto, there is little hope for any decent Architecture. If a single developer gets awarded most of the site, there is zero hope. No, that single developer will not be an international rock-star of architecture.

10. On a long enough time-line, the survival rate for everybody is zero.
On one side if this debate are the NIMBY's. It really wouldn't matter what was proposed, these people would be OUTRAGED. There's hospitals to be built, laws to be enacted to protect us, silence to be enforced. On the other side of the debate, there are a whole bunch of people essentially thinking : "just build the fucker, it's better than what's there now". Those people are correct. It will probably be better than a patch of grass. Logically, it should therefore go ahead, no matter what the outcome. In the future, after the Waterfront has been built, NIMBY's will just move on to trying to block the next non-hospital project higher than two storeys. The grandstanding ego-centric personalities that are using the Waterfront for their own media attention and personal gain will also move on to another cause. Neither group really, honestly, gives a shit about this city. Each side has an agenda, and the one thing both sides have in common is an acceptance of mediocrity. After decades of absolute garbage planning in Perth, slowly but surely, the balance of the Zeitgeist will be tipped into the "I don't give a shit" camp. Perth will get the Waterfront it deserves.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR/DISCLAIMER:

I don't work in planning, architecture, or any field that would be affected by this development. I don't want to open a small bar. I don't affiliate with any particular political party. I have no connections in any way related to this development. I am not a member of any group pertaining to this development, or any other development project in Perth. I 100% agree with the people who say "just build the fucker". I firmly believe in the power of the Internet to spread ideas. This is just my opinion. No facts are not not contained in this article. I enjoy living in Perth. I'm an optimist. I love cops. And I know that this time, it's not different.

Facebook, Twitter, Forums, re-posting, sharing, encouraged.

PS, Some may say "if you don't give a shit, why did you write an article about it?" To those people, I say you would be astounded at the rate at which I can think, and type. And, that you have missed the point. Some may say "what are your ideas then?". To them I say, "xxxxxxxxxx xx xxxx xxx x xxxx xxxxx".

72 comments:

Paul said...

This is why we can't have anything nice in Perth..

Unknown said...

Beautiful.

Matthew Jones said...

"This will be the last remotely political post on 6000TIMES."

This is a shame. I've thoroughly enjoyed every post you've made on Perth's... "development ambitions" to date.

N. said...

Thanks Matthew. You're right. I have removed the offending text.

Jackson said...

It's been a long time between drinks. A pretty accurate representation. Except maybe point 9 - yes, the architecture will be bland. But it won't be by one developer. Just build the fucker.

N. said...

Thanks Jackson. Yes, it has been a while between drinks. I like my drinks stirred, not shaken ;). As for the architecture, we will have to wait and see, but as a betting man, my money is firmly on "shit".

Jackson said...

Hey I never said it wouldn't be shit. I just said it would be a collection of different types of shit instead of just the one.

Matt said...

Oh mysterious N, I do wish you'd get back to twitter... Or blog more. Or both?

As always, the second best read on Perth current affairs in 2012.
(pipped at the post by PerthNow comments).

BRIK said...

Did you say something about more PEC pictures in another post? :O

Anonymous said...

this made me so happy.

Acc521 said...

Nice return to form.. Keep 'em coming

Amanda Thomas said...

Did you know iconic Perth's Hungry Spot had been shut down by your beloved cops? Did you?!

MattB said...

great read Nate!

N. said...

Thank-you for the compliment, Councillor.

Anonymous said...

cultural centre good starts:
urban orchard
fringe
st jerome's
dachshund un
free wifi
agwa exh: patricia piccinini & william kentridge
pica exh: silver exhibition & very fun park

N. said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
N. said...

^^^
I'll take "things that make you go meh" for $400 thanks Alex.

Jo said...

Quit the whinging, start the building

Scrawny said...

Weird. You hate the development, but still want them to build it. What's the opposite of NIMBY? A YIMBY?

If you weren't so old I'd be inclined to think - typical gen Y.

Anonymous said...

Genius....a bright spark in the swamp of (un)cultural commentary that exists around us

Bobby Dazzler said...

"Nightclubs were stabbings were not a regular feature." Do you even read your entries after you've written them?

N. said...

Scrawny : hate is a strong word. I don't hate it.

BobbyDazzler : I am astounded that anyone reads my entries, including myself.

IMPORTANTLY
-----------
AMANDA : PLEASE TELL US MORE ABOUT HUNGRY SPOT. CAN ANYONE GIVE US THE DETAILS ABOUT THIS ICON CLOSING DOWN?

Alex said...

Brilliant article, but I do give a shit. What's just a patch of grass to some is a lot more to others who see and use it regularly. I play soccer or eat lunch there most days, a welcome escape from my concrete cubicle. Many others do too. It's a beautiful and peaceful spot - the grass, open space, trees and river work together. Rare for the centre of a city. Supreme Court Gardens are good, but not the same. Digging up the Esplanade to install more water, glass and concrete makes me mad - why not leave what works (and has the benefit of already existing) and put the mini-Canary Wharf in the river? ie add to the city, rather than demolishing it.

Anonymous said...

pS plans for perth Waterfront done by ARM, the same firm of melbourne architects who brought us the perth arena...

helloboyz said...

Brilliant read, loved it. Your style is a healthy mix of 'attention seeking' a good dose of 'self-deprecation', a sprinkle of 'exaggeration', delivered with enough confidence to make readers not want to dig into the facts too much.

As a fellow Gen X (I think) I don't have high hopes for this project, however, I don't think it'll be that bad. The existing benchmark will make it a 'success'.

ronggly said...

> List of great exhibitions at the Art Gallery
> over the last twenty years:
>
> 1. Peggy Guggenheim.

2. Patricia Piccinini (in 2010)

N. said...

Helloboys : thanks, I think.

ronggly : yes to Patricia Piccinini.

Jackson said...

Art Gallery: 3 year, 6 exhibition deal with MOMA. First one in June. Looks great. At least that is looking bright.

Alex: You have ALL of Supreme Court Gardens and Langley Park just a few hundred metres east. That is literally Kilometers of open space.

The Worst of Perth said...

Yes, well that seems depressingly accurate.

Kamu said...

The apartments are sold already?

Christopher said...

I like that Worst of Perth comments! They should know! :) Personally I think being able to land a plane on the edge of the city is cool even if it only happens every 10 years or so. If you build it they will come! Up until 8.00 pm anyway, this is Perth after all! Lets hope that Perth one day wakes up to the fact that the rest of the world eats after 8.00 pm. WAKE UP PERTH!

N. said...

^^ The Legend 101? Is that you?

Stencil said...

You seem to give a shit about not giving a shit. It's well written. And passionate.

But.

The Gen X stuff is tiresome. You think you guys invented not giving a shit? Well, I'm a baby boomer, and I don't give a shit about you not giving a shit.

Luke said...

N, what was your twitter acc? @idsign_au :) glad to see you got into the entcent, i was that guy that spoke to you about it briefly a few months back.

N. said...

Hey Luke, at the moment, I am twitterless.... once I decide to get back on the Twitter Train, the link will most likely be on here somewhere. Good to hear from you again.

Luke said...

Yeah you too man, been staying away from the computer the last few months. whats been happening?

Robyn said...

11. Public realm. Will I be able to buy a drink, and drink it outdoors when I head down there after it’s built to see whether the place holds anything interesting or pleasant for me? Or will there be somewhere to sit and watch people and the river, without buying a meal and so renting a seat? Will I be able to invite a few friends to come with me and have a chat about this and that, without feeling out of place or being moved on? Will I be able to use a public toilet or will I need to hike back up the hill, or again rent the (toilet) seat by buying something? What about after 8pm, will the space be actually locked off or effectively locked down?
Has this development too been forced to succumb to the heavy, economically driven pressure of conservative Perth to cleanse the interesting and ordinary in urban life?

E said...

Approx 100,000 people work in the City of Perth (2006 census).
1,700 apartments at 1.8 persons per apartment = 3,060 people living at the waterfront.
Gives 3% of people the opportunity to both live and work in the city (in addition to several thousand more apartments to be developed at riverside east perth, city link etc)

N. said...

Luke : a bit of this, a bit of that. Hope all is well. Catch ya round, no doubt.

Swan River Ralph said...

RE: A certain late night destination, I don't have any solid, fact checked or verified information. (Hey lawyers, what follows is a fiction and any similarity to any late night destination living or dead is purely coincidental).What I was told was that due to the involvement of the owners in certain shady activities, they were shut down by the police. At about the same time that I heard this, a news article appeared about an unnamed North Perth late night place being raided for dealing Chronic and receiving stolen property. (Actually, you'd probably best not publish this comment in case lawyers get a hold of it, but just thought I'd pass on what I heard. They sell nangs for years with no drama, but the second that Chronic gets involved it becomes an issue. Gotta love Perth)

N. said...

Swan River Ralph: I think it's fine to post this unverified comment about a certain late night destination. Those who know, will know.

Phil of Nedlands said...

Don't see the need to rush through bad ideas. Anyone with half a brain knows that the best case scenario for completing the entire project is about 20-30 years. By then no one who has commented on your post will care anymore because we will all be to busy writing letters to The West or Post complaining about the number of crows at the local park or sitting in some wanky wine bar on the corner of Eric St and Marine Pde talking about how much we used to enjoy Sunday sessions at the OBH. Personally I think the Northbridge Link project/redevelopment is more important to the future of Perth but each to their own.

Anonymous said...

This type of development will ruin the Perth foreshore.
Perth is unique in the way that it has lawn / garden area seperating the skyline from the water.
sure we can use develpment.
however using a heritage listed site is a narrow minded way of building monuments to the government of today.
if the city was to expand why not take it back sinking the railway line, expand over northbrige, out to newcastle st.
where the buildings are not more than two stories and very few have any heritage status, save great buildings like the brass monkey and alike, also save the front of some of these buildings as a way of mixing the past with the present and future.

we have one of the nicest city scapes in the world
"lets keep it that way"

Chris said...

Great you've finally updated this! Love the post and couldn't agree more. You should have your own newspaper column ;)

N. said...

Thanks Chris!

Anonymous said...

As an Architect, Planner, and Urban Designer that's realtively new to Perth I have this to say... You're spot on mate. This is definatley the best commentary on the state of Perth Planning I've heard yet.

I see an upside too and don't really give a shit... Bad planning makes Perth average and keeps people away (we can't keep up with the growth as it is, can you imagine if it was actually a great city). It's nice that no one comes here. Fuck it, if you want a world class city to live in then move to one. I came here live somewhere average and quiet. It's time to take it easy.

Business local listing Perth said...

I never read this type of article before. I appreciate you for the article you have written. Thanks.

katrina said...

I still don't understand the obsession with flipping GRASS in this state: we practically live in a desert, so why the HELL would anyone think wasting millions of tonnes of water on keeping green spaces alive is a practical and economical use of one of our most precious resources, be it ground/grey/recycled/purple water or what?? Build the flipping thing, the Esplanade is a mighty waste of space and I will just hope that whatever ends up on the foreshore will provide interesting new opportunities for social interactions and cultural pursuits. Even if it happens retrospectively, guerrilla stylee ...

Ruby said...

Facebook page on hungry spot shut down.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hungry-Spot-Mt-Lawley-RIP/124675180968059?v=info

Anonymous said...

Heaps more spots for tagging,

David said...

Riverside Drive? Seriously - who needs it anyway. And as Colin so rightly pointed out - it's way easier to build a tunnel underneath the development once it is finished.

-Dave
Soon to graduate civil engineer with sore face

Anonymous said...

im all about developing perth and getting it a well known great city, so many people hate it and travellers from over seas hate it coz they can see it in our faces, i wanna do something about it and stop complaining like every1 else,whos with me on this........... but how do we start

AKUTE said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Be enlightened,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jt8_RnGPVJ0

acc521 said...

Hey mate, update your blog already. SSC is poorer for your absence, at least throw us a bone on here!

N. said...

Hey Acc... I have a new post in the works, it will take me another few weeks...I am incredibly busy at the moment with a new blog (top secret). Dilaz banned me for life at my request, but I have made a new account, and will be back on soon. Also, I will be in Hong Kong next week, looking forward to that!

Anonymous said...

how do you get to fremantle power station?!

Anonymous said...

I just can't stomach the fact that property owners / developers are allowed to destroy the lifeblood of a suburb (ie markets) just because they can make a quicker return in order to sell it for apartments W.H.Y. than what they get in rent etc. Surely this is in violation of heritage laws and if not why can't the city act on this or even purchase the site to ensure it is preserved indefinitely. If these people which might champion the salve that they are switched-on, aware and forward thinking business people then why has the fact eluded them that if you rip the heart out of something then it doesn't matter how much you try to resuscitate it, it has died.

N. said...

Yes. Every suburb in Perth has had/will have its heart ripped out. It's the way we do things here.

Anonymous said...

There was a poster titled "Perth waterfront, this is what you'll get, this is what you'll lose' published in march. Can you please reinstate it ?

Anonymous said...

There was a poster titled "Perth waterfront, this is what you'll get, this is what you'll lose' published in march. Can you please reinstate it ? or send to vandermast9@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

I check your page every few weeks, where have you been?! Itd be great to see some more stuff from you! Rants or photos or opinions or cheesecake or Peter Newman, its all good!

Matt

Anonymous said...

So they decided to call it "Elizabeth Quay" after you know who.......

I would like to know who decided on the name of the waterfront development, and how they came to the conclusion. Where was the public consultation? The city belongs to ALL Western Australians and the quay is being built using tax payers money and i believe we should have had a say in what the development will be called.

The Queen, it may surprise some people, was in 1954 the first reigning monarch ever to visit Australia — and this is to her credit, though it speaks volumes about Australia’s importance to the family before her time. The Queen has been back approximately once every 4 years since then. Ignoring the media spin, unless you were privileged enough to be invited to a vice-regal event, or were part of an elite yourself, there is no way you could possibly claim to know what sort of person our absentee head of state really is. And even if you were were lucky enough to be invited to meet Her Majesty, the stringent rules of “court etiquette” dictate that you cannot ask her any questions — no, as an inferior you are obliged to politely wait until, and if, she deigns to speak to you.

The truth is, our system is designed simply to place the monarchy up on a pedestal for our uncritical adoration — just because. These privileged elites, who inherit their positions through nothing more than a lucky accident of birth, are simply deemed – by an odd quirk of history – to be of a higher status in our society than us. Well this is OUR country.

What is Colin Barnetts big love affair with the Queen? What has she done in the last 50 years apart from appearing for the odd BBQ? I have nothing against the Queen she actually reminds me of my grandmother, but she really has had nothing to do with the development of the state of Western Australia. The development should be named after an AUSTRALIAN, perhaps someone associated with the swan river, or someone who has made a difference to the lives of other Western Australians.

Sorry for the rant, just my 2 cents worth.

Yours sincerely,

A Frustrated AUSTRALIAN!

Anonymous said...

turn the foreshore into a botanical garden and people will hang there...
no one wants a stagnent canal with overprice cafes, seagull shit and human statues. Large developments should have a referendum, it's our bloody city!

MaliceInWonderland said...

Great read. Initially came to your site looking for info on Iwanoff and got sucked into the vortex.

Suffice to say... I'm a baby boomer, mother to an "I don't give a shit" gen Xer, and have to admit I no longer give a shit either. I'm exhausted from years of giving a shit. The last time I actually gave a shit was when Jeff Howlett's Council House was threatened with demolition.

I also hope you continue not giving a shit and posting about it here.

Anonymous said...

Hurry up and update this! I miss your regular, awesome updates.

Anonymous said...

This is about the abandoned building you find, do you know which ones are still standing?

if you could give me a list or a way to contact you, that would be really appreciated

Anonymous said...

I came to Perth and in 1988 and every year since stood and heard tourists say how beautiful Perth looked untill the hay shed was built,now where getting a Chinese shit hole water park least it will look nice and black for the new leaning bhp scaffold tower.And i might get a job cleaning that shit hole out done that before....

Justine said...

"Acceptance of mediocrity" -- you've hit the nail on the head! That's exactly the description I've been trying to think of to explain why this city is driving me bonkers.
I agree, most people don't seem to be understanding your point. But I think I can relate -- I want the waterfront development to go ahead too, cos I know if one let's the change-averse population dwell on these things for too long, the project never ends up getting off the ground. And then what are we left with? Those same people complaining that the city doesn't have this and that & something else and "in Melbourne they have blah blah blah..." So fuck it! Build the damn thing cos otherwise we'll never get ANYTHING in Perth!

Anonymous said...

Really enjoyed this article. You'd think Perth would learn from the mistakes of other more developed cities but seems hellbent on making all the same blunders. Why not be different? Why no development in places like Vic pk where streets are also painfully and depressingly quiet?

Anonymous said...

werd to that, 100% agree. You just have to look at the slightly-tilted-towards-monarchistic-liberal banners on the temporary fencing around the development site to get some kind of clue of what the intended future denizens of this waterfront will be. And conclusively, if you don't like it, you are indeed free to go forth and multiply.

Anonymous said...

Ha ha, $440 million is just to get the site ready. The 1700 "residents" also includes hotel accomodation and service apartments. What a waste of a handy open space. I always thought that the government would be better off building "Millionaires Island" off riverside drive by dumping a whole heap of dirt and rocks into the swan river, right where that ferry runs between south perth and the CBD. Build about six glitzy 30 story buildings, bung in some expensive restaurants, brasseries, imported beer barn, clothing boutiques, some franchised posh shops from over east. People living in those apartments in CBD and South Perth will have it in their faces and they would be salivating over Millionaires Island from the turning of the very first (muddy) sod. It would be the new highlight of the city! Drawing a potential six billion visitors to Perth! It could have its own reality show too. Come on Perth!

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