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City of Perth
City of Perth
City of Perth
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The City of Perth is a local government area and body, within the Perth metropolitan area, which is the capital of Western Australia. The local government is commonly known as Perth City Council. The City covers the Perth city centre and surrounding suburbs. The City covers an area of 20.01 square kilometres (8 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 21,092 as at 30 June 2015. On 1 July 2016 the City expanded, absorbing 1,247 residents from the City of Subiaco.

Key Information

History

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Perth Town Hall was the council seat from 1871 to 1925.

In 1829, Captain James Stirling founded Perth as part of the Swan River Colony. A Perth Town Trust was formed in 1838, but remained largely non-functional for many years due to lack of finance and administrative capacity leading to its dissolution in 1858.[4] The City of Perth was officially declared on 23 September 1856[5] with Council meeting for the first time in December 1858.[6] In 1871, the City of Perth was reconstituted as a Municipal Corporation.

In 1915, following the efforts of WE Bold and the greater Perth movement, the City absorbed the Municipality of North Perth (1901) and the Municipality of Leederville (1895), and on 1 November 1917, the Municipality of Victoria Park was also absorbed. A year later, it absorbed territory from Perth Road Board (including the Belmont Park Racecourse) and purchased the 526 hectares (1,300 acres) Limekilns Estate in the western suburbs. The City developed the suburbs of Floreat Park, Wembley Park and City Beach on these lands.

In 1925, a new City of Perth Act gave the City additional powers over building control and regulation, including the power to declare new streets. In 1930 the first town planning committee was established.

Criticism of the City’s governance by the David Davidson, the state's Town Planning Commissioner, led to a Royal Commission in 1938 on the grounds that the development of the western suburbs had led to the neglect of health and building administration in the central city area.[7]

By 1962, the council had 27 members representing nine wards.[8] In 1963 the Metropolitan Region Town Planning Scheme Act required the City to establish a town planning department—which they did by appointing architect Paul Ritter in 1965.[9] Ritter’s two year tenure was short and turbulent, leading to public conflict with councillors and his termination in 1967.

The City’s first town planning scheme was submitted to the Town Planning Board in 1973, but not formally adopted until 1985. The reason for the delay was a state government desire to take discretionary powers out of the hands of the Council. Council was felt to be too easily influenced by powerful developers.[10]

On 1 July 1994, following the passage of the City of Perth Restructuring Act (1993), the City of Perth was broken up and a significantly reduced City of Perth constituted. The Town of Shepperton, Town of Cambridge and Town of Vincent were created from the former boundaries of the City.[11] The first elections were held on 6 May 1995, with eight councillors and a mayor.

The City of Perth Act 2016 defined Perth as the capital of Western Australia,[12] and expanded the City's boundaries to include a number of landmarks including Kings Park, University of Western Australia, Perth Children's Hospital and the Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre. The boundary changes took effect on 1 July 2016.[13] Approximately 1,247 residents from Nedlands and Subiaco in the City of Subiaco were transferred to the City of Perth, and the City expanded to a total area of 20.01 square kilometres (8 sq mi).[3]

The Perth City Council was suspended on 2 March 2018, pending the establishment of a public inquiry into the council, by Local Government Minister David Templeman. The council was administered by three Commissioners until 18 October 2020. The two-year Inquiry carried out up until that point, conducted at a cost of nearly A$8.0 million made many findings, none of which resulted in criminal conviction.[14]

In July 2021, the City of Perth formally recognised the Whadjuk Noongar people as the traditional owners of Noongar Country, the land on which the "City of Perth (Boorloo)" is located, signing the agreement Yacker Danjoo Ngala Bidi[15] with Whadjuk elders on 10 August.[16]

Council

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See also: List of mayors and lord mayors of Perth

Suburbs

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The suburbs of the City of Perth with population and size figures based on the most recent Australian census:[17][18]

Suburb Population Area Map
Crawley * 3,975 (SAL 2021)[19] 1.4 km2 (0.54 sq mi) Map
East Perth * 11,681 (SAL 2021)[20] 3.2 km2 (1.2 sq mi) Map
Nedlands ** 10,561 (SAL 2021)[21] 5.4 km2 (2.1 sq mi) Map
Northbridge 1,420 (SAL 2021)[22] 0.5 km2 (0.19 sq mi) Map
Perth * 13,670 (SAL 2021)[23] 4.6 km2 (1.8 sq mi) Map
West Perth * 6,102 (SAL 2021)[24] 2.2 km2 (0.85 sq mi) Map

* The parts of these suburbs north of Newcastle and Summers Streets fall within the City of Vincent. These localities are only partially contained within the City of Perth boundary.
** The parts of these localities were transferred from the City of Subiaco in 2016. These localities are only partially contained within the City of Perth boundary.

Population

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Pre-1915 composition

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Year Population
1911 35,767

1915–1994 composition

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The 1991 population has been broken down by the Australian Bureau of Statistics as follows: Perth (C) 7,604; Cambridge (T) 22,740; Victoria Park (T) 24,313; Vincent (T) 24,765.[25]

1994–present composition

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Twin towns and sister cities

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See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Australia

The City of Perth is twinned with:

Flag and coat of arms

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Flag of Perth
UseCity
Proportion1:2
Adopted1975

The official Flag of Perth represents the city of Perth, Western Australia. It features the Saint George's Cross overlaid with the coat of arms of Perth in the centre. Though the designer of the flag is unknown, it is thought to have been designed prior to 1872. In the 1920s, the black swan was removed from the top left quadrant of the flag and replaced with the coat of arms in the centre of the cross.[27][full citation needed][28][full citation needed][29][full citation needed]

The coat of arms were originally granted to the City of Perth on 2 December 1926. They were altered with the addition of part of the arms of Perth, Scotland in 1949.

Heritage listed places

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Main article: List of State Register of Heritage Places in the City of Perth

As of 2024, 1,032 places are heritage-listed in the City of Perth,[30] of which 226 are on the State Register of Heritage Places.[31]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

City of Perth

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from Grokipedia

The City of Perth is a in that forms the central core of the state capital, encompassing the , key government precincts, and adjacent inner-city neighborhoods. Originally founded on 12 August 1829 as the administrative center of the by Captain James , it represents the oldest continuously governed municipality in the state. The contemporary City of Perth, redefined in 1994 to delineate the urban core from surrounding suburbs, spans approximately 20 square kilometres and recorded an estimated resident population of 34,624 as of 2024, functioning as the primary economic engine, tourism gateway, and seat of state administration for .

Geography

Location and Boundaries

The City of Perth is a serving as the central core of the in , covering an area of approximately 20 square kilometres. This compact innermost primarily encompasses the Perth and surrounding inner-city suburbs, contrasting with the expansive that spans over 6,400 square kilometres across 30 local governments. Its boundaries are delineated by the Swan River, which forms the southern edge along the CBD and extends eastward to Claisebrook Cove in East Perth, marking the eastern limit. The northern boundary generally follows key transport corridors such as the and railway lines, while the western extent reaches into areas including Kings Park and the in , as adjusted by legislative changes effective 1 July 2016. These defined limits position the City of Perth as a densely developed urban nucleus focused on commercial, residential, and institutional functions. The LGA includes 13 suburbs, notably Perth (the CBD core), East Perth, West Perth, Northbridge, , and partial areas of and Nedlands. This configuration supports high-density land use, with the Swan River providing a natural southern and partial eastern demarcation that integrates waterfront precincts like Langley Park and Victoria Gardens into the municipal fabric.

Physical Geography and Climate

The City of Perth occupies low-lying alluvial plains along the Swan River , with terrain dominated by flat sediments of sand, silt, and clay deposited over millennia. Elevations in the central urban area average 20-30 metres above , gradually increasing eastward away from the river, which limits topographic variation and heightens susceptibility to fluvial flooding during peak flows. The Swan River itself forms a 50-kilometre estuarine system influenced by semi-diurnal tides propagating from the , creating dynamic water levels that interact with local drainage patterns. Perth exhibits a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csa), marked by extended dry summers and concentrated winter precipitation. Bureau of Meteorology data from the Perth station (period 1991-2020) record a mean January maximum temperature of 31.6 °C and a mean July minimum of 7.9 °C, with diurnal ranges typically exceeding 10 °C due to clear skies and radiative cooling. Annual rainfall averages 729 mm, over 80% of which falls from May to September under the influence of frontal systems, though long-term trends show a decline of about 20% since the mid-20th century, straining surface water supplies. Situated approximately 15 kilometres inland from the coastline, the city benefits from maritime moderation that tempers summer heat through afternoon sea breezes, yet this proximity amplifies exposure to storm surges and . Empirical tide gauge measurements at indicate a relative sea-level rise of 1.4 mm per year from 1966 to 2009, with total increases exceeding 10 cm over the subsequent period to 2019, incrementally elevating inundation risks for estuarine fringes amid variable storminess.

Demographics

Current Population Statistics

As of the conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the City of Perth recorded a usual resident of 28,610. This figure captures individuals whose usual place of residence was within the LGA's boundaries of approximately 20 square kilometres on night. The estimated resident (ERP), which adjusts data for underenumeration and timing differences, stood at 34,624 as of 30 June 2024, according to projections derived from ABS methodologies. This represents an annual growth rate of 4.93% from the prior year, primarily attributable to high-rise apartment developments in the accommodating a growing . Over the preceding decade, average annual growth has hovered between 1% and 3%, contrasting with periods of relative stagnation in the broader Perth due to the LGA's appeal for urban infill housing. Population density within the LGA averages around 1,730 persons per , concentrated in the CBD where transient professionals and short-term residents elevate effective daytime densities beyond typical residential metrics. Demographics skew toward younger working-age adults, with a age of 33 years—lower than the Western Australian average of 38—reflecting influxes of renters and employees in . Over 58% of households rent privately or through social housing, underscoring the area's role as a hub for non-permanent residents rather than long-term families.

Ethnic and Cultural Composition

Approximately 55.5% of City of Perth residents were born in as of the 2021 , reflecting a substantial Australian-born majority amid immigration-driven diversity, with 44.5% born overseas from varied origins including (6.3%), India (2.4%), and (likely around 3-4% based on correlated language data). Ancestry responses, which allow multiple selections, underscore heritage as prominent—English (33.2%), Australian (24.0%), and Irish (11.2%)—alongside growing non-European groups such as Chinese (7.8%), indicating layered cultural influences from both historical British settlement and recent Asian migration. Linguistic diversity aligns with birthplace patterns, with English spoken at home by the majority, but notable minorities using Mandarin (3.4%), Italian (1.8%), and Spanish (1.3%), the latter two reflecting European legacies while Mandarin signals East Asian communities. Religious affiliations further highlight secular trends alongside pluralism: 46.7% reported no religion, 18.8% identified as Catholic, and 7.6% as Anglican, with smaller but rising shares in (approximately 4%) and other non-Christian faiths tied to immigrant groups. Empirical measures of cultural cohesion reveal mixed outcomes; while the inner-urban setting fosters interaction through high-density rental and commercial activity, reducing overt ethnic enclaves compared to suburban Perth, studies document increasing residential segregation by socioeconomic proxies like and occupation across the , potentially correlating with ethnic lines in choices. Civic participation, proxied by labor force engagement, remains high at 70.5% for those aged 15+, but specific data on multicultural event attendance or voluntary associations in the City of Perth is limited, with broader Australian trends showing stable but uneven involvement across diverse groups.

Historical Demographic Shifts

The population of the City of Perth following its colonial establishment in consisted primarily of British settlers from , , and , forming an overwhelmingly demographic with limited Indigenous representation in the urban core due to displacement, conflict, and introduced diseases that reduced the local Aboriginal population significantly by the mid-19th century. By the early , prior to 1915, the municipality's residents numbered in the low thousands, sustained by incremental natural growth and minor inflows from other Australian colonies, maintaining a composition dominated by those of European descent with negligible non-European elements. From 1915 to 1994, the City of Perth experienced modest population expansion, peaking at approximately 10,000 residents by the mid-20th century before contracting slightly to 7,604 by the 1991 census, amid broader trends that drew families outward. This era saw incremental diversification through post-World War II assisted migration schemes, which brought over 120,000 Europeans to between 1947 and 1952, including substantial numbers from , , the , and , with around 90,000 settling in the Perth region overall; however, relatively few resided in the inner-city LGA, as migrants favored peripheral housing and employment in . These inflows, prioritized under policies aiming to bolster labor for reconstruction, gradually elevated the proportion of non-Anglo-Celtic Europeans within the city's stable but aging populace. Commencing in 1994, Australia's shift to points-tested skilled migration frameworks, emphasizing qualifications and English proficiency, catalyzed a marked transformation, attracting professionals and students from —particularly , , and —to the revitalized CBD through urban infill developments and proximity to universities and services. This policy-driven influx, coinciding with eased restrictions on non-European since the , reduced the European-ancestry share from over 80% in earlier decades to a more balanced profile by the early 2000s, as evidenced by census series tracking rising overseas birthplaces in the LGA. Density increases from high-rise apartments further amplified these changes, linking causal migration incentives to compositional shifts away from historical European predominance.

History

Indigenous Presence and Pre-Colonial Era

The , a dialectal group within the nation, served as the traditional custodians of the territory now comprising the City of Perth and the surrounding Swan River region. Archaeological investigations have uncovered stone artifacts, hearths, and other evidence of human activity dating to at least 38,000 years ago at an open-air site on an ancient floodplain near Upper Swan, confirming long-term occupation amid fluctuating sea levels and climatic conditions. Further excavations along the Swan and rivers reveal extensive use of seasonal campsites, where tool scatters and middens indicate repeated visits for resource exploitation rather than fixed habitation. Whadjuk society operated as nomadic hunter-gatherers, relying on the riverine and coastal for sustenance without developing or permanent structures. Their economy centered on in the Swan River estuaries, hunting terrestrial game such as , and foraging for native plants including tubers and seeds, with practices like controlled burning to promote regrowth of edible grasses and attract prey. This adaptive strategy suited the nutrient-poor, fire-prone eucalypt woodlands and limited freshwater availability, enforcing mobility across dialectal boundaries during wet and dry seasons. Ethnographic records, corroborated by archaeological residues of faunal remains and lithic tools, underscore a resource-limited existence that precluded population concentrations beyond small family bands. Pre-contact population densities in the Swan region remained low, constrained by ecological in a dominated by seasonal wetlands and vegetation, with broader estimates ranging from 6,000 to tens of thousands across southwestern . Oral traditions of migratory patterns align with archaeological patterns of dispersed, ephemeral sites, reflecting causal dependencies on unpredictable rainfall and faunal migrations rather than sedentary intensification.

Colonial Establishment (1829–1900)

The Swan River Colony was established in 1829 as a British free-settler initiative, with Captain James Stirling appointed Lieutenant-Governor to formalize possession amid concerns over potential French territorial claims in the region. Stirling's 1827 exploration of the Swan River highlighted its suitability for settlement, prompting the dispatch of HMS Challenger under Captain Charles Fremantle, who proclaimed British sovereignty on 2 May 1829. Stirling arrived shortly after and officially founded the colony on 1 June 1829 aboard the Parmelia, selecting the Perth town site approximately 19 kilometers inland along the Swan River for its navigable access, fresh water supply, and elevated terrain offering defensibility against maritime threats. The site was surveyed by John Septimus Roe, laying out a grid plan with allotments for government, settlers, and public reserves, emphasizing strategic imperial consolidation over immediate agricultural viability. Initial settlement faced severe setbacks due to unanticipated environmental and logistical constraints, nearly causing the colony's collapse within years. Pre-arrival surveys had overstated , but the sandy, leached coastal plains proved largely infertile for European-style farming without extensive clearing and fertilization, leading to crop failures and food shortages by 1830. Extreme isolation—over 2,000 kilometers from the nearest British colony at —exacerbated supply chain disruptions, with inadequate shipping and high costs hindering imports of tools, livestock, and provisions. By the mid-1840s, desperation prompted petitions for assisted migration and labor; the first convicts arrived in on 1 June 1850 aboard the Scindian, totaling 75 men initially, to bolster and amid a free-settler population of approximately 5,886 across , with Perth numbering around 1,940 residents. This infusion stabilized the settlement, enabling infrastructure like the 1836-1837 Old Court House in Perth, the colony's first purpose-built judicial facility, which symbolized emerging administrative permanence. The 1890s gold discoveries in the eastern goldfields, beginning with significant finds at Coolgardie in 1892 and in 1893, catalyzed rapid expansion in Perth as the colony's administrative and logistical hub. Influxes of prospectors and capital transformed the outpost into a , with Western Australia's overall surging from 48,502 in 1890 to 179,967 by 1900, and Perth's urban core growing to roughly 8,000 inhabitants by century's end through service industries supporting the rushes. This era saw administrative consolidation, including expansions to judicial facilities like the foundational structures, underscoring Perth's role in governing resource-driven growth amid persistent challenges of and rudimentary .

Federation and Early 20th Century Growth

Following Australia's on 1 January 1901, Perth's growth accelerated through expanded rail infrastructure connecting the city to agricultural interiors and eastern states, enhancing Fremantle Harbour's role as the primary export gateway for Western Australia's commodities. The Eastern Railway extensions and subsequent lines to goldfields and wheat belts, built in the late and early , reduced transport costs and stimulated inland settlement, directly contributing to urban expansion in Perth. The 1901 census recorded Perth's population at 27,471, reflecting lingering effects, with rail-facilitated migration sustaining increases to metropolitan figures exceeding 100,000 by the mid-1920s. Wheat cultivation expanded rapidly post-Federation, overtaking as the state's dominant export by the , with production areas growing to over 79,000 hectares by 1905 and Fremantle Port handling seasonal surges in grain shipments that stabilized Perth's economy amid mining volatility. Jarrah timber exports, enabled by rail haulage from southwest forests to Perth and Fremantle, further diversified trade, with sawn and hewn volumes rising steadily through the and to support construction demands in and locally. These sectors underpinned commercial development along Hay and Murray Streets, which solidified as Perth's primary retail corridors with interwar-era buildings exemplifying adaptive warehouse-to-shop conversions. The curtailed this momentum from 1929, slashing wheat and wool export values by half in 1929–1930 and constraining port throughput and urban investment in Perth. Recovery began in the late 1930s with pre-World War II military preparations, including airfield expansions and supply stockpiling at , which revived trade volumes and positioned Perth for wartime logistics demands.

Post-World War II Development

Following World War II, implemented assisted migration programs that significantly boosted 's population, with over 120,000 migrants arriving between 1947 and 1952, approximately 90,000 of whom settled in the Perth , primarily attracted by industrial employment opportunities in manufacturing and emerging resource extraction industries. This influx, part of a admitting two million immigrants from 1945 to 1965, aligned with federal efforts to populate and develop peripheral regions amid resource-driven economic expansion. The migrants, largely from Britain and , contributed to a sustained annual growth rate of around 3% in from 1945 onward, driven by net migration and natural increase tied to recovery and commodity demands. Urbanization accelerated in the and , coinciding with Western Australia's second resources boom from 1960 to 1972, which generated wealth from and mineral exports, prompting a high-rise surge in Perth's . This period saw the erection of steel-frame commercial towers, such as those exemplifying modernist designs, replacing earlier low-rise structures to accommodate administrative and financial functions linked to export-oriented industries. The boom's causal link to resource extraction is evident in the state's export revenues, which funded and attracted further labor, though it also led to the demolition of heritage buildings for commercial redevelopment. Infrastructure developments reinforced centralization, with the Mitchell Freeway's Stage 1—from the Narrows Bridge northward—completed in 1973 after staged construction beginning in the late , improving access to the CBD and enabling outward suburban migration. This facilitated a shift where the City of Perth's residential base contracted amid suburban flight to peripheral areas, as families sought supported by automotive mobility and policies favoring inner-city commercial intensification over housing. By the early 1970s, the central area's trended toward offices and services, reflecting a partial pivot from industrial to administrative roles proximate to resource , though the metropolitan population continued expanding.

Late 20th to Early 21st Century Changes

During the , Australia's national financial deregulation under the enabled increased property investment and projects in Perth, including early waterfront proposals along Riverside Drive that sought to integrate commercial and public spaces. These initiatives reflected a shift toward market-driven density, though environmental regulations emerging in the late constrained some large-scale plans, such as inner-city expansions. The completion of in 1992 marked a pinnacle of this era's vertical ambition, standing at 249 meters as Perth's tallest structure and accommodating over 66,000 square meters of office space amid globalization's push for high-density CBD hubs. stabilized after early-1980s economic slowdowns, setting the stage for acceleration driven by resource exports. The 2000s mining boom, fueled by global demand, propelled Perth's rebound with Greater Perth's surging by over 210,000 residents from 2006 to 2011, spurring constructions and like the Perth City Link rail sinking project to support intensified urban activity. This era integrated Y2K-era technologies into city planning, enhancing smart amid neoliberal emphases on export-led growth. The (2020–2022) prompted a rise in , doubling average working-from-home rates in and reducing CBD commuting, which eased short-term density pressures but raised questions about long-term urban consolidation. Perth's milder lockdowns—due to geographic isolation and policy—limited disruptions compared to eastern capitals, preserving policy continuity toward density. The 2023 City of Perth election retained , ensuring alignment with prior urban strategies, including the Local Planning Strategy's focus on sustainable density and adaptability to economic shifts through 2030. This framework prioritizes verifiable growth metrics, such as infrastructure resilience, amid post-boom diversification.

Governance

Council Structure and Powers

The City of Perth functions as a statutory entity under the Local Government Act 1995 (WA), which delineates its unicameral structure comprising a , elected for a fixed term, and 9 councillors elected to represent the district without wards. This configuration enables streamlined decision-making on core municipal functions, distinct from state or federal oversight. The council's powers, as empowered by the Act, encompass the provision for "good governance" within its district, including authority over , building approvals, imposition and collection of property rates, delivery of such as , regulation, and maintenance of thoroughfares and recreational facilities. These responsibilities are executed through bylaws and local laws subordinate to state , with enforcement delegated to the council's administration while direction remains with elected members. Unlike larger metropolitan authorities, the City of Perth's jurisdiction—confined to approximately 20 square kilometers encompassing the —prioritizes urban regulatory and commercial facilitation over expansive suburban infrastructure. Financial operations rely predominantly on property rates, which generated $107.29 million in the 2024/25 budget, constituting 36% of operating revenue, with additional income from parking operations (25%) and fees/charges (5%), while state grants comprise only 3% or $7.33 million. The total annual budget stands at $299.48 million, reflecting a focus on self-funding through local levies rather than heavy dependence on external subsidies. Council decisions, including budget approvals and strategic policies, are deliberated at ordinary meetings convened monthly, ensuring regular oversight of expenditures and service delivery. This operational scale underscores its role as a compact, CBD-centric authority compared to expansive councils like the City of Stirling, which manage larger populations and land areas with correspondingly broader fiscal demands.

Lord Mayors and Key Figures

Basil Zempilas served as from October 2020 to March 2025, leveraging his prior career as a radio broadcaster to promote business-friendly urban policies, including proposals for a vacancy tax on unused commercial properties to stimulate inner-city development and reduce economic underutilization. His administration expanded public festivities, notably overhauling celebrations with dual fireworks displays at —family-oriented at 8:30 p.m. and a midnight show—inspired by larger events like Sydney's, drawing over 115,000 attendees in 2024 and enhancing the city's appeal as a vibrant capital. Zempilas' emphasized fiscal prudence, as evidenced by approving a 2.95% rates rise in the $299 million 2024-25 budget to fund sustainability and prosperity projects without excessive expenditure. Preceding him, Lisa Scaffidi occupied the role from 2007 to 2018, during a phase of rapid population and infrastructural expansion in Perth, where she advocated for comprehensive reforms to the council's rating framework, targeting exemptions that allowed some facilities to avoid contributions and straining revenue for core services. Her extended tenure coincided with debates over equitable fiscal burdens, including adjustments to allowances that rose significantly—up to fourfold for some members—amid broader remuneration reviews. Following Zempilas' resignation to pursue state politics, was elected on October 18, 2025, as the 19th , capturing more than 30% of first-preference votes in a competitive field. Sworn in on October 21, 2025, , a firm founder with prior acting experience, has prioritized stability and safety in early council directives.

Electoral Processes and Recent Results

Elections for the City of Perth are conducted as postal ballots administered by the Western Australian Electoral Commission, with ordinary elections held every two years on the third Saturday in October to elect the for a four-year term and a portion of the nine councillors, also for four-year terms on a staggered basis. Voters use optional preferential voting for the Lord Mayor position, where the candidate receiving over 50% of first-preference votes wins outright; otherwise, preferences from eliminated candidates are distributed until a majority is achieved. Councillor elections employ a system via to fill multiple vacancies. Enrolment is open to resident electors and non-resident owners or occupiers of rateable property, reflecting the city's unique voter base that includes non-residents statewide. In the 2023 ordinary election on 21 October, incumbent Basil secured re-election with 56.5% of first-preference votes against primary challenger Sandy Anghie at 36.5%, achieving an absolute majority without needing preferences distributed. Four councillors were also elected, maintaining a composition dominated by independents aligned with business-oriented priorities over more progressive slates, a trend continuing from Zempilas's 2020 victory that shifted power from prior progressive-leaning groups. was approximately 35%, consistent with statewide averages indicating ratepayer disengagement. Zempilas resigned in early 2025 upon to state parliament, prompting inclusion of the position in the 18 2025 ordinary alongside five vacancies. Acting won with a first-preference vote share exceeding 40% in preliminary counts, defeating challengers in a field influenced by underlying Liberal and Labor loyalties despite non-partisan rules. Turnout remained low at under 30% statewide, underscoring persistent in local contests. Elected councillors included returning members Gobbert and Viktor Ko, alongside newcomers , Adan Pacan, and Lisa Ma.
Election YearLord Mayor WinnerFirst-Preference Vote (%)Turnout (%)
202356.5~35
2025>40<30

Economy

Primary Economic Sectors

The of the City of Perth (LGA) is predominantly service-oriented, with professional, scientific, and technical services forming the largest employment sector at 21.5% of total jobs based on 2021 Census data. Financial and insurance services, alongside public administration and safety, rank among the top employers, collectively underscoring the area's role as a hub for knowledge-intensive industries that support Western Australia's broader resource . Accommodation and food services, tied to and in the (CBD), account for approximately 13.7% of resident employment, bolstered by retail activities in malls such as Hay Street and Murray Street. Headquarters and administrative offices of major firms, including Rio Tinto at 152-158 St Georges Terrace, concentrate in the Perth CBD, employing professionals in management, engineering, and support roles despite operational mining occurring elsewhere in the state. This corporate presence reflects the LGA's function as a for resource extraction, with the sector's administrative demands driving office-based employment. The City of Perth's gross regional product reached $51.8 billion in 2023/24, contributing significantly to Western Australia's gross state product through these high-value services. Demand for CBD office space has been causally linked to Western Australia's resources boom from the 2000s through the , as mining expansion spurred , corporate relocations, and professional service needs, aligning commercial development with state-level commodity price surges in and .

Major Developments and Investments

, a mixed-use waterfront precinct completed in December 2016, represented a public investment of approximately $440 million and has catalyzed over $2.1 billion in associated private developments, including land sales exceeding $300 million. The project incorporates residential, commercial, retail, and elements, generating an estimated $348 million in spending and contributing to a broader direct economic impact modeled at $2.9 billion by Access Economics. In the commercial sector, Brookfield Place has anchored CBD revitalization since the early 2010s, with Tower 1—a 45-storey premium-grade office structure—completed in 2012 as the precinct's centrepiece, followed by a 16-storey addition in 2015. This development, encompassing over 120,000 square meters of office and retail space, attracted major tenants like and supported ancillary investments totaling around $1.1 billion across the site. The adjacency of Optus Stadium, opened in 2018 with a $1.075 billion government investment, has indirectly boosted CBD activity through enhanced event-driven footfall and precinct linkages, positioning the area as a gateway despite the stadium's location in neighboring Burswood. Private sector responses have been incentivized by City of Perth measures, including financial rebates for residential projects to address housing needs for a projected of 90,000, fostering high-rise apartments and build-to-rent initiatives like a planned 742-unit East Perth development. These efforts leverage broader state and federal advantages, such as deductions for investors, to stimulate growth without direct municipal hikes.

Fiscal Policies and Challenges

The City of Perth employs conservative fiscal policies centered on balanced annual budgets and prudent debt management to ensure long-term sustainability. For the 2025/26 , the council adopted a $313.04 million , incorporating a 3.1 percent increase in rate yields to generate $112.25 million in property rates revenue, marking the fourth consecutive year of below-average rises among major Perth metropolitan councils. Differential rates apply across categories, such as 0.0703187 cents per dollar for commercial gross rental values and 0.0626235 for residential. Operating expenditures prioritize core services like transport ($99.4 million) and recreation ($39.7 million), comprising the bulk of the $236.6 million total, while events and sponsorships allocate $15.5 million. Debt levels remain minimal, with no outstanding borrowings as of June 2024 and none planned for the upcoming year, yielding a gross -to-operating-revenue of 0 percent and a of 386.1—well above the industry benchmark of 5.0. Capital works, including infrastructure renewal, are funded primarily through reserves and grants rather than borrowing, with $52.2 million allocated for 2025/26. This approach reflects a policy of maintaining fiscal buffers amid Western Australia's resource-dependent , where accounts for 53.9 percent of Perth's economic output. Key challenges stem from revenue volatility tied to mining boom-bust cycles, which influence commercial property values and occupancy in the CBD—the city's primary rating base. During the 2014-2020 mining downturn, Perth CBD office vacancy rates surged from 9.0 percent in mid-2014 to a 23-year high exceeding 20 percent by 2016, driven by reduced corporate demand and rental collapses of up to 40 percent, thereby pressuring rates income from gross rental values. This exposure underscores the need for diversified revenue strategies, as property rates remain sensitive to commodity price fluctuations without direct mitigation in audited financials. While no recent auditor reports highlight overspending specific to the City of Perth, broader local government scrutiny emphasizes tighter controls on discretionary expenditures to align with community expectations.

Infrastructure and Urban Planning

Transportation Networks

The City of Perth serves as the primary hub for the integrated network, encompassing train, bus, and ferry services that connect the to the broader metropolitan area. Perth Station functions as the main interchange for rail and bus operations, facilitating efficient transfers for commuters. In the 2024-25 financial year, the Transperth system recorded nearly 149 million boardings across its services, indicating robust usage and recovery toward pre-pandemic levels. Major road arteries, including the and Kwinana Freeway, provide critical north-south access to the CBD, accommodating high volumes of vehicular traffic essential for regional connectivity. These freeways link northern and southern suburbs to the city core, supporting daily commutes and freight movement. services complement road and rail by offering cross-Swan River routes, such as between in the CBD and Mends Street Jetty in South Perth, with operations using low-wash vessels for frequent, scenic travel. Active transport options include extensive and paths along the Swan River, featuring networks like the 10.5 km Swan River Loop Cycle Trail, which enhance connectivity and usage for non-motorized travel. Since March 2023, the City of Perth has incorporated shared e-scooter schemes through partnerships with operators such as Neuron Mobility and Beam Mobility, providing integration for short urban trips. Congestion metrics from state analyses reveal peak-hour bottlenecks on CBD approaches, with Greater Perth's road congestion estimated to cost $1.5 billion annually as of 2016, underscoring pressures on these networks during high-demand periods.

Key Public Facilities and Projects

The Perth Concert Hall, owned by the City of Perth, opened on 26 January 1973 and functions as the principal venue for the Symphony Orchestra, accommodating orchestral performances and other events with a seating capacity of 1,729. A $150.3 million refurbishment commenced in May 2025 to restore its heritage architecture, enhance acoustics, and improve patron facilities, with reopening anticipated in early 2028. Supreme Court Gardens, a 1.2-hectare public park in the managed by the City of Perth since its establishment over a century ago, serves as a key event space near the Swan River foreshore, hosting annual gatherings such as Opera in the Park for audiences exceeding 10,000. An ongoing infrastructure upgrade project aims to expand versatile event areas, incorporate sustainable features like improved drainage and lighting, and support year-round programming while reducing maintenance demands. The City maintains additional facilities including Perth Town Hall, a neoclassical structure completed in 1870 with a main auditorium capacity of 700, used for civic events and performances. Queens Gardens, a 3.3-hectare heritage park dating to 1898, provides landscaped open space overlooking the Swan River and , though adjacent car park redevelopment for educational uses has prompted localized infrastructure adjustments without altering the garden's core layout.

Planning Controversies and Outcomes

In the 2000s, the City of Perth and Western Australian state authorities implemented zoning reforms to encourage higher-density development, particularly along urban corridors, as outlined in regional plans like Directions 2031, which targeted increased residential densities to accommodate projected while curbing metropolitan sprawl. These changes rezoned significant inner-city areas for medium- and high-rise apartments, boosting dwelling completions from approximately 1,200 in 2000 to over 2,500 annually by 2010 within the Perth , including the City of Perth LGA. However, the approach sparked resident backlash, with community groups in suburbs like Floreat and protesting the loss of low-density character and inadequate infrastructure upgrades, arguing that rapid densification overwhelmed local schools, parks, and traffic capacity without commensurate public investment. A key flashpoint involved debates over converting underutilized public parks in the CBD to residential towers, exemplified by the 2023 approval of a 19-storey on a 1980s-era park site, retaining some but prioritizing amid acute shortages. Proponents cited global trends toward reducing in favor of vertical , but critics, including local businesses, highlighted risks to retail viability from diminished short-term , with Perth's car-centric layout—spanning over 100 km east-west—exacerbating concerns. Such conversions aligned with state incentives for "missing middle" under 2024 residential design code amendments, yet implementation faced delays due to council approvals and community consultations, reflecting tensions between supply imperatives and livability. Empirical outcomes of these zoning shifts show mixed results: while inner-city housing stock expanded by roughly 40% from 2001 to 2021, green space declined amid urban intensification, with the Perth Metropolitan Region's built-up area growing 45% (over 320 km²) between 1990 and 2015 against faster population rises, eroding and recreational access compared to 1990s baselines. affordability metrics worsened, with Perth's median house price-to-income multiple reaching 9.1 in 2023 per Demographia surveys—classifying it as "severely unaffordable"—despite density policies, as demand from mining-driven migration outpaced supply elasticities constrained by regulatory hurdles and release lags rather than inherent market shortages. This points to causal factors in planning rigidities, including slow rezoning approvals and insufficient incentives for developers, amplifying affordability pressures beyond raw .

Culture and Heritage

Heritage-Listed Sites

The City of Perth includes over 1,000 places on local heritage lists, with approximately 226 entered on the State Register of Heritage Places as of 2024, signifying exceptional cultural heritage value warranting permanent protection under the Heritage Act 2018 (WA). These listings, managed by the Heritage Council of via the inHerit database, prioritize sites demonstrating aesthetic, historic, scientific, or social significance tied to the city's colonial foundations, expansion, and early civic infrastructure. Protection rationales emphasize irreplaceable fabric from the 19th and early 20th centuries, countering empirical risks of material degradation from seismic activity, weathering, and deferred maintenance exacerbated by proximate high-density development. Prominent among these is Perth Town Hall at 601 Hay Street, constructed from 1863 to 1867 using labor in a Gothic Revival style with a and elements modeled on European precedents. Added to the State Register on 23 1996 (Place #1953), it represents a rare Australian instance of mid-19th-century municipal architecture, embodying local governance evolution and the Swan River Colony's transition from penal outpost to self-sustaining settlement. Ongoing conservation, including closure for works from June to December 2025, addresses structural vulnerabilities to ensure longevity amid urban pressures. His Majesty's Theatre at 425 Queen Street, built 1902–1904 in Edwardian style with a and capacity for over 2,500 patrons, stands as one of Australia's largest theaters at opening and the sole operational Edwardian example remaining in the . Entered on the State Register (Place #1165) and designated a State Heritage Icon, its significance lies in illustrating Perth's cultural maturation during the post-gold boom prosperity, with intact arch and fly tower systems. Recent balcony restorations underscore adaptive interventions to mitigate decay from age and usage while accommodating modern seismic standards. Preservation initiatives, outlined in the City of Perth's Heritage Strategy, enforce controls on alterations, incentivize , and fund maintenance grants to offset development-driven threats, as evidenced by historical tensions where economic imperatives clashed with conservation mandates. Empirical data from site assessments reveal that unaddressed urban intensification correlates with accelerated facade erosion and foundation instability in unprotected vicinities, justifying rigorous statutory oversight.

Civic Symbols and Traditions

The of the City of Perth was granted by of the Kings of Arms on 2 December 1926. It features a shield of argent charged with a cross gules, the first quarter displaying a swan sable on water barry wavy azure and argent to represent the Swan River and local fauna. The arms are supported by two , emblematic of , underscoring the city's foundational ties to the region's natural symbols established during British settlement in 1829. The official flag of the City of Perth displays the red cross of Saint George on a white field, with the superimposed at the center. This design evokes English heraldic traditions through the St George's Cross, integrated into civic usage for official stationery, vehicles, and events as governed by council policy. Civic traditions include Australia Day citizenship ceremonies held on 26 January, where the Lord Mayor administers oaths to new citizens; in 2025, over 60 individuals from 32 countries participated at Council House. ANZAC Day observances on 25 April feature dawn services and marches in the city center, attracting more than 50,000 attendees in 2025 to commemorate Australian and New Zealand military contributions, rooted in World War I alliances under British command. These events employ the coat of arms and flag in protocols to affirm communal identity and historical continuity. In February 2026, Perth's tourism highlights included the Perth Festival from 6 February to 1 March, featuring 117 events with a third free, encompassing arts, music, dance, and installations across the city. Lunar New Year celebrations from 15 to 23 February featured lion dances, markets, and performances at venues like Elizabeth Quay, with a predicted surge in Chinese visitors due to extended holidays and strong demand. The Fringe World Festival concluded on 15 February after running from 21 January. An AFL Origin match occurred on 14 February at Optus Stadium, and the Little Creatures brewery expanded at Elizabeth Quay.

International Relations and Twin Cities

The City of Perth engages in international relations primarily through eleven formal sister city agreements and charters of mutual friendship, which facilitate cultural exchanges, educational programs, trade delegations, and economic partnerships. These relationships, spanning , , , and , were initiated to foster people-to-people connections and mutual understanding, with agreements dating back to 1974. Key sister cities include , (1974), emphasizing long-term cultural and student exchanges; , (1984), focused on energy sector collaboration via the World Energy Cities Partnership; and , China (1998), supporting trade and educational ties that have contributed to increased Chinese student enrollments in Perth institutions. Other partnerships encompass Chengdu, China (2012, following a 2010 friendship charter); , (1987); , Italy (1989); , Taiwan (1999); Seocho, South Korea (2008); Megisti-Kastellorizo and , Greece (both 1984); and (2006). These arrangements have yielded tangible outcomes, including reciprocal delegations, memoranda of understanding for business cooperation, and initiatives like the "Picture Yourself in Perth" educational program, which promotes student mobility and cultural immersion. Economic benefits are evident in sectors such as tourism and investment; for instance, ties with Chinese cities like and have supported inflows of international students and visitors, bolstering local and economies, while Houston's has facilitated discussions aligned with Western Australia's resource-based exports.
Sister CityCountryEstablishment Year
Kagoshima1974
Houston1984
Megisti-Kastellorizo1984
Rhodes1984
San Diego1987
Nanjing1998
Taipei1999
Perth2006
Seocho2008
Chengdu2012
Vasto1989
Such collaborations underscore Perth's role as a gateway for Western Australia's international economic engagement, though quantifiable volumes from individual agreements remain limited in , with broader benefits observed in enhanced bilateral and professional networks.

Controversies and Criticisms

Homelessness and Management

In late 2020, shortly after Basil Zempilas's election as , the City of Perth initiated targeted interventions to manage rough sleeping in the (CBD), particularly in high-traffic areas like the Hay and Murray Street malls. These measures included increased ranger patrols empowered to enforce local laws on and encampments, often in coordination with Police and the Department of Communities under an "Outreach First" protocol prioritizing engagement before relocation. Zempilas publicly justified the approach by highlighting safety risks, hygiene issues from unmanaged waste, and deterrence of public use, arguing that chronic rough sleeping—estimated at several hundred cases in the CBD—eroded and correlated with elevated anti-social incidents. The City of Perth recorded 464 individuals experiencing in the 2016 , the second-highest among Western Australian councils, with a disproportionate concentration of rough sleepers in the CBD due to its service hubs and shelter availability. Post-2020 actions emphasized short-term clearances alongside support referrals, including operations at sites like the Accreditation Centre for basic needs and the Safe Night Space for women, accommodating up to 30 nightly. Council collaborations with entities such as the WA Alliance to End and Shelter WA aimed to channel individuals toward state-funded , though enforcement focused on restoring public access rather than on-site resolution. Reported outcomes include diminished visible encampments in key malls, attributed by council sources to proactive patrols, though quantitative reductions—such as council targets set in early 2021—remain tied to broader state trends where rough sleeping statewide rose to 2,315 by the 2021 Census amid housing pressures. Western Australia Police data links homelessness-associated behaviors, including public intoxication and property offenses, to spikes in CBD incidents, with anti-social reports informing enforcement needs; for instance, transitional homelessness among Aboriginal populations correlates with higher move-on notices and minor crime rates in urban cores. Critics, including advocacy groups like Shelter WA, contend that clearances primarily displace rough sleepers to peripheral suburbs or unregulated sites without addressing root causes such as comorbidities and substance dependencies, exacerbating vulnerability as seen in the 2021 tent city eviction where participants reported sustained hardship despite some relocations. This enforcement-compassion tension underscores causal realities: while unmanaged encampments degrade public order and deter economic activity, displacement alone fails to reduce overall , which increased 8% statewide from 2016 to 2021, necessitating integrated housing-first models over reactive management. Proponents counter that visible deterrence sustains CBD usability, with police-verified declines in related disturbances justifying the trade-off pending state-level supply expansions.

Ratepayer Funding Disputes

In the mid-2010s, the City of Perth faced significant scrutiny over executive expenditures, including unauthorized travel and perk claims by Lisa Scaffidi, who was disqualified from office for 18 months in September 2017 by the State Administrative Tribunal for breaching the Local Government Act through improper use of council funds for personal and overseas trips totaling over $100,000 without proper approval. Concurrently, chief executive officers encountered controversies, such as Martin Mileham's 2018 sacking amid a $25,000 ratepayer-funded external probe into workplace issues, followed by a $300,000 payout exceeding one year's salary, raising questions about accountability in high-level spending. These incidents, detailed in the 2017 Corruption and Crime Commission inquiry into the City of Perth, exposed systemic lapses in governance and value-for-money assessments, prompting recommendations for stricter oversight of executive perks and procurement. More recent disputes have centered on event funding amid rising rates, exemplified by the Australia Day Skyworks fireworks, where the City's contribution was slashed from $2.5 million to $740,000 in 2022 due to declining crowds and budget pressures, leading adjacent councils like South Perth to advocate reducing their subsidies. Proponents argued for economic returns from tourism, but critics highlighted opportunity costs for infrastructure, with the Office of the Auditor General's local government audits underscoring broader risks of inefficient resource allocation in event-heavy budgets without robust ROI evidence. New Year's Eve fireworks planning has similarly drawn ire, with proposed overhauls estimated at over $500,000 annually, including displays, fueling debates on whether such spectacles justify ratepayer burdens during fiscal constraints. Public art expenditures have also sparked contention, with artists and consultants criticizing the depletion of art reserves to zero dollars by and decisions like removing long-standing installations such as the Ore Obelisk in 2021 for safety reasons without reinstatement, despite calls for a revised strategy to better align spending with community value and maintenance costs. These disputes reflect ongoing tensions between promotional initiatives and core services, as evidenced by the 2017 inquiry's emphasis on prioritizing infrastructure over non-essential outlays lacking verifiable fiscal benefits.

Leadership and Policy Statements

In October 2020, shortly after his election as Lord Mayor, Basil Zempilas commented on a commercial radio program that biological sex is determined by genitals, stating, "If you've got a penis, mate, you are a bloke. If you've got a vagina you are a woman. Game over." LGBTQ advocacy groups condemned the remarks as "repugnant and bigoted," prompting calls to relocate events like Pride from Perth and a petition with thousands of signatures demanding his removal. Zempilas issued an apology the following day, attributing the comments to forgetting his elected role and promising to uphold inclusivity, though supporters argued the statement reflected empirical biological criteria for sex differentiation, rooted in reproductive anatomy. In January 2024, Zempilas faced renewed criticism over a hot-mic remark ahead of a press conference, captured on video and shared widely, where he referred to the Australian Open women's tennis final as a "reserves game" in contrast to the men's event. Critics, including media outlets and social media users, accused him of devaluing women's sports and sexism, amplifying the clip to highlight perceived bias. Zempilas defended the comment as misconstrued banter about scheduling preferences, not disparagement, and a Nine News reporter later confirmed the context did not intend to undermine female athletes. Defenders praised the stance as prioritizing competitive merit in sports categorization, aligning with debates on physiological differences between sexes, while detractors viewed it as divisive toward gender equity initiatives. In February 2025, the Local Government Standards Panel ruled that Zempilas breached the Local Government Act by posting campaign-related content on his official mayoral page, blurring lines between his civic role and Liberal Party candidacy for the state election. He was ordered to deliver a public apology in the chamber, which he did in April 2025, acknowledging the minor breach without conceding intent to misuse resources. The ruling stemmed from a alleging improper promotion of his political ambitions using taxpayer-funded platforms, with Zempilas criticizing the process as overly punitive for a "blurred line" in digital communication. Zempilas's broader resistance to progressive cultural mandates, including critiques of , has elicited polarized responses: proponents commend it as defending free speech and empirical standards against ideological overreach, while opponents, often from left-leaning media and advocacy circles, decry it as fostering division in a diverse city. Internal Liberal polling from 2025 indicated strong personal popularity, with Zempilas leading as preferred over incumbents, suggesting ratepayer backing amid controversies, though specific City of Perth surveys show mixed support tied to his outspokenness. These stances have not derailed his tenure but underscore tensions between traditional civic leadership and contemporary policy debates.

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