"Perth readers say 'no' to local government amalgamations"

"MOST residents across Perth are against the State Government's controversial council amalgamations plan.

More than 2400 people responded to a PerthNow poll on the plan to more than halve the number of councils in the metropolitan area (from 30 to 14).
The question was: Are you happy with the changes to your local council area?
The collated results show relatively narrow margins for approval of the plan in some areas.
The poll voting showed:
Yes 37.2%
No 47.9%
I don't care 14.9%
Within the "super-council'' mudmap, only four areas voted in favour of the mergers  however, these included Rockingham, Joondalup and Wanneroo which are being left intact under the plan and are consequently unaffected.
The only region in which a merger was favoured by poll respondents was Bassendean-Bayswater.

Residents across the metropolis are galvanising to voice their concerns with aspects of the merger ultimatum.
Vincent will be holding a second public meeting on Thursday at the Woodville Reserve. It believes its push to be merged entirely with the City of Perth (rather than half going to Stirling) was endorsed by Premier Colin Barnett through the week, if the City of Perth also backed the move.
A public meeting in heritage-sensitive Mount Lawley is being held at the Astor Theatre on Beaufort St on Wednesday, August 28 at 7pm.
Fremantle will hold a community rally at the Fremantle Arts Centre from 2pm on Sunday September 1. A petition is also being compiled.
The area results (in percentages):
Cambridge/Claremont/Western suburbs
Yes 37.6
No 47.0
I don't care 15.4
Stirling
Yes 33.0
No 55.9
I don't care 11.1
Armadale/Serpentine/Jarrahdale
Yes 38.3
No 46.3
I don't care 15.4
Perth
Yes 31.8
No 56.7
I don't care 11.5
Bassendean/Bayswater
Yes 46.0
No 33.0
I don't care 21.0
East Fremantle/Fremantle/Melville
Yes 39.4
No 49.4
I don't care 11.2
Canning/Gosnells
Yes 36.6
No 47.6
I don't care 15.8
Cockburn/Kwinana
Yes 37.7
No 51.3
I don't care 11.0
South Perth/Victoria Park
Yes 34.4
No 54.3
I don't care 11.3
Belmont/Kalamunda
Yes 35.8
No 47.5
I don't care 16.7
Mundaring/Swan
Yes 40.2
No 42.5
I don't care 17.3
Joondalup
Yes 40.4
No 34.2
I don't care 25.4
Wanneroo
Yes 44.6
No 28.7
I don't care 26.7
Rockingham
Yes 50.5
No 29.0
I don't care 20.5"

This article was sourced from Perth Now and was written by Mara Fox.