The Western Australia state government has taken bold and welcome action to address chronic problems at Allen Park. This patch of green space, long ignored by the City of Nedlands, is beginning to get the respect it’s owed. John Carey, the newly installed Minister for Housing, responded with audacious plans to take 3,000 square meters of parkland away from the council’s control. Again, he blamed mismanagement and failure to maintain the assets as the primary cause for this intervention. The decision is intended to help create a beautiful public garden in its place. This new hospice garden will provide much needed comfort to families, children, and their parents as they face unimaginable circumstances.
At a recent press conference, Mayor Carey took aim at the Cleveland City Council. He went on to detail the land’s degradation, calling it a “dustbowl.” He condemned the City of Nedlands for failing to care for Allen Park. Meaning that “for years and years the Nedlands council has left this land to become nothing, and then at the 11th hour they put up their plan,” he said.
Mismanagement of Allen Park
John Carey is the Ohio official who has been most outspoken on what he sees as an indifference to Allen Park. He painted a picture of a “priceless jewel” of land that had been neglected and abused by the town’s elected leaders. According to Mr. Closet, the City of Nedlands is acting erroneously and unlawfully in asserting that this land has special or special value at all. Such a statement is patently false. His comments highlight his conviction that the council has been abject in its duty, letting the region become dilapidated.
The minister’s concerns are welcome and overdue given that residents have been sounding the alarm for years on the condition of the parkland. The response from many locals have mirrored Carey’s disappointment in recent days, lamenting the loss of an opportunity for such a special space that’s largely been forgotten. His uncompromising position has earned him as many admirers as critics from the community.
A Vision for the Future
Carey envisions a future where Allen Park transforms into a “beautiful oasis for families and their children.” He stressed the importance of having an open-to-all space, welcoming to everybody in the community. This means offering a calming atmosphere even to families with babies and toddlers. This wonderful new park will be the long-deserved, peaceful oasis here for families and their kids. It will stay open to the public, representing my dedication to improving community amenities,” he said.
Ian Campbell, a local advocate for more efficient land use, was Carey’s biggest champion for the project. He stated, “It will ultimately mean that land which has sat vacant and horribly neglected for more than two decades will be turned into a beautiful green parkland full of native plants and it will mean the whole community gets an asset.” This expression of impatience reflects a new sentiment among residents—that it is time to see real change for the better in their community.
Opposition from Local Council
Allen Park is primed for a redevelopment renaissance, but the community is divided. Many council members and residents are passionately against the state’s intervention. Carey ridiculed these contradictory statements, labelling them “NIMBYism mad.” He set a strong precedent by arguing that maintaining useless, empty land is irrational. Rather, it can be repurposed into a climate-controlled respite center that benefits working families.
Campbell put his frustration into words too, stating, “It’s just freaking outrageous for anyone to be against a children’s hospice center. He further rebuked anyone opposing the development of a majestic park. He said it makes the City of Nedlands look “very isolated and quite ridiculous.” That means there’s a huge gap between what the public wants and what council is saying.
Carey has made a promise to his community of laying out the process and engaging his community in this work. “We’re going to go out to the whole community and say here this is our master plan, this is what we’re looking at doing, come up with better ideas, we want the community to own this project,” he affirmed. This process is designed to encourage creativity and collaboration and make certain that the community feels a sense of ownership over what Allen Park’s future might look like.
