Coverage
Media articles in which FuturePerth has been featured or mentioned.
2012
Upbeat William is talk of the town
The Sunday Times, 16 September 2012, page 30
The “trendification” of William St in Northbridge is leaving rival strips in Mt Lawley, Leederville, Subiaco and Fremantle for dead. … Sean Morrison, chairman of think tank FuturePerth, said the quality of new tenants in William St, including tapas bar Bivouac and Indian restaurant Govinda’s, was outstanding. “Northbridge’s image has evolved for the better, however, it will never become some sort of global family picnic mecca,” he said. “Northbridge is the place where Perth goes to party and that is something that should be cherished and appreciated. Places like Victoria Park, Leederville and Subiaco should be looking over their shoulder as Northbridge continues its ascent.”
Mayor not amused by royal waterfront name
The West Australian, 29 May 2012, page 1 | Full story
Perth Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi says Colin Barnett’s decision to call the Perth waterfront Elizabeth Quay is potentially divisive and a missed chance to promote WA. … Future Perth chairman Sean Morrison said he liked the name but expected “gentle sarcasm”.
Museum puts finishing touch on city’s renewal
The West Australian, 18 May 2012, page 9 | Full story
A new museum costing $428 million is to be built in the Northbridge cultural precinct by 2019 in what the Barnett Government has billed as the final piece to its city infrastructure program. … FuturePerth chairman Sean Morrison said the new museum would be “welcomed with open arms” by the cultural community.
Waterfront designer says critics lack imagination
The West Australian, 17 January 2012, page 10 | Full story
A leading architect of the Perth waterfront design has dismissed as “1970s claptrap” criticism of the project and branded low-scale alternatives as “utterly suburban” and “lacking imagination and vision”. … FuturePerth chairman and urban planner Sean Morrison said the project “should not be disrupted by the voices of a very limited group of people This group is a hodge-podge of people who seem intent on constructing a Hillarys Marina on the doorstep of our city,” he said. “The protests are not in the interest of getting the project done.”
2011
Scaffidi’s return on the cards
The West Australian, 14 October 2011, page 10 | Full story
Experience, confident campaigning and an absence of a clear, alternative vision will see Lisa Scaffidi re-elected for a second term as Lord Mayor of Perth, key groups and analysts have predicted. … FuturePerth chairman Sean Morrison said the small number of votes … made a prediction difficult but the growth and change of the city and “no alternative vision” favoured Ms Scaffidi.
“Fixing our city” series
The Sunday Times, 28 August – 25 September, 2011
A series of articles about how to energise various Perth locales.
Part 1: Fremantle (28 August, pages 36-37)
Part 2: Northbridge (4 September, page 30)
Part 3: Scarborough (11 September, page 62)
Part 4: Subiaco (18 September, page 57)
Part 5: Cottesloe (25 September, page 51)
Pedestrian path between Perth and South Perth touted
Southern Gazette, 18 August 2011, | Full story
A pedestrian bridge linking South Perth with the Perth foreshore could transform the suburb into an “integrated inner city borough”, says a young urban think-tank. FuturePerth recently launched its project called Why Not?, suggesting 33 ideas to improve Perth, and chairman Sean Morrison believes ambitious proposals could propel South Perth into an inner city area akin to Melbourne’s Southbank. …
Big ideas make for a better Perth
The West Australian, 8 August 2011, page 9 | Full story
…Young urban think tank FuturePerth hopes to stimulate debate and ultimately inspire decision makers as they plan the city. The project, called Why Not?, will be launched in Northbridge tomorrow with 33 ideas, big and small, to improve Perth. FuturePerth chairman and urban designer Sean Morrison said it was important not to be complacent as Perth undertook big transformational projects, such as the waterfront and City Link. …
Bright lights bid for Northbridge
The West Australian, 19 May 2011 | Full story
The City of Perth hopes better street lighting can cut antisocial and violent behaviour plaguing Northbridge after one councillor described parts of the area as “dark and dingy”. … Urban Planner and FuturePerth chairman Sean Morrison said lighting could do “amazing things for the city’s atmosphere” and encouraged interactive approaches such as lighting in footpaths and from billboards, rather than just lighting up buildings. “Lighting may have some effect on safety but it should not be the driver of safety,” he said. …
City kiosk plan dubbed boring
The West Australian, 29 April 2011 | Full story
The City of Perth’s street traders policy has been branded boring and over-regulated after the council finally settled on a tourist booth four years after it vowed to bring at least three colourful new kiosks to the Murray Street mall. … FuturePerth chairman Sean Morrison said the greatest places were those which had life and spontaneity, which traditional street vendors provided.
Perth gets liveability approval
The West Australian, 21 February 2011, page 3 | Full story
Health care and education are among Perth’s strong points, according to a survey that ranks Perth as the eighth most livable city in the world. … Future Perth chairman Sean Morrison agreed, saying the new State Theatre Centre made Perth more livable. … Mr Morrison encouraged the State Government to dig deep for a new WA museum and bigger art gallery. He said it also needed to ensure rapid growth did not mean unreasonable congestion.
Cultural hub delay angers architects
The West Australian, 20 January 2011, page 28
The head of the State’s main architects’ group has condemned the decision to push the indigenous cultural centre to the tail end of the waterfront project, saying Perth needed an “architectural icon” and it would be a star tourist attraction. … FuturePerth chairman Sean Morrison said if the Government could not fund the centre now, planning and design should begin. “Leaders and governments change within 10 to 15 years and the Government should be prepared to set its vision,” he said.
Splendid metropolis ahead for Perth
The West Australian, 20 January 2011, page 10 | Full story
Perth in 2020 should be an incredibly different place. The recent boom has given rise to projects that are beginning or under way with expectations that continued resources wealth will fuel the next round. … FuturePerth chairman Sean Morrison and Urban Development Institute of Australia chief Debra Goostrey said at least one stage of a light rail system into the city should be built by 2020.
2010
What-if list defers key ‘projects’
The West Australian, 17 August 2010, page 16
Jacob’s Ladder, the Wellington Street gasworks upgrade and pedestrian connections from Stirling Street to the Swan River are among six priority projects to emerge from the City of Perth’s “what-if” planning exercise. … Future Perth chairman Sean Morrison said many of the projects appeared long-term and it was important that the council acted on projects it could finish quickly, such as the Jacob’s Ladder upgrade.
Perth’s birthday wish list
The Sunday Times, 8 August 2010, page 4
PERTH turns 181 on Thursday, marking the day in 1829 when the WA capital was first proclaimed. … With less than 20 years until Perth’s bicentenary, The Sunday Times spoke to four residents from different generations who between them share 181 years – and plenty of passionate opinions about their city. … Perth born-and-bred, 20-year-old Liam Gobbert fills his time promoting the future of the city. The final-year urban and regional planning student at Curtin University is also a City of Joondalup councillor and secretary of volunteer organisation FuturePerth.
State offices to move out of CBD
The West Australian, 19 May 2010, page 4
A major shift of public servants to the suburbs will be unveiled in tomorrow’s Budget, with the State Government to launch a long-awaited “master plan” to reduce office rents by up to $25 million a year. … Future Perth chairman Sean Morrison said it was a bad move that could hamper the Government’s ability to retain staff who wanted to work in the city and went against the redevelopment of the waterfront. …
Transport the key to suburban growth
WA Business News, 15 April 2010 | Full story
With Perth on the cusp of a population boom, the city’s urban planners are mindful it is not just the central business district that is required to grow. … Future Perth vice-chair Michael Di Lazzaro agreed local government reform was necessary, and cited the Brisbane model of governance, where there is a single overarching body overseeing major projects for the entire city, as a framework to emulate. “We really need wholesale local government reform and I think the Brisbane model is a good one to follow,” Mr Di Lazzaro said.
Vibrant city stifled by red tape: planner
The West Australian, 12 March 2010, page 13
Renowned urban strategist Charles Landry says Perth is on track to becoming a more vibrant city but is being held back by too many rules and regulations. … Mr Landry will speak at Tranby Hall in the Wesley Centre tonight in the first of four public “Perthour” talks organised by FuturePerth.
Cultural centre’s new colours draw fire
The West Australian, 27 January 2010, page 17
Bright pink, yellow and purple steps, turquoise walls, giant gold frames and flying kites will decorate the Northbridge Cultural Centre precinct under designs which have divided opinion among Perth’s cultural groups and leaders. … FuturePerth chairman Sean Morrison said the intent was great but painting on the existing paving was “insufficient”. …
Money the key to revitalising city
The West Australian, 22 January 2010, page 14 | Full story
A light rail network into the city won wide support yesterday as the Perth City Council’s 20-year vision for Perth was described as ambitious but reliant on greater State Government investment. … FuturePerth chairman Sean Morrison agreed and said an expansion of city boundaries could also be needed for funding. …
Pubs in fight to stay open for World Cup
The West Australian, 16 January 2010, page 10 | Full story
Hotels and pubs are gearing for a showdown over the right to stay open until 5am to screen World Cup soccer matches in what is shaping as a litmus test of Perth’s ability to shake its Dullsville tag. … FuturePerth chairman Sean Morrison said showcasing the event would show Perth wanted to be a vibrant city.
2009
Property blow to riverside facelift
The West Australian, 15 December 2009, page 12 | Full story
Perth’s property sector has cast doubt on the State Government’s waterfront plans … FuturePerth chairman Sean Morrison said the concept was “sufficiently bold” and urged Mr Barnett to “put his money where his mouth is”, while a “delighted” Tourism WA chairwoman Kate Lamont said the plans would add quality attractions near the river.
Light rail, city uni on agenda
The West Australian, 28 July 2009, page 14
An extensive light rail system across the metropolitan area, a Sydney-style food and entertainment district at Scarborough Beach and a university campus in the heart of the city are just a few of Sean Morrison’s ideas for making Perth a better place to live. The chairman of urban planning think-tank FuturePerth is among a list of guest speakers due to appear at the C2030 Summit on Friday. …
Gallery, library closure a ‘blow to city tourists’
The West Australian, 19 May 2009, page 6
The decision to close the WA Art Gallery on Tuesdays and the State Library on all public holidays from July will rob the city of vitality and leave tourists with “nothing to do”, according to a leading Perth urban development think tank. Future Perth vice-chairman Michael Di Lazzaro made the comments yesterday as speculation continued to mount that the WA Museum in the city would also close its doors for one day a week — probably Wednesday — as part of State Government attempts to rein in public service spending. Mr Di Lazzaro said that because Perth shops tended not to open on public holidays, the decision to close the State Library on those days would compound an already dire situation for tourists in the city. …
Pressure on State after Rudd pays to sink rail line
The West Australian, 14 May 2009, page 4
Development groups have urged the State Government to make a “rock solid” financial commitment to the Northbridge Link project following the Federal Government’s investment to sink the rail line. … Future Perth chairman Sean Morrison said the State Government should make a “rock solid financial commitment to the project”.
Rational or emotional – it’s time to vote
WA Business News, 14 May 2009 | Full story
The daylight saving vote will divide the state for a fourth time this Saturday, proving people take time seriously. … Sean Morrison, chairman of Future Perth – a group of students, town planners, architects and other professionals who want to build a more vibrant city – said daylight saving was another potential change in a long list Western Australians had rejected. “It’s a change that would help the city. Really, it’s a no-brainer. It’s just another thing we’ve said ‘no’ to,” Mr Morrison said.
Latest foreshore plan has lower ambitions
The West Australian, 3 April 2009, page 5
A new master plan for a low-scale Perth waterfront redevelopment will be created in the next 12 months, with the start of construction still possible in three years, the Barnett Government has revealed. … FuturePerth chairman Sean Morrison said he was pleased the Government was still interested in developing the foreshore but the previous plan had “sound concepts and research behind it”.
Decision to drop ‘over the top’ foreshore development defended
The West Australian, 4 February 2009, page 11
Colin Barnett has defended the decision to abandon the Carpenter government’s “over the top” plans to redevelop the Swan River foreshore and dismissed Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi’s concerns that the $350 million proposal was being scrapped. … Future Perth chairman Sean Morrison said Mr Barnett was ignoring the wishes of the younger generation. He said findings in The West Australian ’s recent iGeneration survey showed the under 30s wanted the foreshore project to go ahead. …
Three honoured for community contributions to a better city
The West Australian, 27 January 2009, page 4
An inner-city environmental group, a youth who started a think tank and the man who has preserved the State’s theatre heritage for 20 years have been honoured for their contributions during Perth City Council’s Australia Day celebrations. … The city bestowed its Premier’s Australia Day Active Citizenship awards on the Claise Brook Catchment Group, Future Perth co-founder and chairman Sean Morrison and Ivan King, curator of the His Majesty’s Theatre Museum of Performing Arts. … Mr Morrison won the under-25 award for his effort in creating a think tank to bring together the next generation of town planners, architects, tourism operators and civic leaders.
Think tank on a mission to challenge detractors
The West Australian, 21 January 2009, page 10
Sean Morrison and Michael Di Lazzaro were so annoyed with Perth’s culture of nay-saying, they established their own urban think tank Future Perth to have their say on city development. At the time, WA had a suite of projects ahead of it, including the waterfront, the Northbridge Link, a new WA Museum and a sports stadium at Subiaco. Those projects, now under review, had detractors but the pair believed younger West Australians favoured the ideas so they spoke out. …
2008
Barnett tipped to sign off on Northbridge Link plan
The West Australian, 4 November 2008, page 18
The Barnett Government will forge ahead with Labor’s master plan for the Northbridge Link, according to Planning Minister John Day. Mr Day said he expected to sign off on the scheme amendment which would allow the master plan to go out to public comment this week. … Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi and FuturePerth chairman Sean Morrison threw their support behind the master plan. “There’s a decent mix of residential, commercial, retail and public spaces and the plan acknowledges the need to create a dense, intimate and pedestrian-friendly precinct,” Mr Morrison said. …
Calls for upgrade of ‘dangerous’ public space
The West Australian, 23 October 2008, page 9
The cultural centre in Northbridge was a dangerous and failed public space which should be upgraded urgently to improve safety and vibrancy, organisations and community groups said yesterday. … FuturePerth chairman Sean Morrison said there needed to be more commercial space for cafes, boutiques and small bars and reopening James Street would “bring life to a very dangerous part of the city”. …
When mayoral ambition meets economic meltdown
The West Australian, 18 October 2008, page 8
Twelve months after Lisa Scaffidi was elected on a promise to “get Perth moving”, the city’s first woman Lord Mayor admits she is worried about the number of Government and private inner-city projects facing the axe and is ready to fight harder to create a more vibrant city. … “To be honest with you, I’m losing sleep over it — it really worries me,” she said. “I have a nice friendship with the boys at (urban think-tank) FuturePerth, with a lot of young people in and around the corporate offices around town and they’re looking up to you and, wrongly or rightly, putting their faith in you to wave this magic wand and make it all happen. …
Big city projects would ‘swamp’ the market
The West Australian, 3 October 2008, page 14
Completing both the Northbridge Link and Perth Waterfront Project together would swallow almost all the money invested in city developments for years while the rest of Perth stagnated, a report by local think-tank CityVision says. … But FuturePerth president Sean Morrison said CityVision’s analysis was incomplete, subjective and incorrect. “To believe that with population growth of 700,000 or so in 25 years that only 6300 apartments need to be built is laughable,” he said. “Their basic proposition is that Perth is going to sprawl, hence we can’t build too many apartments — a damaging self-fulfilling prophecy.”
Scaling down projects will produce mediocrity, Premier told
The West Australian, 30 September 2008, page 16
Urban planning groups have warned the Barnett Government against scaling down the Northbridge Link or Perth Waterfront developments to save costs, urging the Premier to “do it right or don’t do it at all”. … FuturePerth chairman Sean Morrison said he was satisfied the Northbridge Link design had the right mix of buildings and public open space and described CityVision’s idea for a “central park” as a fantasy given the site was prime inner-city land. “The last thing we need is more dead inner-city grassland,” he said. Mr Morrison said he was “not enthused” by Mr Barnett’s early comments on a scaled-down waterfront development and wanted it to progress in its current form. …
The little city that could
The West Australian, 20 September 2008, page 20
Its the tale of two cities: young, exciting, resource-rich Perth, and conservative, reactionary, change-averse Dullsville. A new generation of architects and urban planners has had enough of the latter and say its time for government to step up to the not-in-my-backyard brigade and dare to create something extraordinary. … Two voices joining the urban planning debate are those of Sean Morrison and Michael Di Lazzaro, two Curtin University urban planning students in their early 20s who have started their own urban think tank, FuturePerth. Morrison and Di Lazzaro were getting increasingly frustrated by the idea of spending their adulthood in a city seemingly run by anti-development baby boomers, so they started Future Perth to be the next generations voice in the urban planning debate, a voice for development and change. …
Barnett to axe foreshore plan
The West Australian, 3 September 2008, page 6
The Perth Waterfront Project and the State Government’s Network City planning policy would be scrapped under a Liberal government, Colin Barnett said yesterday. … FuturePerth chairman Sean Morrison said the belltower and convention centre showed what happened when bold and creative visions were watered down. He urged Mr Barnett not to sacrifice the “quality and vision” of the waterfront project, saying Perth’s population was set to double over the next 40 years and the environmental and infrastructure costs meant urban sprawl could not continue.
City aims to shine light in back alleys
The West Australian, 21 August 2008, page 11
City laneways and back alleys will be transformed into Melbourne-style strips lined with cafes, restaurants, galleries and bars under a new plan by the City of Perth. … FuturePerth chairman Sean Morrison said lanes encouraged alternative, smaller businesses. “They add another level of intricacy to the city that is lacking in Perth,” he said.
Opinion: Be bold, people of Perth, in reshaping your city
The West Australian, 24 July 2008, page 20
Imagine if our politicians approved the construction of this breathtaking world-class arts and culture centre, right, on the Perth foreshore? … I’m with Sean Morrison, the chairman of the FuturePerth group of young planners and architects, who wrote recently in these pages that it’s time for the ageing naysayers to step aside and let a new generation of passionate Perth people have their say in shaping their city instead of succumbing to the siren song of a place called “over east” or “overseas”.
Opinion: Perth deserves grand designs — and choice
The West Australian, 4 July 2008, page 20 | Full text
Do we follow a path of change, growth and creativity? Or do we stifle ourselves into irrelevance with timidity? Do we chase the dream of waterfront development which creates a vibrant urban environment — or do we please no one by trying to appease a vocal minority? For far too long, more often than not, the nay-sayers unwittingly intent on crippling Perth’s evolution into a modern, cosmopolitan city have succeeded. But now the next generation — the ones who will inherit the city — are baying for something better. … From the generation who will inherit the city built by this boom we beg you, please do not waste this opportunity. Sean Morrison is chairman of FuturePerth.
Designers want land bridge linking Parliament to the city
The West Australian, 19 June 2008, page 13
Architects, urban designers and the Lord Mayor have called for the State Government to resurrect a 20-year-old plan for a land bridge linking Parliament House to St Georges Terrace near Barracks Arch, saying it would revitalise the city. … Future Perth, a collaboration of planning students, planning professionals, other students and tourist industry operators backed the plan. Chairman Sean Morrison said the bridge was “an excellent opportunity to rectify the errors of the past”. He said Perth needed more clean space and the CBD was “cut off from all sides”.
MPs divided over $10b Fremantle island plan
The West Australian, 30 May 2008, page 9
An audacious, $10 billion island development proposed for Fremantle’s North Quay could become a divisive election issue after the Government and Opposition split over its merits. … The chairman of urban think-tank FuturePerth, Sean Morrison, said the nay-sayers should wait to see the detail.
Young planners take on old guard
The West Australian, 26 May 2008, page 14
WA’s up-and-coming urban planners have formed a think tank to direct the future of Perth and take on rival interest and lobby groups they say do not represent the views of younger people. Nineteen-year-old Curtin University planning students Sean Morrison and Michael Di Lazzaro lead FuturePerth, a group with a founding membership of almost 30 people in favour of high density and inner-city development. It was created in response to what Mr Morrison called the “not in my backyard” attitude of the older generation and particularly the response to the Perth Waterfront Project from long-established think tank CityVision.
