Friday, 20 February 2009

Lisa Scaffidi was elected as the 18th Lord Mayor of the City of Perth in 2007 on a platform "to get Perth moving". Almost 18 months later she will deliver the second annual Stephenson-Hepburn Oration at The University of Western Australia, focussing on making Perth a more attractive place in which to invest, live and work despite the current global economic crisis.

In her lecture on Wednesday, March 4, entitled "Capital Ideas: Putting More ‘Venture' in Our Capital", she will argue there is a need for an agreed vision for the city of Perth that rises above political cycles and planning agencies. She will also discuss the Perth City Council's 2008-2012 strategic plan, developed from widespread consultation with the wider Perth community and key city stakeholders.

Dr Paul Maginn, program co-ordinator for Urban and Regional Planning at UWA, said the focus of the Lord Mayor's lecture was timely in light of the economic downturn, the contraction of the mining industry and the State Government's decision to postpone a number of major development projects in the city.

"If Perth (and WA) is to stave off the impacts of the economic crisis it is incumbent on ‘urban planners', bureaucratic and entrepreneurial, to work more collaboratively, think more creatively, and assume and share greater risk by investing in projects that are going to improve Perth well into the future and beyond our current over-dependency on resources and mining," Dr Maginn said.

Dr Maginn said the UWA Stephenson-Hepburn Annual Oration acknowledged the outstanding work of the late Professor Gordon Stephenson and Alistair Hepburn who made lasting contributions to the State's urban and regional planning. The oration, sponsored by the Satterley Property Group, forms part of the UWA Urban and Regional Planning Lecture Series.

"The overall aim of the lecture series is to raise awareness and promote discussion and debate on a wide range of key local, state, national and international issues in urban and regional planning among planning academics and students, the wider planning profession and the general public," Dr Maginn said.

The lecture, on Wednesday, March 4 from 5.30pm to 8pm, at UWA's University Club Theatre Auditorium, is free and open to the public who must register to attend by emailing [email protected]

Media references

Dr Paul Maginn (Urban and Regional Planning) (+61 8) 6488 2711 / (+61 4) 21 545 190
Peter Jackson (Media Liaison Officer, City of Perth) (+61 8) 9461 3342
Sally-Ann Jones (UWA Public Affairs) (+61 8) 6488 7975 / (+61 4) 20 790 098

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