Perth needs to step up

Apparently, Perth is "struggling to make its way in the world" -- but does this really mean that we must follow others, wonders Agamedes.

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The Editorial from The West of 21 Dec 2010 reports on a survey of attitudes to Perth. It seems that Perth is, "a city which despite its natural charms is still struggling to make its way in the world."

Let's have a look at that opinion:

A city -- yes. Natural charms -- yes. Still struggling -- yes. To make its way in the world -- reflects the cultural cringe which constantly nags at the self esteem of the wankers of WA. And by "wankers" I mean, the "influential business people, policy makers and academics" who were apparently surveyed.

Many of these surveys find the same things. We are not as vibrant as New York, or even Sydney. We lack the small bars and coffee shops of Melbourne. (When my wife and I visit Melbourne and find nothing open in the evening, we are told, Oh, you were looking in the wrong place! So our rather nice hotel was in the dead heart of Melbourne?)

This is another pseudo-survey from the self-named "committee for Perth". A more accurate name could be, "committee for making Perth look a lot more like some other big city where I regularly go for a company-sponsored working holiday".

There's a letter in today's West (22 Dec 2010), Magical evening, from Mary Colliss of Fremantle. "Thank you ... for the beautiful Christmas decorations in the city," writes Colliss. So far,so good.

Why does Colliss then have to write, "We felt as though we could have been in a European city"!?! Which European city is she dreaming of... The ones where "independence fighters" blow each other up? The ones where "the last dictator in Europe" crushes protests? The ones where students protest over whatever upsets them today?

Or is Colliss dreaming of one European city where she spent a pleasant Christmas holiday, in her long-ago youth. A city which, perhaps, she still dreams of. As her ordinary, everyday life in Fremantle drags its feet through the reality of a humdrum existence.

Fine, let's learn from other places, other people, other cities. I bet that some of them wish for our climate, our lifestyle, our beaches and bush and even our spread out suburbs. Let's get ideas from other cities -- and enjoy what we actually have.

Surveys regularly show that WA has a better lifestyle than many other cities. It's not the coffee shops, it's not the Christmas lights, it's not the vibrant nightlife. What is really good about Perth, is the Western Australian lifestyle -- as it already exists.

Don't throw out the baby with the bathwater. Don't slavishly copy what makes other cities appealing.

We have a great city. It can be improved. But not by copying things which we like when we visit other cities.

Please forget about copying other cities.

Take what already makes Perth a great city. Make those factors even better. Change only the things that are "bad". Do not change things which are simply "different".

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