Ratepayers in Peppermint Grove can pay for their Shire’s proposed new day of celebration, the Premier has said.
Ahead of a vote of the Shire of Peppermint Grove council over whether to set up a day celebrating the small western suburbs community in place of Australia Day events, Mr Cook welcomed the proposal.
“I’m really pleased that the people of Peppermint Grove have a day that they’re looking to celebrate their great community, and I welcome every local government celebrating the great qualities of them,” he said.
Asked whether the Government would seek to assist the shire, one of the wealthiest in Australia, Mr Cook said: “I can’t imagine that we would be big concerning that.
“I think Peppermint Grove will be in a position to be able to fund their own celebrations,” he added.
The proposed new event would be held every second year on October 4 in a nod to the date that the Shire was initially gazetted in 1895 as the Peppermint Grove Roads Board.
“As there were three local governments involved and the attendance of shire community members was lost in the larger populations for the other two local governments, it is considered that there is a better opportunity for the shire to host a celebration,” the document read.
“The logic of holding the event every two years is to link it into the shire election cycle and to recognise outgoing elected members.”
Peppermint Grove graduated from a roads board to a shire in 1960 and remains the smallest local government area in Australia, with only about 1500 residents.
The celebration would also hone in on the history of the affluent suburb, giving new and old residents a chance to learn about its rich history, which helped lay the foundation for becoming one of the country’s — and certainly Perth’s — most expensive areas.
Asked whether he would attend a celebration of Peppermint Grove, Mr Cook joked: “can we talk about Adam Simpson again, that got me into trouble yesterday.”
Speaking on Wednesday after Simpson’s departure, Mr Cook paid tribute to the former Eagles coach’s service but also didn’t miss a chance to exploit WA’s bitter footy rivalry.
“Of course, he’s done great service to the second most important Western Australian team in the national competition,” Mr Cook said.
“He’s worked with a young cohort, a young squad; he’s continuing that long road back which the Eagles have to develop that young squad.
“If you look at all sports, sporting personalities, particularly coaches, sometimes they get dealt a really tough deal.”