Slow death by a thousand lashes

Apparently the organisers of the Powderfinger and Silverchair concerts are having trouble getting approval to hold it at Claremont Showgrounds. Basically, there are noise restrictions and the Claremont Council has decided (by vote) that the concerts shouldn't go ahead at that venue.

In truth, the issue doesn't affect me directly because I couldn't give a toss about Powderchair, but I'm more concerned with how this is a perfect example of what's wrong with Perth. It's stuck with a insular, small-town mentality when it's clearly a city.

The whole anti-progress, anti-fun mentality in this city is sucking the life out of people aged 18-30. There is simply NOTHING to do here and the general attitude of people who aren't in this age group is "If you don't like it then fuck off."

And that's exactly what's happening. It's commonly referred to as the "brain drain," but the number of people aged 18-30 who are leaving Perth for better opportunities in work and fun is far more serious than that. It represents a good percentage of the lifeblood of this city looking elsewhere for basic life opportunities that a city the size of Perth should easily provide.

That's why I find it unsurprising that Perth has the highest rate of amphetamine use in Australia. There's no doubt that we're riding this economic boom for all that it's worth and that we're cashed up beyond belief. But the simple truth is, once the house and car have been purchased, what else is there to spend our money on? A West Coast Eagles or Fremantle Dockers membership? Because a game of footy is practically the only thing we can do on a Sunday afternoon in Perth.

To me, the solution is to this problem starts with a few basic steps. Extend the retail trading hours, build a decent sports stadium, invest serious money in the arts, develop the foreshore around the Bell Tower and sink the railway line between Northbridge and the city.

And we need to think with a big city mentality. If Perth is going to be more than a place where people come to die then we need to start doing something about it now.