A community group opposed to the potential development of a cafe on the Shelley Beach Foreshore Park said a survey by the City of Canning, in which more than 60 per cent of respondents supported, was flawed.
Last month the City of Canning released the results of its Shelley Beach Foreshore Park survey, which was sent to about 3300 households across Shelley and Rossmoyne.
The survey asked residents about their views on a cafe on the foreshore, as well as increased shade, play equipment and social facilities like barbecues.
The results, which were collated by independent survey company Painted Dog Research, showed 66 per cent of the 758 respondents supported the cafe development.
However in an email, obtained by The Examiner to City of Canning councillor Ben Kunze, cafe opponent and member of Save Shelley Beach Foreshore Park Facebook page Ron Poole said the survey was poorly structured because it only allowed households to vote as one.
“Whoever proposed that single form format totally ignored the right of the resident of any household to have an independent view as they have in local elections,” he said.
The surveys were sent addressed to ‘The Resident’ at each property and only provided households with one form to complete.
“While the City of Canning has rolls and registers with the names of the ratepayers and adult residents of each dwelling, (the survey) blatantly ignored the common courtesy of addressing the envelope and survey to the recipients by name, but by the anonymous ‘The Resident’, as if it were mere junk mail,” Mr Poole said.
According to the 2016 Australian Bureau of Statistics census there were 3145 dwellings and 7744 residents in Shelley and Rossmoyne and Mr Poole urged the council to disregard the survey results and ensure future surveys be sent to all residents.
However Mr Kunze said the survey was conducted like the Australian census on a household basis and the city had taken steps to involve more residents in the discussion than was first proposed.
“Initial commentary by the city indicated that the survey would involve a random telephone survey of approximately 350 residents,” he said.
He said the city had increased the amount of money it had initially reserved for a survey the area to capture more residents’ opinions.
“We felt however that it was important to widen the consultation to include every household in Rossmoyne and Shelley,” Mr Kunze said.
“This provided an opportunity for every household to participate and have a say given it is a matter of keen public interest, something I believe the city should be commended for.”
