AFTER being a City of Swan councillor for sixteen years Ellenbrook resident Patty Jones is stepping down.

Echo News asked the retiring councillor how much things had changed since she was first elected to the Pearce ward in 2009 and her view on planning and development in the Swan Valley.

Ms Jones who moved to Ellenbrook about 25 years ago said the city had become a massive council and there were lots of different ways of doing things now including development assessment panels.

“I think the city’s lost a lot of their power, in a way, maybe to state government,’’ she said.

“So it has changed a lot and issues have changed because it’s such a large council and we go from mining to airport to agriculture to tourism to residential (and) all sorts of different things.’’

She still remembers getting a thick package “all about planning and stuff” to read the day before her first council meeting and then being asked to put her hand up if she understood it all.

“I think in a way now there’s more education about council as well, so that’s helpful.”

But she said the general public did not really know the difference between local government, state government and federal government.

“It’s frustrating (and) costs you a lot of time, because you’re constantly answering emails, or trying to placate someone who’s angry about something that the state’s done.

“I try my very best not to blame anybody, but to try and help whoever it is get into the right area.

“If it’s for state, I’ll say, thanks for your email – there’s probably not much I can do about that one.

“But I’ll pass it on to so-and-so who can raise it with the state, or here’s a number, you can ring this person and they’ll help you.’’

She also thought a lot of policies were “written from a chair’’ and no-one went to look and see what effects their policy would have.

“And that’s in many, many areas – state and local government.”

Ms Jones said as a councillor when an issue arose, she always went to look and also talked to the people involved.

“It could be anything – trees coming down or neighbours with junk on the front verge or whatever.

“I always go and have a look and see what’s going on with my eyes.’’

When she first came to Ellenbrook the suburb was home to less than 3000 people and there was one deli.

“We had to get fuel on Gnangara Road (and) you couldn’t buy a cooked chicken, you had to go to Ginger’s roadhouse.

“Look at it now – there’s two or three Macca’s.’’

“I think there’s about 60,000 people there now which to me is amazing (but) it’s still remained as a little country town though.

“I know it’s busy but you actually don’t have to leave Ellenbrook now to do your shopping whereas before you’d have to go to the nearest supermarket in Beechboro.

“It has changed a huge amount and I think the needs have changed as well.

“I know having these very close houses, they have caused us a bit of a problem having so many because a lot of people have got more than two cars, three cars.

“As your kids get older, each one’s got a car – where do you park?

“Things have changed but I think Ellenbrook has still got that country feel which I love.”

She has some concerns about the lack of incentive for grape growers in the Swan Valley and that no one is overseeing the Swan Valley Planning Act.

“I was taking Pearce candidate James Pollard to go and have a look at something in the Swan Valley (and) I see a $2 shop opened up on West Swan Road.’’

They turned around so she could go into the shop and she thought “how the hell did this ever get passed?’’

“I remember when there was a lady who used to do kitchens up on West Swan Road, right up near John Street and she got taken to task because she was selling kitchens but she had little gift things in there as well and because they weren’t made in the Swan Valley she had to get rid of them.

“People are storing, you just have to go down Great Northern Highway, just after Rakich’s and see all the junk that’s on the left there, there’s bits of this and bits of that.

“That’s our entrance to the tourist area.’’

“I’ve taken photos, I’ve given them to…the city but…nothing’s happening, and it’ll get to such a bad state and then the state government will go, oh that’s too hard, hand it back to the city, then we’ve got to fix it.’’

She said what needed to be done was a very difficult question to answer.

“I think what they should do is, there’s lots of houses for sale, there’s lots of properties for sale down there, and I think people are buying them because they’re fairly cheap and then doing what they want to do on that property, so there’s got to be more incentives for the farmers to actually have the grapes, plant the grapes, make wine, make beer, whatever you’re making or any agriculture.’’

There were some successful businesses in the area making way more money “for way less work compared to the old farmer who’s doing the grapes”.

“If you want to keep those grapes, you need to incentivise those farmers with something.

“Otherwise, why would you do that hard work to promote an area of wineries and vines when you can see somebody else is earning megabucks for one-tenth of the amount of effort?’

“And also the old farmers (their) kids don’t want to do it anymore but if there was an incentive, they may do something.

“I’m sure the state needs to put some money into it to incentivise.

“The only thing that the farmers in the Swan Valley get is a subsidy on their rates.’’

She said the state needed not just an Act, which was just the rules people were meant to follow, but also a vision for the Swan Valley.

This year as well as Mr Pollard the Pearce candidates are Noria Bernard, Maria Toquero, Lorna Harper, incumbent councillor Aaron Bowman and Shaun Bloomfield.