City kiosk plan dubbed boring

The City of Perth's street traders policy has been branded boring and over-regulated after the council finally settled on a tourist booth four years after it vowed to bring at least three colourful new kiosks to the Murray Street mall.

In 2007, the council flagged organic fruit and vegetables, flowers and international newspapers as preferred uses for the kiosks to add vibrancy to the city.

But only one kiosk has been installed and remains vacant, with the most recent of three tender processes failing to come up with one operator the council's works and urban development committee, which is overseeing the project, deemed appropriate.

Thirteen ideas including fresh fruit juices and crepes, gourmet popcorn, doughnuts, coffee and a kiosk selling international newspapers, postcards and flowers were all knocked back in January.

However, on Wednesday night the council agreed to a six-month, $600 trial lease with Tourism WA's visitor centre operator, Best of Australia Travel Centre.

Lynda Dorrington, of Perth cultural think tank FORM, said yesterday another tourism booth 50m from the council's own information kiosk was "boring, boring, boring".

"Is that what people really want or do they want to stumble across the flower grower stall on the way home," she said.

Ms Dorrington said the city had lost the characters of the old stalls and the approach was too cautious.

But Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi, who sits on the works committee, said the kiosks offered separate services, with one offering tours around WA and the other information about the city.

She said the 13 recent proposals were either in direct competition with retailers, did not have detailed business plans or failed to meet other operating criteria.

"We're being deliberate to make sure we get the right operator within the first kiosk before we then proceed with others," she said. Last year, Perth's hot-dog man and last street vendor was booted out after complaints about the smell.

FuturePerth chairman Sean Morrison said the greatest places were those which had life and spontaneity, which traditional street vendors provided.