Residents of a 17-storey apartment complex overlooking Perth’s newest tourist attraction have raised concerns about privacy, safety and light pollution and asked why they weren’t consulted before a giant Ferris wheel was erected opposite their homes.

A 36-metre SkyVista Observation Wheel at Langley Park along Riverside Drive has come under scrutiny from residents of the nearby Altair Waterfront apartments, who believe the attraction disrupts the peacefulness of their homes.

The 100-tonne wheel, which has 125,952 LED lights and can hold 144 customers at a time, offers visitors 360-degree views of Perth’s skyline and the Swan River.

However, residents of the 58m-tall residential complex have raised concerns those views are also extending into their apartments.

Speaking on behalf of “concerned residents” at the complex at Tuesday night’s City of Perth council meeting, Clive Elliot asked what assessments had done before the attraction was approved.

He also raised concerns about the light spilling into apartments from the illuminated wheel, noise and residents’ sense of safety.

The city’s new chief executive, Garry Hunt, confirmed the wheel was about 100m from the closest apartments and the application had been assessed.

He said the attraction was classified as a commercial activity with a low anticipated impact, as it had no road closures, low expected noise levels, limited infrastructure and low attendance on the reserve.

He also said the operator had to comply with the Environmental Protection (Noise) Regulations 1997 and resident notification under those regulation was not required.

Mr Elliot asked if the council had a responsibility to consult residents regardless of its legal obligations.

“Does the city accept that there was at least or nonetheless a moral obligation to consult 123 households?” he said.

Mr Hunt said the city received more than 2300 applications annually for activities in public spaces and did not hold community consultation for every proposal.

“While consultation is not undertaken for every application, the city values feedback from residents and businesses to help understand and manage the impact of these activities on the local community,” he said.

Mr Hunt said the city had met residents of Altair on Friday, October 23, after concerns were raised with the city.

Mr Elliot asked if the attraction would be in place throughout Christmas and summer.

The wheel is currently under a trial arrangement which will expire on November 27, which Mr Hunt said would enable officers to assess its impact and make changes based on feedback.

Mr Hunt confirmed the city had received applications for two further extensions, which are currently being assessed and no permits had been issued yet.

Despite the trial period ending in November, the SkyVista website has advertised two further events in its “summer series”.

Christmas at SkyVista is advertised to run from November 28 to Boxing Day and then a SkyVista “Summer Fun Fair” will run after Boxing Day.

The Ferris wheel operates Tuesdays to Sundays. Weekday rides begin at 5pm and weekend rides from 10am to late.