FREMANTLE CREATING ECO POOP
Fremantle is trying very hard to become the centre of the sustainable eco universe. Today Western Australia‘s first ecoPOP was installed at Kings Square to create “a self-sustaining urban green oasis’ according to the City of Fremantle‘s media release. The ecoPOPs will “catch and store water, power themselves with solar energy and generate their own nutrients to grow fruit, vegetables and herbs.” That is all good, but why on earth does it have to be put on Kings Square, the most inappropriate place for this not very attractive “oasis”. Why does the City of Fremantle has such a need to ram their green dogmatic religion down our throats?
More green stuff down West with beautiful trees in High Street. After the lengthy trial period I had been hoping for trees planted in the ground and not more in pots, especially not the same square ones we have in abundance on the Cappuccino Strip already.
For the record, I am not a denier or skeptic of climate change, global warming and sea levels rising, but more appropriate locations need to be found for such good things as ecoPOPs. Kings Square is not the place for it in my humble opinion.
Roel Loopers
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I don’t think anyone can accuse me of not doing my bit in Fremantle Heath. I spent 20+ hours a week on community stuff. I am not living in the inner city or west end but in White Gum Valley, so this is not NIMBY stuff from me but merely pointing out that the ecoPOP at Kings Square is not the right location. The only reason it is there is because it needs to be seen to promote council’s green credentials. That is my criticism. The City of Fremantle is not a department of CUSP.
Roel
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You did imply that it was part of “… trying very hard to become the centre of the sustainable eco universe” by a council that “…has such a need to ram their green dogmatic religion down our throats.” Despite your concluding sentence referring to ecoPOPs as “good things”, I don’t think it’s a stretch of interpretation to read that there was a greater degree if criticism than “merely [suggesting] better locations can be found than Kings Square.”
While it may be the first in Western Australia, that certainly doesn’t signify any significant aspirations for leadership in pan-galactic sustainability. There are many examples in NSW and Victoria. You can read about my visit to Dandenong – hardly a hotbed of green zealots – to check out there one here: https://wrayavenue.wordpress.com/2013/01/23/more-on-michael-mobbss-ecopops/
Yes, there are legitimate reasons for it why King’s Square may be a poor choice: it isn’t connected to gutters at that location, which are used to fill the water tanks without the needs for mains supply; in its present position it is not really providing any shade which, while not so important in winter, the intention of the designer Michael Mobbs’ is to shade out areas of hot bitumen in summer reducing the ambient temperature around the ecoPOP. Neither of these issues is addressed in your blog.
That said, the location in King’s Square guarantees it will engage the public. I had a conversation with two guys on Tuesday who were looking at it and I was able to explain its purpose to them. It is also located close to where there is already people working on productive gardens (upstairs) so it won’t be left to go fallow like the one I visited in Dandenong.
MMagus is correct, it is not meant to be forever. The ecoPOP is meant to be moveable. Communities can buy their own (or petition council to buy one for them), set it up in an area of their community and (should it become well loved and cause no problems) be replaced by a more permanent structure while the ecoPOP is then relocated to a new area of the community continuing the process.
Really, if you want to ‘green’ the West-End with trees, there is no requirement that this can’t happen as well as an ecoPOP in King’s Square. Frankly, as someone in the more suburban city precinct, I’m finding the constant whinging, nimbyism and me-tooism from inner city residents a bit hard to bear. Instead of spending so much time complaining about council, why don’t you organise yourselves to do something positive. For example, next weekend some of my neighbours have organised – with support of excellent council staff – a plant out of native trees on Wray Ave. We did it ourselves, with community consensus. Yes, there were difficulties but rather than sound off about blockers along the way we resolved them and moved forward.
It is sad that this positive idea from council is perjoratively labelled “green dogmatic religion” – whatever the that means, Roel? It is something others (besides myself, and my well-known green affiliation) with a range of political views have imagined as providing an interesting, positive contribution to our little area as we see it as a way of encouraging community interaction, reducing anti-social behaviour, slowing traffic sharing understandings about food growing and having a positive effect on the built environment.
In trying to build energy for it, the first thing people ask though is “What is it?” The pictures I have on my blog and in books are not sufficient to demonstrate this. The King’s Square model is the best way I can think of to do this – and if it gets a few extra people into that space along the way, that can only be a good thing.
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I did not poo-poo the concept of ecoPOPs I merely suggested better locations can be found than Kings Square!
Roel
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[…] City Councillor hopeful Roel Loopers “poop-pooping” the idea on his blog, I do think these can provide excellent benefits to our community. Unlike trees planted directly […]
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I presume it’s not meant to be there forever, Roel, and that it’s, in Spike Milligan’s words, ‘a publicity stunt’. I agree with Paula Amaral.
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There is a second one on Packenham Street – where the City of Freo has partnered with CUSP.
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I have to disagree with you Roel. I think it is a very good idea. I for once will be really interested to come and have a look, and find out how it works and so will lots of other people I’m sure.
If it was placed in an obscure part of the city most people wouldn’t even be aware of it.
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