WEDDING AT THE FREMANTLE ROUNDHOUSE

 

A beautiful wedding next to the historic Fremantle Roundhouse on Friday afternoon.

Power for the music had to be supplied after hours by the Glen Cowans photo gallery because the city has not made provisions to have an easily accessible power point for weddings.

Roel Loopers

PUBLIC COUNCIL MEETINGS NOT BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

The Fremantle Society continues sending misinformation to their members, now claiming that recent decisions by Fremantle Council were made behind closed doors, as was put in capital letters screaming it out in an email.

Fact is that the one-year delay of the Sirona Capital settlement for the Spicer site development and the Kings Square playground went through the proper democratic process at Council and from public Council committees to public full Council meeting, so nothing of that process was irregular or behind closed doors.

This is part of the rambling email to the Fremantle Society members:

Democracy Dead at Fremantle Council

Major decisions affecting ratepayer assets have been made BEHIND CLOSED DOORS at Fremantle Council.

Giving council’s developer mates Sirona Capital an extra year to decide on the Spicer site, the $550,000 playgound in King’s Square, and major decisions affecting the n ew administration building we dont need, were all made behind closed doors at a sub committee of council and then simple reported at council.

Insipid Media

The media seem disinterested in major Fremantle governance issues like decisions being made behind closed doors.

It is time the Fremantle Society stopped the nonsense of making non-factual claims about Fremantle Council and started to make a positive difference instead of silly political grandstanding.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with rigorously scrutinising Council and severely criticising them when they deserve it, as I myself regularly do here on Freo’s View, but it needs to be based on facts. The issues mentioned in the FS email were not behind closed doors but at public council committees and council meetings I attended as an observer, and they were not ‘confidential items’ on the agenda either, so open to public scrutiny.

Agendas and Minutes of Council and Council Committee meetings can be read on the City of Fremantle website.

Roel Loopers

SILLY PROTEST TO CONTINUE WITH ROE 8

It’s a day early for April Fools so it must be the real thing that there is a protest against the new WA Labor government stopping the Roe 8 highway.

I believe the very convincing election results have clearly shown the government has a strong mandate to stop Roe 8 and the Perth Freight Link, so it is nonsense to now want to force the government to break this promise and have protests and petitions to continue with it when the voters clearly showed they do not want it.

Premier Mark McGowan made it very clear during the election campaign that he would not continue with the highway and tunnel, so it is a waste of time to try to convince the new government to change their mind when they are doing the sensible thing of now negotiating with the contractors to relocate their workforce to other government projects.

We should be more outraged about the wanton destruction of the Beeliar Wetlands by the Barnett government, and that they did go ahead although their own departments recommended not to start there but at Fiona Stanley instead. That should be investigated.

Anyway, if you are so inclined and have nothing better to do, go and waste your time at this useless protest that will achieve absolutely nothing.

It’s at 5 pm today at Bibra  Drive, north of Hope Road.

Roel Loopers

FREMANTLE SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD DAY

The fishing industries and Department of Fisheries are holding the W.A. Sustainable Seafood Day at the Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour tomorrow, Friday March 31.

This is an industry day but the public is welcome, so if you like seafood and are around tomorrow go and check it out.

Could we please also have an affordable seafood day where the fishing industries try to find solutions to make seafood cheaper and more affordable. The 50+ dollar per kilo for fish is not affordable for low-income earners.

Roel Loopers

 

DOLLAR SIGNS BLINDING WEST END VISION

 

Anyone who believes that this is appropriate development for Pakenham Street in Fremantle’s historic West End must have rocks in their head and dollar signs blinding their vision.

This is disrespectful rubbish that has no place in a street of stunning facades and in a historically very significant  and unique heritage precinct.

Those who take our history for granted assist in helping to destroy our future.

Roel Loopers

 

CANTONMENT HILL LANDSCAPING STARTING

Fences have been erected around Tuckfield Oval at Cantonment Hill for the commencement of stage one of the landscaping and playground.

Fremantle Mayor Brad Pettitt and other dignitaries will this morning at 10.30 turn the first sods to mark the significant occasion of the development of the historic site.

Works will comprise landscaping with water wise native plants, improvements to pedestrian access and the introduction of community amenities including barbecues, picnic and seating areas, a nature-based play space, lighting and parking.

Fremantle Sea Rescue has already moved into the Signal Station and the ENKEL changemakers group will move into the former Naval Stores later this year, so the development of Cantonment Hill into a community space and tourist attraction is now under way after many years of planning.

Roel Loopers

GET READY FOR FREO URBAN WINE WALK

An early notice for wine lovers that the Fremantle URBAN WINE WALK will be held on May 6.

The streets, laneways and footpaths of Fremantle, North Fremantle & South Fremantle will come alive as a line up of our best Urban Locales open their doors, transforming into the ultimate cellar door experience.

Promising a fresh, self-guided wine tasting experience never before seen in our city, Urban Wine Walk is an afternoon out you and your friends won’t want to miss!

You’ll enjoy unique experiences at a hand-picked selection of local bars and restaurants and of course sample unique wines from the best up and coming wine producers Australia has to offer!

It is on from midday till 5 pm and only costs $ 45.00 per person, so something to look forward to!

Roel Loopers

FREMANTLE TOWNHALL BACK TO FORMER GLORY

 

How beautiful it is to see the Fremantle Townhall restored back to its old former glory. It looks magnificent!

Scaffolding is very slowly coming down and revealing more of the great conservation works daily, so walk down to Kings Square and have a look at it.

Roel Loopers

FREMANTLE PRISON MEMORIES

 

I used to walk past Fremantle Prison almost daily when I lived in Bellevue Terrace, but that is now many years ago, so when I had to go to a meeting in the old Drillhall late yesterday afternoon I went and had a look at the World Heritage listed building and took this photo.

Roel Loopers

ENKEL CHANGEMAKERS FOR CANTONMENT HILL

The monthly Fremantle Network event upstairs at the National Hotel on Monday evening featured Adam Jorlen of ENKEL and Adin Lang of the newly founded Friends of Freo.

ENKEL will move into the former Navy Stores at Cantonment Hill this year and is a social innovation centre with the aim to create a new generation of changemakers.

The group has a 20-year lease and there will be a big climbing wall, collaboration with Freo Food, and there will be stations for robotics and coding, a school of changemakers and Knowmads.

All activities in the big hall will be open to the public.

The ENKEL concept intrigues me as I like change and innovation, but for the sceptic there seems to be unresolved naivety about it. It worries me that the group only has 55 members when it has been operating out of Victoria Park for a few years now.

I am all for giving the group a fair go and the benefit of the doubt though, because creative rejuvenation is very important for the future of Fremantle, but I have no idea how they are going to survive financially and pay the required rent to the City of Fremantle.

Change is healthy when it is good change, so I definitely will try to get involved with ENKEL events to make sure that the new concept also involves older people and taps into our experience and knowledge.

And ENKEL means simple or easy in Swedish, Adam Jorlen told us. To broaden your horizon, let me point out that it also means nephew in German and ankle in Dutch. ; >)

Adin Lang who just started Friends of Freo as an extension of Friends of Hollis Park, wants to connect the green spine of Fremantle and do community nature conservation work in collaboration with the City of Fremantle.

It is about connecting the community groups at Cantonment Hill, Clontarf Hill, Booyembara Park, Hollis Park, etc. and share tools and knowledge, and tackle unique issues.

I think that is a good idea because community groups often work in isolation of other community groups with similar concepts.

Former Councillor Robert Fittock pointed out that Adin Lang had not included North Fremantle in his map and Adin promised to change that.

I always enjoy the Fremantle Network events and the next one will be on the last Monday of April where people from the affordable and ethical housing project Nightingale will speak.

Roel Loopers