ARE YOU KIDDING ME FREMANTLE COUNCIL?

I was given the most outrageously ridiculous information from a Fremantle Council insider. If it is true all elected members should be sent by the Minister for Local Government to compulsory lengthy sessions with shrinks, because what I heard is unbelievable and crazy governance.

My informant told me that Fremantle Council is considering to lease space in the FOMO retail/hospitality concept for a new Visitor Centre.

The perfect and ideal location for the Visitor Centre would be the street level part of the triangle of the new Walyalup Civic Centre, that the City is desperately trying to lease out to a hospitality operator. That might only eventuate if Councillors are willing to make substantial financial concessions to a lessee.

So Fremantle Council is allegedly prepared to pay good ratepayers’ money to lease a space from Sirona Capital, presumably because SC cannot get enough traders to sign up for FOMO, while the City have a vacant space in our expensive brand-new civic centre that could be used as Visitor Centre.

The third floor of the Walyalup Civic Centre also still has not been leased, so what on earth is going on? We might not get an operator for the hospitality triangle, but instead of utilising that location, ratepayers already paid for, Councillors reportedly are seriously considering to pay money for a space next door and at commercial rates one can assume. It is mind blowing!

It really is inconceivable that Fremantle Council is building a $ 45 million new civic centre without including the Visitor Centre. Last year Council was going to investigate if there is a better location than Kings Square for the Visitor Centre, but I never heard anything about that since.

Please someone tell me that the information I received is wrong. If not, then we’ll need to reinstate the Fremantle Arts Centre as the Lunatic Asylum. I have a strong suggestion for who the first 13 inmates should be. I am gobsmacked.

Roel Loopers

WE ALL NEED TO KEEP COVID AT BAY!

Western Australians can only hope, pray, cross their fingers and touch wood, etc. that the decision to open the state borders from November 14 is a prudent one.

It will only be a matter of time when-not if-a visitor to WA will have the coronavirus and we will then have to see if and how fast it will spread in the community.

It is essential that the McGowan government starts an advertising campaign to stress the importance of keeping the 2 sqm distance in pubs, clubs, cafes and restaurants because that is no longer happening in the majority of venues. This also needs to be enforced by WA Police again!

Hand sanitizers have all but gone from most hospitality venues, so that needs to be re-introduced, as so does keeping patrons away from each other.

Complacency could have deadly consequences and might set us back by half a year if stronger restrictions have to be put in place, or a lockdown. Only the community can make sure that won’t happen, so act responsibly!

Roel Loopers

HALLOWEEN AT THE MOORES

Paper Bird children’s bookstore in Henry Street is holding Halloween in Fremantle in the Moores building this evening with a triple book launch.

It is an ecening of free family fun, so go get scared.

Roel Loopers

MEXICANA FIESTA AT FREMANTLE MARKETS

The Fremantle Markets MEXICANA FIESTA is on this weekend with yummy Mexican food and invigorating music. Go check it out!

Roel Loopers

WA OPENS CONTROLLED BORDERS NOVEMBER 14

Premier Mark McGowan has announced that WA will start a controlled open borders regime from November 14:

Under WA’s new controlled border, the existing hard border exemption system will be removed and replaced with an updated nationwide health-based threshold that allows for safe travel into Western Australia from interstate with conditions, and subject to trigger points being met.

Pending latest health advice, effective from 12:01am on Saturday November 14, Western Australia will enact the new controlled interstate border under the Emergency Management Act.

The State Government will closely monitor the situation over east and if a delay is necessary, based on the latest public health advice, then that will occur.

The Chief Health Officer has recommended a 14-day rolling average of less than five community cases per day in each State and Territory (currently being met in each jurisdiction) be required before progressing to the new border controls.

At this point, travellers from all States and Territories that are ‘very low risk’ – no community cases in 28 days – will be permitted to enter WA and comply with conditions, including:

• all Perth Airport arrivals to undergo a health screening and temperature test on arrival
• being prepared to take a COVID-19 test at the airport COVID clinic, if deemed necessary by a health clinician (voluntary asymptomatic testing available for all airport arrivals)
• complete a G2G Pass declaration, stipulating they do not have any COVID-19 symptoms and which jurisdictions the traveller has been in over the previous 14 days
• all travellers to receive a SMS health check reminder one week into their stay in WA
• land arrivals to be met at the border checkpoint, for a health screening and to have their G2G Pass declaration checked. 

These jurisdictions currently include Tasmania, Queensland, South Australia, the Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory.

All travellers from States and Territories that are deemed ‘low risk’ – less than five community cases per day on a 14-day rolling average – will be permitted to enter WA and comply with similar conditions as ‘very low risk’ jurisdictions, however they will also be required to:

• take a COVID-19 test at the airport COVID clinic, if deemed necessary by a health clinician (voluntary asymptomatic testing available for all airport arrivals)
• self-quarantine for 14 days in a suitable approved premise
• present for a COVID-19 test on day 11. 

These jurisdictions currently include New South Wales and Victoria.

REMEMBERING MARIE THORNE

It was a little disappointing that only twenty people, among them Mayor Brad Pettitt and former Deputy Mayor Ingrid Waltham, turned up at Booyeembara Park at noon today to pay tribute to Noongar Elder Marie Thorne, who passed away in Katanning last week.

But the story telling circle under the trees, highlighting Marie’s achievements and dedication to her people made us remember Marie fondly and with a smile.

Whadjuk Noongar woman Corina Abraham said it was a shame there was no age care facility for Aborigines near Fremantle, and that so few people engage with Aboriginal people and their culture. Maybe the new Kings Square could host a weekly storytelling circle where people can gather to listen, learn and share?

R.I.P. Marie. You have a very special place in my heart!

Roel Loopers

FREO’S UNCERTAIN FINANCIAL FUTURE

Fremantle Councillor Frank Mofflin’s Thinking Allowed in the Fremantle Herald today is a thoughtful opinion piece, but one that will make the community think and worry. Frank writes “It’s all about the money” and because of Covid-19 it is more about money the City of Fremantle does not have to supply certain services, or even contemplate new projects.

Mofflin writes that the City’s limited finances are not per se poorly managed, but managed well, but that Council’s responsibility must be on the long-term sustainability of Fremantle.

The expectations in the community are greater than the City’s capacity to deliver, and I suspect one of the reasons for that is that Fremantle Council has sometimes not prioritised expenditure well and allocated money for political ideological reasons, instead of practical ones.

Councillor Mofflin also writes that Fremantle Council needs to find income that provides security, rather than relying too much on fluctuating parking revenue. It would probably also be prudent then to stop campaigning for people to leave their cars at home, when parking is such an important financial asset for our port city.

I agree with Mofflin that it is disappointing the local government reform the Barnett government wanted to introduce did not eventuate. A Fremantle merger with East Freo would have better positioned a larger City of Fremantle for the future, but alas the merger failed because a few East Fremantle residents did not like the idea.

When it comes to marketing Fremantle I am not the only one who believes that our marketing does not reflect the uniqueness of our city. TV commercials, social media footage all show Freo to be similar to Northbridge, Melbourne and any other city, focusing on entertainment and food, instead of historic character.

Where is the campaign to promote High Street, one of the most beautiful streets in Australia, that ends on a beach and the oldest public buildings in the state, the Roundhouse? Where are the shots of the hidden treasure courtyards of cafes? Where is the VERY FREO uniqueness in all that marketing?!

Where is the High Street streetscape beautification with wider footpaths and (angle)parking on only one side of the street? Where is the creative lighting of the Roundhouse, or even put projections on the old building at night? Where is the activation of the historic West End when it does not even get a ‘stage’ during the Fremantle Street Arts Festival?

One way of increasing the City’s finances is to properly charge event organisers for the use of our public spaces, and let them compensate the city as well for loss of parking revenue. We give our parks and beaches away for next to nothing to those who make a lot of money out of it. That needs to change!

And now that Western Australia has managed Covid so well we need to ask if the City is back to receiving full value for the properties it leases, such at the Naval Stores, Fremantle Markets, the Kulcha building, Gino’s, etc. etc. As Councillor Mofflin points out the City has huge financial challenges ahead, and hence it is in no position to keep supporting and sponsoring businesses which are not financially viable without ratepayers’ money.

It is imperative that Fremantle Council is pragmatic and realistic about its financial constraints.

Roel Loopers

STUNNING FREO ART MURAL FOR AQWA

Fremantle photographer Glen Cowans yesterday installed his biggest work yet at the entrance at AQWA. The work is nearly 8 metres long and 1.7 metres high and looks amazing.

Check out his work online at http://www.glencowans.com.au or visit his gallery at Captain’s Lane next to the historic Roundhouse.

Job well done, Glen!

Roel Loopers

PARKLET FOR FREO REPUBLIC

The Republic of Fremantle distillery and bar in Pakenham Street will be opening mid November, so not long to go before another great venue opens and it is good that it is in the quiet historic West End of town.

They are building a parklet for alfresco in front of the building out of recycled materials. Over time it will be covered with vines.

Roel Loopers

HILTON GOES UNDERGROUND

Underground power is set to be rolled out to more than 500 homes in Hilton.

Hilton is one of four Perth suburbs identified by Western Power to participate in a new Network Renewal Underground Program Pilot.

Western Power will provide $7.4 million to fund the majority of the works, including all mains infrastructure and new LED streetlights, while the City of Fremantle will contribute $1.1 million to fund the connection of residential properties to the mains.

This contribution will be recovered through a service charge levied by the City on properties that receive a new underground connection, to be paid interest-free over a period of seven years.

Western Power has confirmed the underground infrastructure is being future-proofed to allow for easy adoption of emerging sustainable technologies like community battery storage.

Western Power estimates the connection cost per property will be around $2203, compared to between $3000-$9000 under the previous State Underground Power Project and between $4000-$10,000 for private underground connections.

Paid off over seven years that works out at around $315 per year.

On Wednesday night Fremantle Council voted to support the delivery of the underground power project in Hilton and authorise the Chief Executive Officer to sign a co-funding agreement with Western Power.

The City’s contribution of $1.1 million will be paid in three instalments – $395,000 in March 2022, $395,000 in August 2022 and $322,000 in January 2023.

The council also agreed to apply an annual service charge over a period of no less than seven years to properties within the project boundary area which receive a new underground service, for consideration as part of the annual budget process.

Construction on the project is expected to start in January 2021 and be complete by February 2022.