FREO COUNCIL NOT PART OF STATE GOVERNMENT TEAM
A few thoughts about community concerns about the plans for the new Fremantle Traffic Bridge.
Not sure why there is a petition for a Special Electors Meeting, concerning the new Fremantle Traffic Bridge, when the annual electors meeting is next Tuesday, October 3, plus the bridge will be on the FPOL Committee and Ordinary Council agendas next month as well.
Not sure either that community opposition to the plans, at Fremantle Council meetings, will have any impact on what the State Government will be doing. It is State Government authority, not Fremantle Council’s.
Not sure why the Mayor of Fremantle publicly supports the Main Roads department traffic bridge plans, when Fremantle Council does not have an official position on it yet.
Fremantle Council and its Mayor can’t be part of a State Government team. A team has to do what the coach, in this case the Premier, tells them to do. Freo needs to lobby, participate, engage and collaborate with total independence.
Mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge is the official spokesperson for Fremantle Council and the City of Fremantle, so she needs to make it clear if she is expressing her personal opinion, or if she is speaking on behalf of the City.
It is naïve to believe that the WA Government will always have the best for Freo at heart!
Roel Loopers
FREOVIEW - Fremantle's only daily 
I disagree Roel. Fremantle Council is NOT “powerless”, but it is spineless… If there is any virtue in having a mayor who is a card carrying member of the Labor party, it should be to have a voice that has a better than average chance of being heard. But it’s more than that – FCC is supposed to represent and respond to/advocate for the community’s local concerns – and this is surely one. If, for example, they held a Town Hall meeting to discuss what Freo residents and ratepayers wanted at the eastern gateway, I think that might have a lot of credibility and sway with the minister and local member.
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I agree it is bigger than just the new bridges, Gerry, and agree that the Fremantle community should forcefully express their disagreement with some of the features of the plans, but they do need to do that where it matters and where the deciding people are. That is the State Government, Simone McGurk’s office, not Fremantle Council, that is powerless.
Roel
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This is a lot bigger than the bridge. It’s rising to the defence of our river. Roads along rivers should have no place in a modern, environmentally conscious society. MRWA is stuck in the 1960s. If Fremantle people don’t rise up in protest at this, they have lost their mojo.
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The article referenced here dates fro August 2021 NOT 2022. Andrew Sullivan was not in fact Deputy Mayor at the time he was ACTING Mayor.
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Roel, even spellchecker has no idea what Enkel is!!
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Yes Roel – Frank is the deputy mayor now not Andrew. The quoted articles from the CoF were from last year when Andrew held that august position. Cheers
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Roel, the “Deputy Mayor Andrew Sullivan” is a direct quote from the relevant CoF web page: https://www.fremantle.wa.gov.au/news-and-media/city-welcomes-new-alignment-fremantle-traffic-bridge
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The Dept Mayor is Frank Mofflin, not Andrew Sullivan.
Roel
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You mean Enkel, I assume?
Roel
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Some quotes from CoF media: “The City of Fremantle has welcomed today’s announcement by the state government of the new alignment for the replacement Fremantle Traffic Bridge” and “Fremantle Deputy Mayor Andrew Sullivan said it was pleasing the government had taken the feedback from the council and community on board.” and: “Now that the alignment of the new traffic bridge is finalised, we look forward to working with the state government and its alliance team on the design aspects of the Swan River Crossing project to achieve the best possible outcomes for the community.” and; “The new alignment is very similar to what the City proposed in our Freo 2029: Transformational Moves strategy and is the one the council selected as its preferred option back in June,” Cr Sullivan said.” and: ““I think people might be a bit surprised by the new road alignment—but when they take some time to consider it, I hope they’ll appreciate that it has some real positives,” Mayor Fitzhardinge said.” And: “In particular, the opportunity to create a new parkland stretching down from Cantonment Hill and the Naval Store towards the river is fantastic. People love to recreate around the foreshore and this will significantly increase their opportunity to do so.” and from the Mayor again: ““The new alignment also looks to the future by creating direct access to the South Quay.”
Given, the above statements from the mayor (described as a “bobbing head” by the Freo Society) in the official CoF organ – a reasonable person would surmise such statements were made in the “official capacity” of the mayor.
All the above from CoF media – presumably approved by, well maybe (just maybe), the CEO and Mayor? The State Govt and CoF/Council (in general) appear as Siamese twins on this issue – joined at the hip. And of course – the bridge and Canning Hwy is ultimately a State govt matter – but I’d suggest the earnest supplication by the Mayor/Council/CoF on the matter has not created any impediment for the state. Pea and thimble.
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I think FCC has been missing in action on the subject, and it is fair to say they should be actively lobbying the state government to represent the ratepayers. The Mayor has publicly stated her support for the latest “plan”, specifically including the contentious and unexpected realignment of Canning Hwy, so she needs to explain that when it is getting most people’s backs up. And she needs to explain why the only winner seems to be the mysterious Engel beloved of the Pettit putsch.
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