MASSIVE MAY DAY IN FREMANTLE

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That was a massive May Day in Fremantle, as the above slide show proves. Lots of people, great weather, and a bit of a traffic nightmare for about an hour.

Another big Sunday ahead for Freo next week with the High Voltage event from midday and the Harbour Master Classic run on Victoria Quay from 8am, so be aware.

Please feel free to share the photos. Just credit Freoview.

Roel Loopers

MAY DAY IN FREMANTLE TODAY

May Day celebrations are on in Fremantle today from 10am to 2.30 pm on the Esplanade.

The march through the inner city will start at 12 noon.

Come along. Great energy!

Roel Loopers

TAKE A LOOK AT THE SOUTH BEACH PLACE PLAN

The draft South Beach Place Plan is now live on the City’s website for the community to consider. 

The draft plan summarises the thoughts and comments the City heard through an extensive community consultation period and outlines short, medium and long-term planning for the much-loved public space.

The South Beach Place Plan consultation reached 1,400 people online and gathered 250 survey responses via My Say Freo, along with a further 200 responses in person through a public drop-in session at South Beach Reserve.

Five key themes were heard through the community consultation process including integrating universal accessibility, celebrating culture and stories, protecting the environment, preparing for climate change and ensuring we retain the unpretentious feel of the reserve

The final comments and feedback will be added to the draft plan following this round of community consultation, with the plan then presented to Council for formal adoption and used as a framework for future enhancements.

One of the key short-term actions through the plan is the construction of new changeroom facilities at South Beach with preliminary works set to commence next week.

Contractors will be on site on Tuesday 2 May for geotechnical investigations to assess the terrain conditions which is an important first step in getting the site ready.

Demolition of the old changerooms is anticipated to commence in June with construction of the new facilities expected to start in the last quarter of 2023.

The facilities will include new male and female changing rooms and toilets, two universal access/family rooms, storage for beach wheelchairs and a new Changing Places facility.

Changing Places are secure, private toilet facilities with extra space and features to assist people with disability.

The draft South Beach Place Plan is open for community comment until 5pm Friday 26 May.

Visit mysay.fremantle.wa.gov.au/south-beach-place-plan to have your say. 

Roel Loopers

COULD B&Bs BE PART OF THE RENTAL CRISIS SOLUTION?

I am not a believer that there are easy solutions for complex issues, so maybe my suggestion to make some changes to the rental housing crisis in WA, is naïve, but I am putting it out there anyway for our politicians to consider.

There are thousands of B&Bs in the Perth metropolitan area, so what about the State Government offering financial incentives for B&B owners to make their spaces available for long term tenants for the next 2-3 years, until inroads have been made building more rental homes?

Many B&Bs are vacant for long periods of the year, so if the government could offer financial compensation, some B&B owners might be tempted, and more people could find a place to rent and live.

Fremantle has many dozens of B&B, so can we start here?

And a note to a Fremantle Councillor, who owns an apartment in the building where I live, that has now been unoccupied for four years. People are desperate for rental spaces, so why not make the one you own available, even if you don’t need the money?

Roel Loopers

FREMANTLE MAY DAY MARCH THIS SUNDAY

My Roel’s Round column in the Fremantle Herald this week is about May Day and the union movement. Here it is:

The May Day march is back in Fremantle this year, after a three year hiatus due to Covid. It will be a noisy and powerful show of workers’ solidarity, a reminder that, thanks to the unions, working conditions, pay, health&safety, etc. have all significantly improved. The poor working class of the past is no longer, with FiFo workers in the mining industry being some of the best paid workers in the world.

Unions started in WA in 1891 with the Trades&Labor Council, since then most of them have come together in UnionsWA. One of Freo’s most famous unionists was Paddy Troy, who worked at Fremantle Port, and even has a tug boat and Fremantle street named after him.

The Tom Edwards memorial fountain at Walyalup Koort reminds us of the Battle of the Barricades riot on the Fremantle Wharf in May 1919, where the lumper was mortally wounded and died three days later.

The general public though is often in two minds about union power, partly due to the fact that industrial action sometimes negatively impacts on the community, more so than on the targeted employers. But there has been very strong public support this year for better working conditions and a pay rise for nurses and the police. Our first responders and front line workers deserve community solidarity. They are there for us when we need them.

UnionsWA has some 150,000 members in 30 affiliated unions, and is currently also involved in negotiating better conditions for those working at Fremantle Notre Dame and other universities, and for garbos, childcare workers, etc.

When unions put banners on building sites claiming “We build Australia!” they are right. And what would happen to our international maritime trade without the wharfies, whose future at Fremantle Port is very uncertain, with plans for a new, no doubt fully automated, port at Kwinana? What are their employment prospects? Is anyone pro-actively planning to retrain them, maybe for some of those promised jobs at planned new facilities on Garden Island?

Whilst soccer fans naively chant “You’ll never walk alone” that certainly applies to union members. The strong feeling of belonging, protection and solidarity is very powerful, as this Sunday’s march through the streets of Fremantle will again show. It always gives me goosebumps.

The public might sometimes be apprehensive about allegations of union thugs and standover tactics, but most of us appreciate that unions are a necessary pain in the arse. They keep the ‘bastards’ honest, be that in the private sector or in government.

Workers’ rights are essential to maintain a strong workforce, that gets fairly paid, where men and women are equal, and where health and safety is at the forefront. Workers no longer are de facto slaves, who used to work for next to nothing, at the mercy of greedy and selfish bosses. It’s the unions who have changed that, who instilled pride in the workforce, and who made sure no one gets ripped off. Times have changed for the better, but there is still a lot of room for more improvement.

The May Day celebrations are on the Freo Esplanade from 10.30am to 2pm with live music, free rides, a sausage sizzle, and family friendly entertainment. The march is at midday. Come join in. I’ll be there!

Roel Loopers

WORK STARTING ON FREMANTLE POLICE COMPLEX

There finally is some minor progress with the new Fremantle police complex, that was announced two and a half years ago.

The Cappuccino Strip carpark, where the new multi-storey building will be built, will be closed from May 15, to allow for forward work on the site.

So with some luck and willingness Fremantle will have a new police station, next to Fremantle Oval by 2025, but why have we not yet seen the plans for the building?

Councillor Andrew Sullivan however complained on Facebook about the premature closure of the carpark and that businesses will suffer from it.

My question to Fremantle Council is why they have not even planned to expand the large carpark in Parry Street, below Fremantle Prison. A 2-3 storey carpark there would not impact on views to and from the historic prison and would provide hundreds of new bays for inner city parking. This will become even more critical when the William Street carpark will be closed as well, for the construction of a new hotel there.

Roel Loopers

FRANKENSTEIN PLAY AT JOHN CURTIN COLLEGE

I was invited to come and take some photos of a rehearsal of Frankenstein, by year 10,11 and 12 drama students of the Fremantle John Curtin College of the Arts. Director is John Shrimpton

There are four shows only, and they are open to the public. They are on Friday, Saturday, Monday and Tuesday and start at 7pm.

Tickets are available via the school’s website or at the door.

Roel Loopers

FREO RAINBOW FOR RAINBOW WARRIOR

The media turned up in full force in Fremantle Port this morning when Mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge visited Greenpeace’s Rainbow Warrior.

And just in time a lovely rainbow welcomed us all.

Visitors will be welcome on board the ship, but tickets have sold out, but there might be another session, so check out their social media.

The ship will be sailing to Exmouth after the weekend.

Roel Loopers

WHAT ARE YOUR IDEAS FOR THE FUTURE OF FREMANTLE?

Have you done the online survey for the Fremantle Strategic Community Plan yet, or don’t you like surveys and would rather talk to City officers about your ideas?

The ‘Let’s Talk Freo’ Community Engagement team will be available to chat at the Old Visitors Centre on the following dates: 

Thursday 27 April |12–2.30pm

Friday 28 April | 12–2.30pm

Tuesday 2 May | 12–4pm

or here:

Saturday 29 April | Samson Tree Festival | Sir Frederick Samson Park

Sunday April 30 | Preloved Market | FOMO

Monday May 1 | Charlie’s Café and Gilberts | 9–11am

Monday May 1 | South Fremantle IGA | 12–2pm

The Strategic Community Plan is about all these things and more:

Creative City: Freo is WA’s creative heart, a recognised hub for artists and creatives. How can we stay that way?

Learning City: Fremantle is a place to learn. How do we leverage our unique advantage? How do we ensure our learning pathways and education facilities remain accessible for all?

Living in your local area: What is your local area? If it grows by 20% over 20 years, what needs to change?

Future of our City Centre: What’s unique about our City centre and what do we need to enable it to flourish?

Climate Future: What would an increase in temperature of 2–3 degrees mean for our City? As a community, how do we decrease risk, build resilience and prepare for more extreme weather events?

Jobs for the future: How do we build a competitive and innovative workforce? What skills do we need to drive Fremantle’s future and create job opportunities?

If you have any additional questions, or want to speak to the Community Engagement team, you can get in touch via letstalkfreo@fremantle.wa.gov.au

It is important that we let Fremantle Council know what we think the priorities for our city should be, so make an effort to be part of this important community consultation!

Roel Loopers

SAMSON TREE FESTIVAL ON SATURDAY

The City of Fremantle Samson Tree Festival is on this Saturday!

Learn about Samson Park bushland, its habitats and nest box monitoring, or join a cultural walk. Plus, there will be kids activities, info stalls and a scavenger hunt!

The details are:

This Saturday – 29 April 2023 from 1pm to 5pm, at Sir Frederick Samson Park.

Bring a picnic and enjoy the live music!

Further event details are on the City’s website.

Roel Loopers