FREMANTLE CAFE TRIFECTA

Good news! The cafes at the Fremantle Arts Centre and Fremantle Leisure Centre, that have been closed for far too long, will re-open on May 7, if all goes to plan.

The new tenants for the former Dome cafe site at the Cappuccino Strip, have signed the lease and are finalising their fit-out plans for the new cafe, that will need planning approval from Fremantle Council.

It will be great to see all three sites activated again.

Roel Loopers

SWAN RIVER CROSSING A LITTLE BIT CLOSER

Geotechnical drilling will be happening on both sides of the Fremantle Traffic Bridge from February 5, to investigate the conditions of the river bed, for future piling work for the new Swan River Crossing bridge.

The barge Main Roads will be using will be outside the navigation channels, but spotter vessels will also be there to ensure the safety of all river users.

Roel Loopers

COMMUNITY SESSION FOR BATHERS BEACH SHARK ENCLOSURE

There will be a Community Drop-in Session at Bathers Beach, about the proposed shark enclosure, this Saturday morning, February 3, between 9am and 10am.

The City invites you to join them at a drop-in session at Bathers Beach to ask questions, gain clarity on the proposal, and express your views directly.

For more info and to have your say online visit: https://mysay.fremantle.wa.gov.au/proposed-shark-barrier

I believe a shark enclosure at the inner city beach would make it a lot more popular with swimmers, but would it not be great if Fremantle could get State Government funding for an ocean pool instead, the WA Labor party promised before the 2013 election, so 11 years ago. That would be a real attraction.

Roel Loopers

FREO’S MOST ICONIC SHOP

Whenever I walk by butcher FRANKS in Fremanle’s Wray Avenue, I wonder if it is the most iconic shop in our lovely port city.

The huge number of signs are a bit self-defeating, as there is just too much information to gather, so take my word for it, FRANKS got every meat you want.

FRANKS opened in 1991, so has been serving the Freo carnivores for 33 years.

Roel Loopers

CHANGES TO STATE PLANNING POLICY A WORRY FOR LOCAL COUNCILS

Two media releases by the WA State Government this morning are a clear indication the the Cook Government wants to take more and more power away from local councils, when it comes to city planning.

The changes to the State Planning Policy 7.3-Residential Design Codes mean that projects of $ 20 million or more can be lodged with the WA Planning Commission, so they don’t even need to go through the JDAP process any more. That is a serious worry.

The Minister for Planning, Lands, Housing and Homelessness John Carey, also announced that local government planning approval for granny flats will no longer be required, and that there is no longer a minimum lot size either for the construction of granny flats.

Minister Carey said that granny flats can be an affordable housing option, including for rental properties. My own experience indicates that the Minister is wrong about that.

I like granny flats and agree they can be a good option for people who want to downsize, or for children wanting to look after their ageing parents, but an affordable rental option they are not.

I lived in a granny flat in White Gum Valley nine years ago. It was a converted carport, just the one room. It had not toilet or shower, so I had to walk through the garden, and unlock the backdoor of the house to do my ablution.

When I suddenly had to leave, because the home owner wanted to renovate, I viewed several granny flats around Fremantle, and the asking rental price was staggering. One was a metal shed, next to the children’s playground, so no privacy, but they wanted $ 350 a week. Another one in South Fremantle was also a metal shed, next to the house that was a B&B. The shed was a bedroom and a kitchen. Nowhere to sit, but on a hard kitchen chair, with a tiny TV above the kitchen sink. Asking price? $ 400 a week!

Granny flats are not cheap to rent, Minister Carey. It’s a fallacy!

Roel Loopers

CITIZEN LOOPY AND THE FREO MAYOR

I promise this will be the last of my self-indulgence, but finally a photo of this young blogger receiving the 2024 Fremantle Senior Citizen of the Year Award from Mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge.

I am the only person receiving the award twice, as I also was awarded Fremantle Active Citizen of the Year in 2012, so that makes me pretty proud.

Roel Loopers

SERIOUS FIRE IN SOUTH FREMANTLE

It looks like a pretty serious fire is burning in South Fremantle. Emergency vehicles have rushed along South Terrace for at least half an hour now. I hope everyone is safe and well!

UPDATE! The fire was on the western side of Silver Street, just over the road from the Ootong&Lincoln cafe.

Roel Loopers

TWO NEW SUPERMARKETS COMING

Simone McGurk, the Member for Fremantle, posted a photo on Facebook this morning, showing her with Gerard O’Brien of Silverleaf Investments on the Woolstores development site at Cantonment Street. A new Coles supermarket will open there before the end of this year.

That is not the only new supermarket to open, as East Fremantle Council also approved the development of The Good Grocer supermarket in Silas Street, where the Foodland store used to be. It’s a short bus, bike or car ride from the Freo inner city, so good to have alternative shopping options.

Roel Loopers

THE END OF THE LONG WEEKEND

I took the above photo at Bathers Beach this afternoon. It is the end of the long weekend and the school holidays, with kids going back to school next week.

I bought some fish at Kailis in the Fishing Boat Harbour after a day of gallery sitting, and the staff member told me that they had a quiet weekend. It was the same up on Arthur’s Head on Saturday and Sunday.

Hope you all had a lot of fun in Freo!

Roel Loopers

FREE PUBLIC TRANSPORT FOR SCHOOL STUDENTS

Premier Roger Cook announced on Facebook that public transport will be free for school students and will be free for everybody on Sundays. This, according to the Premier, is to help with cost-of-living problems.

Good move!

Roel Loopers