SMALL BAR PROTEST NOT ABOUT PATIENTS

 

There appears to be a bit more to the small bar protest story in Fremantle’s High Street than the initial newspaper report this morning revealed.

This is not just the case of a psychiatrist wanting to protect his patients who have drug, alcohol and suicide issues, but much more about protecting his own patch. It’s classic not in my backyard stuff.

It turns out the good doctor actually lives at the premises and works from home next to the proposed bar and he clearly does not want his evening peace disturbed.

The bar proponents tell me it will just be a tiny 50-patron bar in the cellar with table service and no outdoor area.

Living in the inner city means one has to compromise and realise there will be bars and pubs and entertainment, and a tiny bar operated by responsible operators won’t create anti-social havoc in the West End that is in dire need of  night-time activation.

To put a mental health clinic in an entertainment area is puzzling.

Roel Loopers

EASTER BOOZE BIKES

 

The WA Police gave Fremantle people and visitors an Easter surprise mid Monday morning on Marine Terrace.

It wasn’t the booze bus but three booze bikes who stopped motorists and tested them for alcohol.

Oooooh, I am over the limit? It must have been the Grand Marnier inside the Easter egg I ate earlier. ; >)

Roel Loopers

ANOTHER STABBING IN FREMANTLE

It is a crying shame that there has been another stabbing in Fremantle, this time a 17-year-old boy was stabbed just before midnight in front of a kebab shop on the Cappuccino Strip last night. Earlier this week a man who had been stabbed near the railway station died, and reports of violence in the inner city are damaging Fremantle’s reputation as a family friendly city.

My observations when walking through the CBD daily is that at daytime there is not enough police on the beat but there is good visual presence of CoF security officers, however the latter only work till early in the evening and not at night so the cops need to increase their foot patrols at night.

Violence and anti social behaviour is not something council can fix, but the City of Fremantle needs to start looking at rigorously implementing its alcohol policy and not adding more fuel to the fire by allowing more alcohol outlets.

I am not sure that I like the big billboard on Stirling Highway at all that proudly announces that Bathers Beach is the first beach in Australia where one can drink alcohol on the beach. It’s not the sort of reputation Fremantle needs.

Roel Loopers

FREO’S BATHERS FIRST WA BOOZE BEACH

The West Australian reports today that Fremantle’s Bathers Beach House is the first hospitality outlet in WA that has received a liquor license to serve alcohol on the beach. This will no doubt attract criticism from those who believe beaches should remain public spaces and not be leased to commercial operators, but I believe it is a good step forward for our nanny state to catch up with European standards on this issue.

What I don’t like is the awful metal steps that have been added to the timber deck that is part of the heritage interpretation of the area and it is disappointing the City of Fremantle did not insist on timber steps in character with the boardwalk.

That brings me to the issue of locals complaining that people who use the Mortuary area for weddings and functions close off the boardwalk to the public. That should not be allowed.

Roel Loopers

IT’S WEIGH TOO DANGEROUS!

Is this really the right location for a new bar in Fremantle? The awkward roundabout-like intersection of Phillimore, Cliff and Fleet streets is very difficult for pedestrians, especially the thousands of overseas visitors, to negotiate and I weekly witness cars driving against one way arrows in the wrong direction.

I use the intersection daily as a motorist and as a pedestrian so I am talking long-time experience and observation here!

The PTA considers the application for a small, 75 patrons, bar inappropriate for the old weighbridge station as it is only 30 metres away from the container freight line to Fremantle Port.

The plan for a bar was conditionally approved last year with a 15-year lease for the 1897 weighbridge location.

The intersection is also earmarked for a drastic upgrade as part of the Victoria Quay development plans, so would these plans be in jeopardy if a 15-year lease is granted by the City of Fremantle?

Roel Loopers

THE MONK WANTS TO BECOME A TAVERN

 

The MONK Brewery on the Cappuccino Strip is applying for a change in license from restaurant to tavern, and I wonder if Fremantle Council will use their alcohol policy to reject the proposal or allow yet another venue in central Fremantle which main target is to sell as much alcohol as possible. Contrary to a restaurant license a tavern license does not require patrons to eat a meal while having a drink.

South Terrace already has the Norfolk, Sail&Anchor and Newport hotels, plus Benny’s Bar, two nightclubs and other licensed premises. Just down the road is the National Hotel and around the corner are the Strange Company and Whisper bars plus the Holy Smoke small bar in Collie Street, and also the Esplanade Hotel with two bars.

The negative anti-social impact of alcohol on society is without debate, and while no one should be a wowser about drinking, I believe the City of Fremantle does have a responsibility to look after the general public, even on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.

Roel Loopers

WA LIQUOR LICENSING IS NOT FAIR

The Western Australian liquor licensing laws are very strange and need to be looked at because what is going on at present is not fair.

In Fremantle the Fly by Night musicians club needs financial help from the City because it has taken over a year for a liquor license for Victoria Hall to be approved and that severely affected their bar profits, but at the same time pop up bars and events can get a license whenever they like. Sunset Events at J Shed has a special events license which allows them to sell alcohol whenever they put an event on, and also at Bathers Beach the Kelp bar at Kidogo Arthouse gets an occasional license often. They are open again on Easter for three days and were open three weeks ago for the Seafood Festival.

While on Good Friday bottleshops have to close and restaurants can only serve alcohol if patrons consume a substantial meal, Little Creatures was allowed to sell takeaway beer according to messages on social media because they have a special license. How can that be right and fair?

It appears that the liquor act has a preference for pop-up venues while being excruciatingly slow in granted licenses for permanent venues. Pop ups don’t invest much in the properties and get away with unsightly and stinking portaloos, while permanent venues need to spend a lot of money on having disabled toilets, male and female ones etc.

I am not criticising those operators who get special licenses but believe the system is not fair and needs an overhaul.

Roel Loopers

NO BOOZE ADVERTISING IN FREO

Fremantle Council will debate this evening if it will set up a special committee to deal with alcohol advertising and events and I believe that is a step in the right direction as alcohol creates serious problems in our society and city.

The initiative comes from Deputy Mayor Josh Wilson and I hope his colleagues on Council will support him in this.

But banning or restricting alcohol advertising alone is not enough as we also need to start looking at events which main aim is the promotion and consuming of alcohol. Are events such as the Beer Fest and the Corona Beer Beach Festival appropriate for Fremantle? Should we as a community support the intense and targeted promotion of drinking to young people when we know the damage it does to health and our society?

The disappointing fact is that the responsible service of alcohol policies are often not enforced by events organisers and pubs in Fremantle. I have witnessed drunks literally falling out of pubs and events past bouncers and that is a clear indication that bar people keep serving drinks to people who already had too much to drink. That is not acceptable and the Police and Liquor Licensing Department should take stronger action.

The City of Fremantle also needs to be more consistent and implement its own Alcohol Policy of supporting small bars instead of bigger pubs and boozy concerts because at the end the community is paying the price and we have to fear violence and anti social behaviour by those who only go out to get mindlessly drunk.

Roel Loopers

 

ARTHUR HEAD VANDALISM SIGN OF WORSE TO COME

What a shame to see that idiots vandalised Arthur Head this weekend with heavy wooden tables and benches thrown down the rock face, walls defaced with stupid tags, etc.

Arthur Head has become the preferred destination for those who believe anti-social behaviour is a way of life and who take drugs, get drunk, shoot up and leave a stinking mess behind them. All this is happening because Fremantle Council insisted the historic area had to become the Bathers Beach Art Precinct and long term tenants such as the Port Pilots, the Crooks family and the Fremantle Society were evicted to make way for art studios.

Fremantle City was warned that they would create a ghost town and attract undesirable people because no one would live at and look after Arthur Head at night, and even at daytime most art galleries are only open for a few days a week, but they ignored that.

While Fremantle Council signed off on a responsible alcohol policy it also approved a booze barn and outdoor music venue for 1500 patrons at Arthur Head, although everyone in the West End of town is in uproar about it.

Police figures show that 35 per cent more people were barred from licensed premises in Perth metro than last year because of violent and anti-social behaviour, but the City of Fremantle allows a large new tavern in a heritage tourist area, and adds another alcohol event with the Corona beer festival on South Beach.

Fremantle residents, workers and visitors no longer feel safe in Fremantle because there are too many unsavoury people who are abusive and drunk and who use foul language unsuitable for families who might want to spend time in Freo.

I keep hearing at Council that events put Freo on the world map, but do we really want Freo on a world map that is connected to massive sales of alcohol and the promotion of it to young people? Is that really where we want to position the brand Fremantle?

Why does the City of Fremantle not encourage alcohol-free and under 18 concerts when it keeps telling us they want to support and promote a youth culture in our city? The Esplanade Youth Plaza attracts many young people and is a great success, and I have not yet seen a drunk or drug affected person there. It shows young people do not need booze to have a good time.

Arthur Head has got a lot worse since residents and harbour pilots were forced to leave and it will get a  lot lot worse once it attracts 1500 alcohol and drug filled people to live concerts there.

Roel Loopers

ROEL FOR FREO! Beaconsfield Ward. Truly Independent.

Witten and authorised by Roel Loopers of 5 Maxwell Street, Beaconsfield 6162.

CITY OF FREMANTLE WELCOMES BEACH BOOZE EVENT

Consistent governance is not a strength of Fremantle Council. If they want something they’ll find arguments to support it and if they don’t like something they’ll find arguments to oppose it.

This is the same mob who on the same night signed off on an alcohol policy that supports small bars and responsible drinking, and signed off on a 850 patron tavern and outdoor music venue for 1.500 people at historic Arthur Head on that same night. DUUUH?

This evening we heard all the arguments why Council should support the Corona beer and music festival at South Beach. It’s an international event sponsored by the Corona brewery, but according to Councillors it is not about promoting drinking of alcohol but about offering a lot of food and putting Fremantle on the map. Maybe that Councillor did not mean map but coaster. It is hard to find the right words when one tries to argue that mass drunkenness is part of Council’s responsible alcohol policy.

Oh yes, another Councillor piped, we could use this to promote the responsible use of alcohol, whilst another said that you don’t change culture through prohibition. No one was talking banning alcohol from Fremantle of course, but no big deal missing the point that we are talking about inviting a few thousand people to a beer promotion event on one of our public beaches.

It is an advertising event for Corona and Fremantle, one Councillor enthused. Yep, tell that to the Police and locals who will have to put up with drunken idiots on the night.

Councillor Dave Hume should get out more, as he claimed the Beer Festival on the Esplanade had shown there is no excessive drunkenness at these kinds of events. Not so according to several of my friends who left the event in disgust at 4 pm because of all the drunks falling over themselves. None of those friends of mine are wowsers, but people like me who like to have a good glass of wine or beer in a nice environment and socialise.

At the end teetotaller Bill Massie and Jon Strachan, who likes a drink now and then, voted against the proposal. Strachan’s South Fremantle seat is up for grabs at the October election, so one could be cynical and believe it was simply a tactical vote to appease those whose votes he will be needing, but let’s give him the benefit of the doubt.

The City of Fremantle alcohol policy is a joke and has come to the attention of the McCusker Foundation, which received many complaints when they shortlisted Fremantle for their responsible alcohol award.

Roel Loopers

ROEL FOR FREO! Truly independent