BOTTLESHOP FOR KAKULAS?

 

The Fremantle CBD will get a new bottleshop, if Fremantle Council and the liquor licensing authorities approve the application for a new liquor store at Kakulas Sister in Market Street.

It is probably a clever move by the owners as Liquorland in the Woolstores shopping centre will close for the hotel development there for a year, once that has been approved by JDAP.

But those in the inner city who like a wee drop should not despair anyway as there still is a bottleshop on the corner of High Street and Josephson Street and the very good Freo Doctor one in Arundel Street.

The application for developing a bottleshop is before the Fremantle Council Planning Committee this Wednesday.

Roel Loopers

SOUTH FREMANTLE TAVERN RAISES CONCERNS

 

There are serious concerns in the South Fremantle community about a proposed tavern, brewery and distillery on the former Sealanes site at 176-238 Marine Terrace.

Locals believe there is already ample supply of alcohol-related outlets in the area and that parking issues will escalate even more. They are also worried about noise, smells and anti social behaviour in the adjoining residential streets.

The proposal by the Running with Thieves brewery is for a micro-brewery that would be able to produce 1 million litres of beer, plus a distillery that would make gin, vodka, rum and whiskey.

There would also be a bar, restaurant and retail outlet, so unless substantial parking bays will be provided on site it would severely affect parking for locals and people visiting South Beach and the sunset markets, and those who commute on the CAT bus to the train station.

Submissions for the proposal closed on February 15, but many locals complain they had not been made aware of it and are scrambling to voice their opposition to the plans.

Although the official submission period is over there is still plenty of time to contact Fremantle Councillors. You can reach them all together here: members@fremantle.wa.gov.au

Roel Loopers

 

NEW BARS FOR FREO’S OLD SYNAGOGUE

 

 

 

 

New plans for the former Fremantle synagogue on the corner of South Terrace and Parry Street near Fremantle Oval have come to light, but still depend on Fremantle Council planning approval and a liquor license.

The Old Synagogue would offer a beer garden on three levels, with a rooftop bar, while the restaurant would offer fine dining with an Asian twist to it.

The basement bar of The Old Synagogue will be offering cocktails in a more relaxed and intimate setting, while the street-level bar would embrace the Freo vibes and offer craft beer and pub food.

The City of Fremantle is currently in the process to develop Fremantle Oval with a residential and commercial part and the relocation of the East Fremantle Football Club to the oval, so the new venue, opposite the Norfolk Hotel might well become an additional attraction for the precinct.

Already plans have been approved for a small boutique hotel and tavern at the Warders Cottages directly east of the Fremantle Markets, and another hotel, tavern and entertainment centre by Silverleaf Investments has been approved for the former police and justice complex and Warders Cottages also in Henderson Street. Just east of that development the former Drillhall has been turned into The Social Club live music venue by Sunset Events, that will open in March this year.

There is a lot going on in Fremantle, and that is a good thing, but I am a bit worried that there is too much concentration on making it into an alcohol-related entertainment centre.

Roel Loopers

LIQUOR STORE FOR SOUTH FREMANTLE IGA?

 

Just as I did my daily shopping at South Fremantle IGA on Hampton Road this afternoon a large sign was put up that they have applied for a partial change of use for stores 10 and 11 into a liquor store.

Aldi in South Fremantle still is not selling alcohol, but Liquorland and Dan Murphy are just down the road and there is also a liquor store at the Moondyne Joe pub, so does South Freo need another one?

Have your say and tell Fremantle Council what you prefer.

Roel Loopers

LITTLE CREATURES AT THE HELM

 

 

 

Fremantle Litte Creatures upstairs bar Next Door is no longer but will re-open as HELM mid this month, so go and have a look.

Little Critters is also celebrating their 18th anniversary this month, so check out the Facebook page for special events.

Roel Loopers

FREMANTLE WANTS BALANCED CBD DEVELOPMENT

 

The number of planning applications for new taverns and hotels in the Fremantle CBD has forced Fremantle Council into action to assure that the inner city will not become just an entertainment centre with lots of alcohol related outlets, but that an appropriate mix of use will be guaranteed.

POLICY: Development within the City Centre zone should contribute towards its function as an attractive urban centre offering a full range of functions and land uses that collectively serve both local and regional catchments.

Development involving Hotel and Tavern land uses should contribute to this objective by ensuring that the type and scale of the venue are suitable to their location and avoid concentration of alcohol related entertainment to the point that this undermines balanced mixing of land uses.

1. Specifically, Hotel and Tavern establishments of 400m2 licenced NLA or greater within the City Centre zone shall demonstrate how the proposal contributes to land use diversity through the provision of a mix of other compatible land uses on the site. This may be demonstrated by the inclusion in the same development application of floor area for other uses equal to or greater than the floor area proposed for tavern or hotel use, or evidence of how other existing uses on the same site can operate alongside the proposed use in a complimentary manner that contributes to diversity and activation in the city centre.

2. Council may, at its discretion, vary 1, above: a. For small sites with limited physical opportunity to provide land use diversity on site, where it is satisfied an appropriate land use mix and diversity is maintained in the immediate locality (namely the street block). b. In cases where a proposal involves reuse of a heritage listed building where: The building was designed and traditionally operated for the land use sought; or The 400m2 licenced NLA criteria is marginally exceeded in response to the existing building layout.

3. In assessing development applications involving the serving of alcohol, Council seeks to avoid duplications of the assessment of matters undertaken by the Director of Liquor Licencing or the Liquor Commission as part of the liquor licencing approval process under the Liquor Control Act 1989 (including hours of operation, patron capacity and public interest). 

There will be a public consultation period for this policy proposal.

Roel Loopers

KEEPING AN EYE ON POP-UP BARS

 

The City of Fremantle is well advised to consider the opinion of publican Jon Sainken about pop-up bars.

Sainken, who is a director of Club Bayview in Claremont and of the Mindarie Marina and Leederville hotels has warned that public safety is at risk in pop-up bars because of low safety standards, not having the required number of exits and fire equipment. I add toilets to that as well.

At present we have a pop-up bar at the Number One unit at J Shed on Bathers Beach, with live music on weekends in the space leased from the City of Fremantle by Sunset Events, that greatly inconveniences neighbouring artists.

The operator has told patrons that he has the space for two years, but no additional toilets have been installed and the public toilets at Arthur Head close at 7pm.

Are there sufficient fire extinguishers in the small bar?

I also noticed people illegally drinking on the A Class reserve and parking there as well and that needs to be more strictly monitored by Fremantle City officers, as the area is frequented by tourists.

Another pop-up is returning for a month with The Dock re-opening in B Shed at Victoria Quay.

Roel Loopers

WEST AUSTRALIAN FAKE NEWS ABOUT FREO PUBS

 

Although the City of Fremantle put out a media release yesterday correcting the non-factual report in the West Australian about Fremantle Council wanting to introduce non-alcohol sections in pubs, the newspaper continues today spreading the fake news.

Inside Cover states on page 2 that this needs to be monitored, while the letters to the editors page published a letter by a Leeming man who blames the lefty, greeny, loopy Freo council for the nonsense.

Fact is that Fremantle Council, at the initiative of Deputy Mayor Ingrid Waltham, has asked officers to investigate how Freo City can ensure that there won’t be too many taverns in the CBD, after the applications for new taverns at the Warders Cottages hotel, the Police and Justice complex, both in Henderson Street, the Manning building and the Woolstores shopping centre development.

This is actually not all that new as Fremantle Council also looked at more diversity in shopping a few years ago and how it could control more cafes opening.

So to set the facts straight, there are no plans for restricted non-alcohol areas in pubs in Fremantle, but Council does not want the CBD to just be a boozers’ paradise that will impact on the family amenity and public safety.

It is time the West Australian corrected the nonsense they published!

 

Roel Loopers

 

HOW MANY MORE TAVERNS FOR FREMANTLE?

 

I am not the only one concerned with the high number of planning applications for the Fremantle CBD which include taverns.

City of Fremantle Councillor and Deputy Mayor Ingrid Waltham will put following motion to full council on Wednesday:

NOTICE OF MOTION MOVED: Cr Ingrid Waltham

Council request that the administration prepare a draft Local Planning Policy to provide guidance in the assessment of planning applications involving premises proposed to be licensed as Tavern or Hotel within the City Centre zone. This policy shall not address issues ordinarily dealt with through the Liquor Licensing process but shall consider relevant planning issues and specifically include consideration of the proportion of the licensed area to the site area occupied by other proposed uses, with a view to ensuring new proposals include an appropriate mix of complementary land uses.

 

One tavern was just recommended by the CoF Planning Committee for JDAP approval for the Warders Cottages hotel, another tavern is planned for the Police and Justice complex just meters away also in Henderson Street, and just down the road from there in William Street a micro-brewery and tavern is proposed in the Mannings Building.

Add to that another tavern proposal for the Woolstores shopping centre development, plus a large licensed music venue at the Drillhall(former Fly by Night) and one has to wonder how many taverns the Freo CBD can handle before we become the Booze Bash destination in the metro area.

Can Fremantle really cope with another 2000-25000 inebriated people roaming the streets on weekends, and who will pay for the street cleaning in front of all those licensed premises?

Have a look at the mess on Saturday and Sunday mornings along the Cappuccino Strip, that gets hosed clean early those mornings and rubbish swept up from the footpaths and road.

Roel Loopers

PUB GLUT A WORRY FOR FREMANTLE

 

Recent development applications for the City of Fremantle CBD all include alcohol outlets, so Fremantle Council should be very aware of that and not permit too many watering holes in the inner city, as it is contrary to the alcohol policy they implemented three years ago.

There is a tavern proposed in the plans for the Woolstores shopping centre site, a micro-brewery and tavern for the Mannings Building development, a tavern planned for the former Henderson Street Courthouse and a pub for the former Energy Museum development.

The CBD already has the Australia Hotel, Clancy’s, the National, Orient, Newport, Sail&Anchor, Norfolk, the Federal, Little Creatures, Bathers Beach House, the Monk, plus the bars of the Esplanade Hotel.

Top that off with nightclubs and the small bars that have popped up and Freo has more than enough to offer as far as the service of alcohol is concerned. And don’t forget that Sunset Events will be opening a tavern at J Shed and the Drillhall as well.

Pubs in Fremantle survive because of good weekend trade, but are not doing all that well during weekdays, so a significant increase in competition and new taverns opening might jeopardise their future.

No need to be a wowser about this, but we need to be very careful that Fremantle will not become a copy of Northbridge, that struggled for a very long time to get rid of its reputation for drunkenness, violence and anti-social behaviour. We have quite a bit of that already in our port city.

New laws coming before State Parliament will also allow the service of alcohol, without having to order a meal, in restaurants which serve fewer than 120 customers, so that will include many Freo hospitality outlets

Fremantle Council needs to put a ceiling on how many pubs it will allow in the inner city, to make sure there is a diversity on offer and not just a glut of large licensed premises.

Roel Loopers