PANTS DOWN FOR SEXUAL RESEARCH AT FREO’S FALLS DOWNTOWN

 

 

Visitors to next year’s Fremantle Falls Downtown festival will be offered high-class toilets, if they agree to take a test for sexually transmitted infections.

The WA State Government is offering the free test because of a significant increase in cases of chlamydia and gonorrhoea.

More that 16,000 young people are expected to come to Freo for the two-day festival on January 5 and 6, so the State Government wanted to target the 16-24 year-old, which is the group with the highest reports of chlamydia.

The Department of Health is sponsoring the Falls Festival with $ 50,000.

Roel Loopers

FREMANTLE COUNCIL NEEDS MICROPHONE ETIQUETTE

 

There is nothing more annoying for me than sitting in the public gallery at Fremantle Council and Council Committee meetings and not being able to hear everything the Councillors are saying.

I admit that I am an old fella whose hearing is no longer as good as it was when I tried to pretend I had not heard my parents, and later on when I grew up, my gorgeous partners, when they told me off, but I just wished the elected members would take my less than 20/20 hearing into account and actually speak INTO the microphones supplied to them.

Councillors Ingrid Waltham and  Jenny Archibald have the softest voices of all elected members, but they keep the microphone somewhere left or right of a shoulder so I find it very difficult to hear their valuable contributions to the debates.

Other Councillors do have the microphone in front of them but then turn their head away to address the Mayor and that makes the mike rather useless, and it makes my life pretty frustrating when I do my very best to get a proper and fair account of the debate, so I can report it on Freo’s View.

Thank you so much for your consideration Councillors! Should I wish for hearing aids for Christmas?

Roel Loopers

FREMANTLE DENTAL CLINIC TO REMAIN IN FREO

 

 

The staff at the Member for Fremantle, Minister Simone McGurk‘s office were far too polite to point out to me that I need to see an optometrist as I clearly urgently need spectacles.

The always kind Mat at the electoral office in Freo made me aware that there is a big sign at Fremantle Hospital that announces the relocation of the Fremantle Dental Clinic to the hospital, which is very good news. I drive by the hospital many times a day but failed to notice the sign. So much for being a very observant photographer, hey.

The City of Fremantle has sold the current home of the FDC on the corner of Holdsworth and Parry streets, so there was concern in the community that people on health and social benefit cards would have nowhere to go in our port city for free dental treatment.

The new clinic will have nine dental rooms, public waiting, staff support and administration and will be on the fifth floor of B Block.

Thank you Simone McGurk for following that up for me and pointing out the relocation is in the 2017/18 State budget.

Roel Loopers

BIG ST PATRICK’S CHRISTMAS LUNCH

 

 

More than 200 people enjoyed a three-course Christmas lunch in Princess May Park, organised by Fremantle’s St Patrick’s community care.

Fremantle Labor member Minister Simone McGurk was there, as were Cockburn Mayor Logan Howlett and Fremantle Mayor Brad Pettitt and his young daughter Aoife, who was a bit worried about Santa, played by former Freo Councillor Rob Fittock.

St Pat’s Michael Piu and Victor Crevatin were supported by many volunteers when they were serving  the Christmas roast.

It was a heart-warming event and nice to see so many smiling faces from those who are doing it tough.

Roel Loopers

WILL FREMANTLE DENTAL CLINIC STAY IN FREO?

 

What will happen with the Fremantle Dental Clinic now that the City of Fremantle has sold the building on the corner of Holdsworth and Parry streets?

The clinic delivers a very essential social service for those on pension- and health cards, and unemployed people.

It is so busy that the waiting list for an appointment is six months, and the next free dental clinic is in Perth where one gets treated by students who study dentistry.

St Patrick’s also has a small dental weekly clinic for homeless people with the support of local dentists who generously volunteer their services.

When the item came before council a few months ago the CEO of the Fremantle Dental Clinic said it could cost up to $ 500,000 to relocate the clinic, so will the State Government invest in that and keep the essential service in Fremantle?

I am hoping it can be relocated to Fremantle Hospital.

Roel Loopers

 

HOW CAN FREMANTLE BECOME MORE AGE FRIENDLY?

 

The City of Fremantle is very aware that Australia’s population is ageing fast and has established an Age Friendly City working group, of which I am a member.

To make sure that we get as much input from the community as possible there is also an online survey which you can access here: https://mysay.fremantle.wa.gov.au/agefriendly2019

Please take some time to let your elected members, City staff and the working group know what your thoughts are, what needs to be improved at age care, what is missing and should be implemented, etc.

The survey closes on December 9, so have your say NOW!

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

WHERE IS REAL GOVERNMENT ACTION ON HOMELESSNESS?

 

One of the problems going to many forums about homelessness and (affordable) housing is that you have heard it all before and wonder when the action will start and the talk fests stop.

Nothing I heard last night at the Politics in the Pubs event by the Fremantle Network at The Local Hotel was new, but that isn’t the fault of the two speakers, who were equally frustrated about it.

Sam Knight of RUAH said the fundamental thing is that homeless people need homes, but they also need support workers to help with social, health and mental health problems.

The cost on the health system by not supplying sufficient affordable houses is enormous and governments fail to recognise that.

Victor Crevatin, the Director of Housing and Support Services at Fremantle’s St Patrick’s, said St Pat’s has been working with homeless people since 1971 and in 2017 had supplied 31,000 meals and 1,200 clothes to those in need, and 500 people were given accommodation.

Like Sam Knight, Crevatin said it is not just about providing houses, but that it needs support services to get people back on track.

There is the need to turn the generational NIMBY attitude around, and it is all about education to get rid of the bullshit myth about affordable housing and anti-social behaviour!

Sam Knight said it was also about offering the right mix of housing. We need to give choices about accommodation from shared accommodation to single apartments. “What are the best low-cost constructions we can do?” We need to recognise housing has a social and health aspect!

As I heard a week earlier at the Fremantle Safety Forum, there appears to be a serious issue with support agencies not collaborating well and the state government should do something about trying to streamline that, so that there is better coordination and information sharing, to the benefit of those in need.

Comment: I have supported the Fremantle Network since it started and have very often found the meetings very good, but the nice bloke, who shall remain unnamed, who took over from Rachel Pemberton to organise the Fremantle Network loves hogging the limelight. Last night again his introduction of the topic and two expert speakers was far too long. Just a short and succinct intro will do instead of babbling on for 15 minutes. Participate in the Q&A as Rachel used to do, but don’t give a very long speech. It’s not about you!

Roel Loopers

PROLIFIC BLOGGER IS BACK!

 

 

A beautiful Blessing of the Fleet Sunday to you all!

I am back and out of bed after a health scare, which saw me ending up in Charles Gairdner Hospital for three nights, including my 70th birthday, with pneumonia.

I am still a bit frail and will need to take it easy for a few weeks, but will try to keep all my  loyal Freo’s View readers in the loop about what goes on in our beautiful Fremantle.

Roel Loopers

FREO BLOGGER NOT DEAD YET

 

My apologies to regular Freo’s View readers for not having published any blog posts since early on Thursday, but I am very sick in bed with violent shaking of the body and liters of sweat pouring out of me, so sleeping is the best remedy until I find the strength to see the GP.

Roel Loopers