CASINO ROYALE AT EAST FREO LEFT BANK

 

FUNDRAISER FOR CONQUER CYSTIC FIBROSIS!

When: Friday 10 August, 7pm

Where: The Left Bank, 15 Riverside Road, East Fremantle

Tickets: $98

You don’t have to have seen the Bond film to indulge in Casino Royale 2018, The Left Bank’s annual charity event raising funds for Conquer Cystic Fibrosis.

Tickets to Casino Royale 2018 includes a three hour beverage package, which includes your choice of wine, sparkling wine, beer, cider or spirits, premium cocktail food, Funny Money for a spot of harmless gambling and, of course, a range of entertainment.

Contributing to the good times will be Shahirah Jazz and her Jazz Trio, DJ Marcel, and local artist James Giddy, who will be doing a live painting to be auctioned off.

AGEING POPULATION IMPACTS ON ECONOMY

 

The media reports that the Western Australian economy has bounced back is positive, but the reasons for the closure of many hospitality outlets and the downturn in retail sales is always only ever explained with internet shopping and the mining bust. Not one expert opinion I have read considers that the fast ageing population is also a reason for people spending less money on non essential items.

Just in Fremantle I know several people whose life has changed since they went on the government pension, because they simply no longer have the money to socialise with friends in pubs and restaurants. Some tell me they can’t even afford to entertain at home, because cooking a meal for friends might cost 50% of the money of their weekly food expenditure.

Many of the pensioners I talk to say they mis no longer going to live theatre plays, concerts and events, because there is not enough money in the kitty, and even going to the hairdresser, especially for women, requires to save it from something else.

A ‘cheap’ $ 20 breakfast or $ 35 dinner in a nice cafe or restaurant are beyond their reach, so they feel on the scrap heap of society, where no one really cares how they are surviving and what their quality of life is.

The government pension does not keep up with the constantly increasing costs of just about everything, but that does not appear to be an issue for our political parties. Once one pays rent, telephone, internet and for the car, there is very little left for food, and hardly ever enough for a meal and glass of wine somewhere nice. Even doctors’ visits need to be kept to a minimum because most GPs don’t bulk bill any more, hence far too many old people use the free service at the emergency departments at our public hospitals.

It is an outrage that many old people live in cold homes in winter because they don’t have enough money to pay for gas and power, and it is an even greater outrage that thousands of people sleep on the streets of our cities.

The very fast ageing of the Australian population is very real, and it does affect the economy, so it is time for our politicians to start preparing for a future where over fifty per cent of the population will be over 60 years old. It is even more tangible and imminent than global warming, so it is time to change the priorities a bit and start looking after our older people a whole lot better.

Roel Loopers

 

URGENT CARE CLINIC FOR FREMANTLE HOSPITAL PROMISE

 

 

It is good to hear from Fremantle Labor by-election candidate Josh Wilson that opposition leader Bill Shorten has pledged to invest $ 5 million in Fremantle Hospital if Labor wins next year’s federal election.

Bill Shorten announced that Fremantle Hospital would get a walk in clinic for urgent medical care, that would help take the strain away from the emergency department of Fiona Stanley Hospital.

Fremantle lost its emergency department three years ago and thousands of Freo people have to travel to Fiona Stanley for immediate care and outpatient clinics.

Fremantle’s urgent care clinic would open seven days a week and stay open later than most GP practises and deal with non life threatening cases.

I have no doubt that the traders in Wray Avenue would love to see more activity at Fremantle Hospital as it would be a boost for their businesses.

Roel Loopers

A PLACE OF MILLIONS OF MEMORIES

 

 

I was  at the Fremantle Cemetery this morning to say farewell to the truly delightful Marie France, who died at the age of 73.

As always I was far too early for the 10am ceremony, so had a walk in the sun and took some photos. After all, being on the cusp of my 70th birthday, this is soon going to be my new home as well, so it was a bit like real estate shopping for me.

Wandering around and listening to the very full and adventurous life of Marie France, I thought what an immense place of millions of memories the cemetery is.

 

Roel Loopers

SMOG HAZE OVER FREMANTLE

 

That was a rather strange day in Fremantle with the smog all over the city most of the day. I had itchy and runny eyes and a headache all day, so that was very annoying.

There could well be an amazing orange sunset tonight but I won’t be photographing it.

Roel Loopers

THE ART OF MENTAL HEALTH

 

 

There is an interesting new mural artwork in Fremantle on the corner of Queen Victoria and Parry streets.

The Share Your Headspace work was done by artist Rene Brink in collaboration with Freo student Kate Gunnel and is about mental health awareness.

Roel Loopers

SOLAR FARM COMMUNITY HEALTH CONCERNS

 

The public gallery at the Ordinary Council meeting in North Fremantle last night was packed full with people, many of them families and children with placards.

They were there for the Solar Farm Business Plan item on the agenda, that deals with the proposal for the solar farm on the former heavily contaminated South Fremantle tip site.

Most speakers supported the Solar  Farm but were very worried about possible health implications for the community if the contaminated soil gets disturbed. They wanted to be assured that all possible safeguards would be in place to make sure that the health of their children would not be affected by any work on the site.

One man in his ignorance claimed that Council had underhandedly sneaked the Solar Farm through without public consultation, when in fact this has been on the public record for nearly a decade and the public consultation process will start with the planning application, since that is a legal requirement. Last night’s item was only about starting a business plan.

The unsuccessful recent South Fremantle election candidate thundered “Shame on you council!” for ignoring the consultation process, but that is factually wrong. She must have forgotten that she attended the community consultation meeting in the Townhall organised by the solar farm proponents and she should also know how due process at local government works and that every box has to be ticked under the local government act, and that the Solar Farm proposal was widely reported in the local media.

It is very frustrating to time and time again hear members of the community complain they did not know anything about planning proposals and blame council for their own ignorance, when these plans have been announced on the City’s weekly page in the Herald and reported in the Fremantle Herald, Fremantle Gazette, on Freo’s View, on the CoF website, Facebook and other social media platforms.

To claim that Councillors try to sneak a planning proposal past the community without them noticing it is insulting and laughable, as it would be in contradiction to the Local Government Act. Our elected members are not crooks who do sinister deals the community is left in the dark about!

Mayor Brad Pettitt assured the public gallery that Council would only approve the proposal if it was safe for the community.

The community needs to take ownership and has the onus to inform itself as one cannot realistically expect to receive a letter in the mail for every new plan in the city.

Health issues are extremely important for the Solar Farm proposal and under the Contaminated Sites Register and EPA laws stringent environmental guidelines will have to be adhered to if any soil disturbance is to occur, and we all will make sure that it will be monitored daily! I too live not far from the site and the southerly wind could easily blow contaminated dust here where there is also a primary school.

Roel Loopers

WORK SUSPENDED AT FREMANTLE WORKERS CLUB

 

I want to keep you all updated about the asbestos scare at the former Fremantle Workers Club in Henry Street, so here the media release from the City of Fremantle:

The demolition of the former Workers Club on Henry Street in Fremantle will remain suspended after testing revealed asbestos was present on the site.

The City of Fremantle ordered the suspension of the works yesterday following community concerns about the demolition practices on the site and its proximity to the Lance Holt Primary School.

Testing conducted yesterday showed there was no asbestos present in samples of dust and materials taken from the school.

However, City of Fremantle Chief Executive Officer Phillip St John said testing of samples taken from the demolition site showed some asbestos was present.

“We took four solid samples of rubble from the site, of which two were positive for asbestos and two were negative. Soil samples from the site were also negative,” Mr St John said.

“The demolition permit issued to the developers by the City of Fremantle includes specific conditions around dust suppression and the safe removal of asbestos.

“Work on the site will remain suspended until the City is satisfied those conditions are being met.”

The material is contained to the site and poses no risk to the general public.

 

Roel Loopers

ASBESTOS FOUND IN WORKERS CLUB SOIL

 

Late yesterday afternoon the test results by ENVIROLAB came back that the soil at the Fremantle Workers Club in Henry Street contains asbestos.

Earlier in the day the City of Fremantle notified residents that no asbestos had been found in samples from the Lance Holt School which is opposite the former club.

It is advisable for parents who drop off their children on foot or bike today to enter Henry Street from Phillimore Street so that they don’t have to walk past the development site. Better to be sure than to be sorry!

It is remarkable that the developers, who have shown documentation that they did asbestos checks in January, have not taken more care and that the asbestos was only discovered now because the community went public on social media with it. Everyone knows that older buildings in Fremantle are very likely to contain asbestos, so why not take extreme care, especially opposite a primary school, and double check.

Questions we would like to see answered: Why were soil samples not taken before? How much of the soil has been disturbed and for how long? Will the City of Fremantle take legal action against the developers?

Roel Loopers

NO ASBESTOS AT WORKERS CLUB

 

Tests show no asbestos at school

Testing has shown there is no asbestos in samples of dust and materials taken from Fremantle’s Lance Holt Primary School.

City of Fremantle Chief Executive Officer Philip St John said independent analysis of nine samples taken from locations around the school earlier today found no trace of asbestos.

The City has advised the school of the findings and will continue to liaise  with Lance Holt staff and parents and closely monitor the demolition works on the site of the former Workers Club at 7 Henry Street.

The City took action to instruct the demolition contractor to cease works until further notice while testing could be undertaken in response to concerns about dust emissions from the site.

Mr St John said the City was yet to receive results of the soil tests taken from the demolition site which was closed and contained this morning.

“Our immediate priority was to clarify the situation regarding Lance Holt Primary School. Now that the tests conducted at the school have come back negative, we will focus our attention back on the demolition site.

“As soon as we receive the results back from the laboratory where they were sent for testing, we will determine any further action.”

UPDATE at 18.17 hours: Testing has revealed asbestos at the former Workers Club site but not at the Lance Holt School opposite the demolition site!