FREO FARMERS MARKET GOOD FOR THE SOUL

 

 

It was so nice to see so many people at the Freo Farmers Market this morning. It is a real community market with great ambience.

All those dogs, kids, parents, prams and so many smiling, relaxed and happy people. It is very good for the soul to be part of the great Fremantle community. I love it!

Roel Loopers

HUGE FARMERS MARKETS IDEA FOR LEIGHTON FREIGHT YARDS

 

There is an interesting prospect for the former Leighton Freight Yards in North Fremantle. Planning Minister Rita Saffioti has been approached to see if there is government support for a very large permanent farmers market building on the site.

The proposal comes from the group that is running the popular Farmers Market in Bunbury, that is open seven days a week. People shop in the huge market and get fresh produce that is harvested only a day or two earlier. It would employ up to 600 people, so would be a huge boost for Fremantle.

Of course there would need to be sufficient new parking because there is already a need for more beach parking during the hot months.

The project is estimated to cost $ 30 million, so would be approved by JDAP and not Fremantle Council.

I found this in the City of Fremantle archives:

In 1994, the Fremantle Regional Strategy identified the possible redevelopment of the Leighton Marshalling Yards for urban use. Since that time, a number of more detailed studies and documents have investigated planning issues related to the site. This includes:1998, City of Fremantle, D.G.N12 Leighton Marshalling Yards Land Use and Development Policy,1998, WAPC, The Vlamingh Parklands, 2000, Ministry for Planning, Leighton Regional Planning Guidelines (LRPG),2000+, Fremantle to Cottesloe Transport Plan– still in preparation2001, City of Fremantle, Port and Leighton Beaches Management Plan

Roel Loopers

 

CELEBRATE WOMEN AT FREO FARMERS MARKET

 

 

The Freo Farmers Market will be celebrating women on International Women’s Day this Sunday, so head out to Fremantle College on Lefroy Road between 8am and midday for great entertainment by female artists, info stalls, and of course all the great fresh produce of fruit&vegetables, organic, gluten free, breads, pastries, fish, breakfast, lunch, coffee and more.

The FFM is a fantastic way of connecting with the Fremantle community every Sunday of the year.

Roel Loopers

VICTORIA QUAY TRADERS MARKET THIS SATURDAY

 

 

The Victoria Quay Traders Markets is on in Fremantle this Saturday from 10am to 4pm, so go and have a stroll in the port and check out what is for sale and have some yummmy food from one of the foodstalls.

There is also a huge indoor plants sale in B Shed, so something on offer for the whole family.

Roel Loopers

VICTORIA QUAY CHRISTMAS CARNIVAL

 

 

An early note that the Fremantle Ports Victoria Quay Christmas Carnival will be on this coming Saturday December 7.

The free fun is on from 3-9pm with free rides for the kids, food stalls to buy dinner from, port and sunset views, etc.  The perfect way to end a Saturday.

Kids will enjoy an Elf Show, skate workshops, face painting, giant bubbles and, of course, a visit from Santa himself, while big kids can grab a bite to eat from a selection of food trucks, browse market stalls, groove along to the sounds of WA Samba  and take in great roving performances ‑ all set against the stunning backdrop of the working port.

I’ll see you there!

 

Roel Loopers

FANTASTIC FREO FARMERS MARKET

 

 

I really love the Freo Farmers Market that is on every Sunday morning at Fremantle College. It is such a very Freo event and so delightful under all the mature trees.

Go and check it out next Sunday!

 

Roel Loopers

FREO FARMERS AND FLEA MARKET TODAY

 

 

The FREO FARMERS MARKET has the addition of a Flea Market today, so head out to Fremantle College at Lefroy Road in Beaconsfield to get a bargain, buy fruit&vegies, bread, fish, breakfast, lunch, etc.

It is on from 8am till midday.

Roel Loopers

YOU GOT IT WRONG, FREMANTLE COUNCIL!

 

 

South Beach Sunset Food Market operator Georgie Adeane is not at all happy with Fremantle Council and the, FPOL Committee deferred decision, to put an Expression of Interest out to see if anyone else just want to take over from her after this summer because of the, in my opinion, City’s silly competitive lease/license policy.

Adeane told me that under the new proposed City charges she would be losing between $40,000-50,000 if she continued with the markets, so I presume it is unlikely she will put her EOI in.

Fremantle Council’s lack of understanding of how retail and hospitality actually works is very distressing, because it is highly likely that the very popular market, that attracts on average 5,000 people on the Saturdays it operates, will no longer be viable  if Council signs off on the EOI idea, and that this summer could be the last of it. That will not only create unfair hardship for Georgie Adeane but also to the 25 stallholders who will lose out on substantial income. These are small businesses Fremantle Council pretends to be supportive off.

A new operator would have to charge stallholders a whole lot more to be part of a new market to cover cost, or allow many more stalls at the event. Either way will cost the small businesses money as it will reduce their income.

A Council that relentlessly talks about activating Fremantle surely cannot let such a successful event disappear because Councillors and officers fail to appreciate the nuances of running markets and small businesses.

Maybe Georgie Adeane should rename the markets into the South Beach Green, Sustainable and New Innovation Markets and no doubt Freo Council would actually go out of their way to let her continue to run the market at South Beach.

This is a VERY BAD CALL, Fremantle Council, and it is one where you should just admit that the idea of an EOI and higher charges are wrong!

Roel Loopers

SOUTH BEACH MARKETS UP FOR GRABS

 

 

The FPOL Committee of Fremantle Council will this Wednesday deliberate about a new license for the South Beach Sunset Markets and an Expression of Interest period for new operators to engage in a competitive process to run the markets after the license of Georgie Adeane expires at the end of this season.

Georgie Adeane had the idea and started the markets on Bathers Beach in 2012 but was forced to move the already very popular market to South Beach in 2015 after the opening of the Bathers Beach House and a larger lease area for Kidogo Art House.

The markets attracts on average 5,000 people on every Saturday in summer between 5-9pm.

The City has invested $ 30,000 per year in the markets by providing free bins and paying part of the cost for generators, but now wants the next license to be an Events Agreement, not a License Agreement and the operators paying $ 95,154 per year, which would be reduced by 50% for three years.

The markets run for approximately 18 times a year, depending on weather conditions, with about 40 stalls, that reportedly pay $ 300 each to Georgie Adeane for being allowed to participate.

I personally find the competitive policy by the City of Fremantle rather strange as it punishes successful operators who do all the hard work to establish a new event or business, but once they have made it an attraction the City forces them to compete for a lincense with other interested parties, who can simply steal the intellectual copyright of the idea of the initial operator and reap all the benefits of all the hard work that was done in the first years to try to establish the business. Maybe Council could include a goodwill clause, so in case Georgie Adeane is not the new license holder she will receive a payout for making the markets such a popular event in Fremantle.

It is rather peculiar that the City’s competitive policy did not apply two months ago for a new lease for the public golf course, or that it never applies to Gino’s for example, so there appears to be a worrying inconsistency here that question the integrity of the policy.

Roel Loopers

FIRST FREO FARMERS MARKET THIS SUNDAY

 

The ‘all new’ FREO FARMERS MARKET is on this Sunday and every Sunday of the year from 8am till noon at Fremantle College on Lefroy Road.

Go support our local growers and producers, have breakfast, lunch, fun, catch up with friends, listen to live music, and all that under the shade of many beautiful trees.

Roel Loopers