CHAMBER CEO INTERVIEWS SIMONE MCGURK
The Labor Member for Fremantle Simone McGurk was the star of the live Down the Rabbit Hole podcast by Fremantle Chamber of Commerce CEO Chrissie Maus at lunchtime on Friday.
The perceived lack of state government funding for Fremantle, the new police complex and traffic bridge were all talked about, as was the planned move of Fremantle Port to Kwinana.
Simone McGurk was very open and candid and did not engage in spin. She conceded that the development of the large port area would be a huge challenge, starting with getting the right mix of tenants at Victoria Quay, in the large B and C sheds. She said she hoped to find a space for Circus WA on Victoria Quay and that she was working hard with the Minister for the Arts to also find a new home in Fremantle for Spare Parts Puppet Theatre.
She said that she understood the frustration about the bridge designs, but that some of the early designs would have kept the current bridge open longer, during construction of the new one, and that we would now be getting an attractive bridge, that is aesthetically the best option. Traffic would be a challenge, but she believed the government might offer free train and bus transport in and out of Fremantle for that period.
Simone McGurk also said she understood the community opposition to the location of the new police complex, next to Fremantle Oval, but it was financially the best option as the government already owned the land and did not have to buy new land for millions of dollars. She also wanted a substantial police presence in the city centre, and officers would be relocated from Cockburn to the new Freo facility.
She denied that Fremantle did not get enough funding from the Cook government, citing the many millions of dollars in funding for the bridge, police complex, Fremantle Hospital, mental health clinic, John Curtin College of the Arts, and Fremantle Prison.
The minister also said that she understood the opposition by the MUA to move the port to Kwinana, as there would be job losses, but pointed out how the government has been proactive in Collie to create new employment opportunities there.
She said that currently Fremantle Port handles 800,000 containers a year, but that estimates show this would grow to 2 million a year, and that would mean three times more trucks on the road in Fremantle, hence she supported the move, although she loves the working post and its historic connections. It was somewhat heart breaking that the port would go.
Simone McGurk also said that being part of the Fremantle community has been such and important part of her life.
She talked about her frustration that there was still a gender pay gap and no parity of men and women in politics, and that she understood the frustration and impatience of young women.
She said the government was working hard to combat domestic violence, and that it needed a deeper understanding of all the underlying factors. It is not a simple solution.
It was a really interesting talk that went for an hour. Here is the link to the podcast: https://www.facebook.com/Freochamber/videos/742713631163232
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NEW CEO FOR FREMANTLE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Chrissie Maus has been appointed the new CEO of the Fremantle Chamber of Commerce.
She was formerly the head of the largest retail and entertainment precinct in Australia – Melbourne’s Chapel Street. Ms Maus is known for being a courageous and inclusive leader with an appetite for innovation.
Most recently her work has included navigating the social and economic impact of COVID in her role at the helm of the Chapel Street Precinct Association.
Chrissie Maus brings with her a passion for benchmark corporate governance and company culture, in addition to embracing diversity as the key to future success.
She often appears on national news channels commenting on leadership and economic affairs. She is an AICD graduate and across the pandemic, an opinion writer for The West Australian.
“No matter where I have worked, my heart has always been in The West. I’m looking forward to this incredibly prestigious opportunity to harness the innovation and energy of the Fremantle business community. The weight of this business card in my bag shall be carried with care” she said.
If my memory is correct Chrissie Maus was very critical of the extremely long Covid lockdowns in Melbourne and the WA border closures, in her opinion pieces in the West Australian.
She will start in her new role on Mach 8.
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GET OFF YOUR HIGH HORSES!
An opinion piece by Chrissie Maus in the West Australian today calls for changes to our governments, with Maus arguing that the three tiers of Local, State and Federal governments is one too many.
Maus writes that she keeps hearing the same complaints about local governments all around Australia, that they just don’t do the basics right, and get side tracked addressing issues that are not priorities for their communities. I agree with that, but do not believe that getting rid of local government would address those issues, because it is often about attitude and egos of elected members, who want to be self-important politicians, instead of grass roots community representatives.
Fremantle Mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge was elected on a platform that promised to go back to basics, but I have yet to see any changes on how the City of Fremantle addresses the lack of care for our footpaths, parks, playgrounds, etc.
The footpaths in our historic inner city are a true shambles and I’ll probably write about that for another decade, but not much is happening there. It is alleged one Fremantle Councillor told a business owner that tourists look at the heritage buildings, not the footpaths. That’s stupid.
Too much time is spent at LGAs talking about feel good things, instead of addressing the important issues. Too often residents feel disenfranchised by their elected members. They feel they are not listened to and ignored and that creates frustration.
I remember well that a packed full Townhall was still not enough for Fremantle Council to scrap the ridiculous idea of a large tavern and outdoor music venue at J Shed on historic Arthur’s Head. It had to go all the way to a State Government agency to make it clear that the proposal was inappropriate for an A Class reserve. That is something the administration should have told the elected members from the start. I remember one Councillor telling us that they had listened to those who opposed it, but Council had come to a different conclusion. Yes, but based on what? Stubbornness?
Fremantle looks tired and neglected and that is not good enough. Funds have to be redirected to address that with priority. Piecemeal repairs are also annoying. The wrong colour pavers, cement or bitumen just make the place look all messy and that is so disappointing.
I still believe the amalgamation between Fremantle and East Fremantle should have happened when the Barnett government wanted local government reform. Fremantle will keep struggling to find the money to do the basics because of its low ratepayers’ base, but at the end it needs to be about priorities and not about excuses. For example, the carbon neutral city still has an extremely low tree canopy.
So my friendly advise to the the Elected Members of all Councils in Australia. Get off your high horses. Listen to your communities. Don’t pretend you know everything and don’t pretend to know everything better than your ratepayers, traders and residents. Listen! It’s an excellent skill to excel in!
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