NO CREATIVE HUB AT FREMANTLE’S E SHED

The election delusion, that could be called a brain fart, by former WA Premier Mark McGowan, to make Fremantle’s Victoria Quay the new Holywood, and put massive movie studios in the heritage precinct, has now been totally shattered.

Premier Roger Cook announced today that they will be building a new creative industries hub in Malaga, and that the E Shed idea has gone the same way as the movie studios plans, which the McGowan team scrapped straight after winning the election. They are now being built in Ellenbrook instead. Political promises are there to be broken, especially in the safe Labor seat of Fremantle.

But I am worried that the emotional trauma might last a lifetime for two of our political stars. No longer can the Member for Fremantle Simone McGurk dream of becoming the next Cate Blanchett, and while our singing Arts Minister David Templeman no doubt would have liked the chance of becoming an even better Joker than Heath Ledger, that too has gone to the bottom of the Indian Ocean. 🥰

The good news is that Fremantle Ports can now do some integrated planning, hopefully without more silly ideas and interference from our politicians.

Roel Loopers

FREO COMMUNITY WANTS GOOD VICTORIA QUAY PLANNING, NOT BRAIN FARTS

I am pretty happy that the movie studios, the WA Government inappropriately wanted to build on historic Victoria Quay, will not go ahead. Premier Mark McGowan has announced they will now be built at Whiteman Park. I am seriously concerned though about the ad hoc, piecemeal ‘planning’ for Victoria Quay.

Instead of the movie studios, the McGowan government has now promised a Creative Industries Hub in E Shed, presumably to appease those who badly wanted the film bunkers on Victoria Quay, like the Freo Mayor.

What is the use of the Future of Fremantle Committee, when the state government hops in and makes quick, unplanned, and unresolved decisions about development in Fremantle Port? The movie studios silly election promise showed there was no substance and no proper prior planning, why else would they, months later, suddenly discover the wharf was not a good location for that development? And our Mayor also quickly changed her tune, now saying the new creative hub is more in line with Fremantle Council’s strategic planning.

There are filing cabinets full of development plans for Victoria Quay at Fremantle Ports, that have all been ignored. There has been a lot of community consultation, time and time again, over the last three decades, but the current government decides to ignore all that, and make silly brain fart decisions on the run instead.

Why not do a proper plan for Victoria Quay, now that C Shed soon will be ready to be activated? Why not incorporate also the two old buildings there that have been vacant for many years, and that should have been activated long ago? What about a migrant museum? Why not finally make the badly-designed Cliff Street intersection more legible for motorists and pedestrians? Why not start planning the future of the buildings along Slip and Fleet streets? The future of the historic port precinct demands detailed long-term planning, not a child-like, unrealistic Christmas wish list, by politicians keen on photo opportunities.

Making ad hoc decisions about individual buildings might well come to bite us back, when in 10-20 years the dangerous goods buffer zones can be scrapped, once the port has moved to Kwinana, and the government decides to have residential development on Victoria Quay.

Will the McGowan ‘planners’ quickly lease C Shed to another hospitality operator for 20 or so years, and create another entertainment precincts at the port, that will compete with inner city venues, instead of the thorough planning the port precinct demands? Where are the plans for better connectivity to the Fremantle inner city?

It would be much better for Fremantle if the McGowan government actually did what it promised more than two years ago, and finally start building the new police complex next to Fremantle Hospital and the new theatre for the now closed Spare Parts Puppet Theatre. The cops deserve and need a good new building, and so do the puppeteers and their audience, and Victoria Quay deserves and needs proper planning!

Roel Loopers

FREMANTLE SATURDAY MORNING MAGIC

Morning has broken like the first morning
Blackbird has spoken like the first bird
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning
Praise for them springing fresh from the world

Cat Stevens

On my way to the Fremantle Merchant cafe at B Shed this morning I took these photos of the Fishing Boat Harbour and Victoria Quay.

Roel Loopers

FREMANTLE PORTS SERIOUS ABOUT HERITAGE CONSERVATION

It is great to see that Fremantle Ports is getting serious about heritage preservation! It has been spending a lot of money on Victoria Quay, the Slip Street buildings and A Shed, and will be commencing with C Shed in the next few weeks, replacing the temporary roof, reinforcing the foundations and straightening the structure, so that it can be leased out in the future, and help activate Victoria Quay.

E Shed is also getting a necessary facelift, so things are looking up for heritage in Freo.

Roel Loopers

CHRISTMAS WEEKEND IN FREMANTLE

Hey kids, tell your parents, grandparents and friends to come with you to Fremantle this weekend for a great two days of Christmas fun.

It starts on Saturday with the E Shed Christmas Carnival on Victoria Quay from 10am to 4pm.

There will be FREE rides, live music, stalls and food stalls, Father Christmas, face painting, etc.

On Sunday the City of Fremantle Carols by Candlelight are on at Fremantle Oval from 4-8pm.

Because of COVID-19 it’s essential this year that you go to the Eventbrite website and register for a free ticket for the Fremantle Oval event!

See you all there!

Roel Loopers

ON THE FREO TRAIN

Reflection from within the Freo train.

Just a reflection from the inside out of the Fremantle train I took to Perth this morning.

Roel Loopers

FREO MARKETS GLOW

Fremantle’s E Shed Markets glows in the light of this morning’s sunrise.

Roel Loopers