FIRST FREO FARMERS MARKET OF 2023 AT NEW LOCATION

The first Freo Farmers Market of 2023 is on this Sunday, January 8, fom 7.30-11.30 am.

The market will be in the new location for the next three years at Bruce Lee Oval in Beaconsfield, only metres away from the previous location at Fremantle College.

Great fresh produce, breakfast, bread, pastries, fish and live music and also jewellery, etc.

Roel Loopers

FREO MARITIME MUSEUM 20TH BIRTHDAY PARTY

The Fremantle WA Maritime Museum will be celebrating its 20th anniversary this Saturday, December 10 with a party on Victoria Quay.

They are celebrating this milestone occasion with free entry, extended opening hours until 8 pm and a free outdoor concert, and a family-friendly summer party.

There will be live music, DJs, food stalls, and plenty of time to wander through the museum and find out more about our maritime history.

Keep an eye out also for the many dolphins that come into the port daily.

Gage Roads Freo and the Republic of Fremantle are part of the party, so there will be plenty of food and drink options available to purchase and enjoy.

Music lineup: DJ Karl Carosella | 4 pm – 5.20 pmThe Struggling Kings | 5.20 pm – 6 pmDe Cuba Son | 6.20pm – 7pm DJ Charlie Bucket | 7 pm – 10 pm

Roel Loopers

FOMO LANEWAY PARTY THIS SATURDAY

The FOMO Laneway Party is on this Saturday, November 27 from 2-6pm.

Come enjoy some Freo fun while they are setting up at Walyalup Koort for the always brilliant Freo Long Table, that is on in the evening.

Roel Loopers

WELCOME TO FREO, EHRA’S BBQ AND GRILL!

EHRA’S BBQ AND GRILL opened in Fremantle’s Essex Street today, so make sure to go and have a look and give their food a try.

It is a large venue that can cater for 200 patrons, but it looks good, with black tables that allow for bbq and hotpot cooking at the tables. There is also a small undercover alfresco area at the side for those who want a bit more quiet. They plan to have live music on weekend nights, so allow for that if you are after a romantic dinner.

EHRA’S deliberately caters for everyone, so if you don’t like Korean BBQ, Malaysian curry, or hotpot, you can have fish&chips, a nice steak, a chicken parmi, etc. See the menu in the above photos.

The young staff member who was there today was delightful.

Roel Loopers

NEW TAVERN FOR FORMER FREMANTLE RSL WYOLA CLUB

It looks like inner city Fremantle will be getting another tavern, with an application for the former RSL Wyola Club in High Street being considered on Wednesday by the Fremante Council Planning Committee, and officers recommend to approve the development.

The proposal is to have full dining and live music on site and operation hours Monday-Tuesday 4pm till midnight, Wednesday to Friday 4pm till 1am, Saturday 12 midday till 1am, and Sunday 12 midday till midnight.

I am all for the activation of the inner city, but am worried that Freo is going to become a second Northbridge, and the weekly reports of violence and antisocial behaviour from there should be a real concern for Fremantle residents and visitors.

Another small bar will be opening soon also on the corner of Market and Bannister streets.

The question I am asking is how many more pubs, taverns, bars and breweries will be sustainable for inner city Fremantle, when Council also want many more people living there? It’s a worry!

Roel Loopers

FREMANTLE PRISON CONCERT RUNNING RIOT

I am a supporter of Fremantle Prison, but the noise that comes out of it today from the Hoodoo Gurus concert is just too much!

I know the prison wants to do more events and concerts, so they really need to get the sound right and check it all around Fremantle. I live opposite the hospital and the noise is unacceptable as I write this now. I closed all my doors and windows but to no avail.

Surely professional sound experts should know that the sound bounces off the walls and gets lifted by the wind and distributed all over the place. I can actually hear every word they are saying and singing.

Director Paula Nelson, please make sure this does not happen again!

Roel Loopers

THE FREO MARKET BAR IS BACK!

 

 

The Fremantle Market Bar is back! But it is not at the markets but in Essex Lane opposite the Luna on SX cinema.

I really like the cosy bar and undercover alfresco area, and it will be great for functions and parties as well, so go and support a new local business.

In the beginning they just open Thursdays to Sundays but that might change once it becomes more known and popular.

Roel Loopers

SUNSET EVENTS WANTS MORE PATRONS AT J SHED

The highly controversial proposal to develop Studio 1 at J Shed into a tavern and live music venue goes to the Planning Committee of the City of Fremantle this Wednesday for alterations and additions to the original, and approved, plans.

Council can only make recommendations to the WA Planning Committee under delegated authority and is not the decision-making  authority.

The major point for me is that Sunset Events applies for a venue for 850 patrons and up to 1,500 for live outdoor concerts, the latter is up 50% of the 1.000 patrons Fremantle Council approved. While the lease with the City will stipulate the number of patrons allowed it is an indication that Sunset will try to increase the number of patrons once the new tavern is open.

The concerts at J Shed so far have received criticism from residents in the West End, from artists in the neighbouring studios and from the Roundhouse volunteer tourguides. Noise and anti-social behaviour were the main issues but also the stinking portaloos left there for weeks and overflowing large skip bins. The day-time sound checks have also interrupted weddings and the traditional cannon firing ceremony which are held above J Shed and are part of the Roundhouse operations, but little respect has been shown for the oldest public building in Western Australia and people having their most special ceremony.

Fremantle Ports have expressed they are against the development and might not grant access for delivery vehicles along Fleet Street, which would leave access to the venue very much in limbo as the alternatives suggested by City of Fremantle officers are ludicrous and worst case scenario ‘solutions’

The officers suggest four alternative route for deliveries to the venue. One would see vehicles deliver near Kidogo and from there goods would be put on trollies or forklifts along the pedestrian tourist path to J Shed. Option two is to do deliveries through the Whalers Tunnel, which is highly frequented by tourists to historic Arthur Head and large groups of school children. Option three is to build a new road to the north of Fleet Street but that would require to also build a very expensive new roundabout at the Cliff/Phillimore/Fleet Street intersection. Option four would see trucks drive up Mrs Trivett Lane where a lift would be installed to take the goods down to J Shed level. That would interfere with the operation and parking for the Roundhouse volunteer tourguides and the artists up there.  Anyone who believes that trucks that deliver temporary fences and stages would not drive straight up to the venue, but would lower them from Mrs Trivett Lane must be living in lala land, as it is not practical and would be very time consuming.

Fremantle Council made a huge mistake granting Sunset Events the license to operate a tavern and live music venue for 21 years and it will be up to future councils to try to clean up the mess and deal with all the problems the venue will be creating for nearby residents and long-term artists at J Shed.

There is only one more option for the community to stop the development and that is protesting to the Liquor Licensing Board that the venue is the wrong kind of activation for the significant historic area. That is the last hope for common sense.

Roel Loopers

 

PARKLET PLEASE IN MY BACK YARD FREO!

What a breath of fresh air and wanting to make a positive PIMBY(Please In My Back Yard) contribution to the inner city last evening’s address by Nairn Street resident Helen Hewitt to the City of Fremantle Strategic and Planning Committee was.

Helen explained she and her elderly husband Bob did not intend to speak but only came when they heard the City officers had recommended not to approve the proposed alfresco parklet at the stunning new Strange Company bar opposite their home.

Helen said the new bar and Bread in Common around the corner in Pakenham Street were a positive benefit to the inner city and had brought a better environment and people to the area. It was a real improvement to the street amenity and the noise others had complained about was merely “A warm bubbling murmur.” Strange Company is a wonderful asset to Nairn Street she told Councillors.

With the proposed closing of Little Market Street behind Gino’s that will become a piazza, the unattractive area might well become a real vibrant part of the CBD, especially should the run down buildings on the Southern side of Nairn Street be developed.

Small bars is exactly what the City of Fremantle should be supporting instead of allowing totally inappropriate live concerts and a large tavern at J Shed on Arthur Head that will have severe and negative impact on the West End amenity for residents, visitors and businesses. Why do we need more outdoor summer concerts in the inner city when they are well catered for at Port and Leighton Beach, the Fremantle Arts Centre, the Blues&Roots and Laneway festivals and live music venues like the Fly by Night, Clancy’s, Norfolk Hotel, Sail&Anchor, etc?

Saturday concerts almost every weekend in summer at Arthur Head could well kill off the very popular and family friendly Bathers Beach Sunset Food Markets as parking would become a huge issue in the area and the music invading from the concerts would create a very unpleasant second-hand noise environment that would drown out the market music by local musicians.

I am not against live music. I am not against, mainly young, people having fun outdoors, but it needs to be done in the right locations around our city and not in our most historic precinct where a sculpture park on the A Class reserve at Arthur Head in front of the J Shed art studios would attract tourists seven days a week throughout the year and make the Bathers Beach Art Precinct cohesive.

Roel Loopers

ROEL FOR FREO!. Beaconsfield Ward. Truly Independent.

Written and authorised by Roel Loopers of 5 Maxwell Street. Beaconsfield 6162.

CAN WE PROTECT EVERYONE’S LIFESTYLE?

Calls by Cottesloe Councillors to ban rooftop gardens because of the noise from parties held there raise an interesting question about how much inner city residents should have to put up with. Some say if you want to live in a vibrant inner city you’ll have to live with the noise of parties, pubs, music venues, cars, drunks, etc. and if you don’t like it move to the suburbs, but is that fair?

Even people living in a bustling inner city do have the right to privacy and the comfort of their own home, and the argument that one can’t expect to have quiet days and nights because of an inner city location are inconsiderate, especially since real estate in a central location like Fremantle costs a lot more that in the outer suburbs.

With our climate and our lifestyle we are blessed to be able to entertain outdoors for eight months a year and that requires consideration for our neighbours who might not party as often. Is live music acceptable at an inner city party for example, or why should Marine Parade residents accept that the City of Fremantle has made the Esplanade Reserve park into a showground, when the Town of Claremont no longer allows live concerts at their showground?

There is a fine line between freedom and making a nuisance of oneself. The lack of care and consideration for others is often the core problem. If everyone in our street had two loud and late parties over the warmer months we would not have a quiet weekend ever where we can just sit outdoors and have a nice chat and a barbeque, because the noise from others would intrude and take away our privacy and preferred way of living and entertaining.

One Cottesloe Councillor said the noise from roof garden parties descents on the suburb like a cloud from which no one can escape. I recall similar complaints were made when Many 6160 had a rooftop bar and live music.

There is a difference when people buy property and move in near a source of noise, be that a train line, busy road or pub. When they do that they should be aware that they will get noise, but others who have bought in a relatively quiet location should not suddenly have to put up with extreme noise. The planned live music venue at J Shed for example will seriously affect the lifestyle and quiet comfort of those who years ago bought properties in the west end of Fremantle. Is that fair to them and should they have to accept that because the common good is more important than their privacy? Would you accept it if it happened near you?

Rooftop gardens are the new design features of many multi-storey apartment buildings and that requires that Councils have laws in place to deal with the noise that might escape from them and affect neighbours close and far away. The Fremantle inner city is already going through a change with apartment buildings in progress and others planned, so we’d better get ready and deal with the coming changes and challenges related to it.

Roel Loopers