ANOTHER ATTEMPT TO SAVE THE OLD FREO TRAFFIC BRIDGE

I am kind of bewildered that there is a new attempt to save the old timber Fremantle Traffic Bridge, with a petition at change.org

There is even a media and community briefing session next week, with former WA Premier Dr Carmen Lawrence, Dr Brad Pettitt MLC, International Timber Bridge Expert Dr Dan Tingley, Australian Timber Expert Patrick Brigg, and Dr Brian Walker MLC, Deputy Chair of Committees.

The Save the Bridge fans want it to become a New York style High Line community park for pedestrians and cyclists. They claim there is nothing wrong with the timber structure, according to experts. They also claim that urban planners believe the proposed new bridge is in the wrong location.

I am a skeptic when it comes to fighting unwinnable battles, because only three facts apply to the future of the heritage-listed bridge. They are:

• The WA Government does not want to keep the bridge and pay for its future maintenance
• Fremantle Council does not want to keep the bridge because it does not have the money to maintain it.
• No one so far has offered to donate millions of dollars to buy and maintain the bridge for 20+ years.

So the pragmatic reality is, that no matter how long and hard some people yell, the old bridge will be demolished and the new bridge built in the same location. We might not like it, but that’s how it is. I doubt very much there will be any significant changes to the latest proposal by the WA Government.

Roel Loopers

FINALLY DRILLING FOR A NEW BORE IN PIONEER PARK

I think I have to become religious, because today is the proof that miracles do happen. It is as if Christmas has arrived five weeks early for Fremantle, with the drilling for a new water bore finally starting in Pioneer Park, albeit it with a delay of two and a half months.

And on this same historic day MainRoads finally offered the Freo community a much better designed plan for the new Fremantle Traffic Bridge. I wonder though if we will ever be told the true costs of all that misguided planning, before they started listening to the community.

Anyway, a good day for Freo. Things are moving forward!

Roel Loopers

NO NEW FREMANTLE TRAFFIC BRIDGE?

What is happening with the planned new Fremantle Traffic Bridge that the State Government announced last year? We have not heard anything at all from the Main Roads Department for 12 months, but there are plenty of rumours swirling around Fremantle.

The latest I have heard is that they are now considering not building the addition freight rail line to Fremantle Port, and because of that they are now weighing up if a new traffic bridge might than encourage more freight on road and more trucks through the suburbs.

And all that after they have already spent some $ 60 million on planning the bridge, according to Brad Pettitt MLC.

What is going on? Can the Member for Fremantle Simone McGurk give us an update please.

Roel Loopers

TRAFFIC BRIDGE ELECTORS MEETING TONIGHT

The Special Electors Meeting of the Fremantle Council, about the plans for the new Fremantle Traffic Bridge, is on this evening, Monday November 14 from 6pm at the Fremantle Townhall.

It is for people who are on the Electoral Role to vote in Fremantle only, so proof of identity is required.

Does the Freo community really want the diversion of Canning Highway, so that it runs into Beach Street, instead of Queen Victoria Street? Does the community want another park, in front of the Naval Stores, when the City of Fremantle has been struggling to maintain the parks we already have?

Do we want a significant part of the heritage-listed old wooden traffic bridge retained, when the City of Fremantle does not have sufficient funding to look after our city properly and the city looks a mess in many areas?

How can we make sure we get a new bridge of exceptional design, that will be a visual entry statement into Fremantle, instead of just a stretch of boring concrete that connect the two sides of the Swan River?

Where will the Containbow artwork be relocated to? It is a highly-visual entry into Fremantle. Could it be moved to the new proposed park, just a few metres away?

Will the State Government even take note of what tonight’s meeting will call for?

Roel Loopers

SPECIAL ELECTORS MEETING ABOUT FREMANTLE TRAFFIC BRIDGE

The Special Electors Meeting about the new Fremantle Traffic Bridge will be held this coming Monday November 14 at 6pm in the Fremantle Townhall. Proof of identity is required!

One motion, by Ian Kerr,see below, will be voted on, but there might well be others.

Proposed motion 1)

That this Special Meeting of the Electors of the City of Fremantle:

a) Welcomes the resolution of the City of Fremantle Council, at its meeting on 26th October 2022:

i) to call for substantial additional information on a range of options, including the ‘reference design’ reached at 4/6 the previous community consultation in July 2021, and a comparative analysis of a range of workable options,

2. ii)  that the community be an integral part of this analysis, including establishing the criteria, and
3. iii)  that options be ‘presented in full to the community for engagement, discussion and feedback’.

2. b)  Registers its deep concern at the lack of consistency and sustained community involvement in development of the Swan River Crossings project leading to the Swan River Crossings proposal announced by the WA Minister for Transport on 21st August 2022.
3. c)  Requests that the wider Fremantle community be actively informed and engaged as an integral part of the Swan River Crossings project through to completion.

2) That this Special Meeting of the Electors of the City of Fremantle:

1. a)  Acknowledges the Fremantle Council’s inclusion of the old traffic bridge as cultural heritage “to be fully assessed, valued and managed in accordance with a comprehensive, professionally prepared heritage assessment report, interpretation strategy and implementation plan”;
2. b)  Requests that the community be an integral part of the development of that plan; and
3. c)  Requests that no decisions or actions be taken that would restrict the available options for the old traffic bridge (or any of the other “items of significant heritage value” (see note below)) until that assessment report has been completed and considered by Council and the community.

NOTE: “Items of significant cultural heritage value” include, but are not necessarily limited to:

1. i)  Whadjuk significance of the place, including the Swan River and Cantonment Hill
2. ii)  The old traffic bridge
3. iii)  The limestone escarpment
4. iv)  The former Capstan
5. v)  Remnants and artefacts of previous river crossings
6. vi)  The ‘containbow’ art installation
7. vii)  The award-winning ‘Gathering Place’ location

THERE WILL ALSO BE A SPECIAL ELECTORS MEETING AT THE TOWN OF EAST FREMANTLE FOR EAST FREO VOTERS ON NOVEMBER 24 AT 6PM AT THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS!

Roel Loopers

FREMANTLE TRAFFIC BRIDGE SPECIAL ELECTORS MEETING

The City of Fremantle gives public notice of a Special Meeting of Electors to be held at the Town Hall, 8 William Street, Fremantle on Monday 14 November 2022, commencing at 6.00 pm.

The City has received a request by more than 100 electors to discuss the August 2022 Swan River Crossings Project proposal.

The details of the matter to be discussed at the meeting, as requested by electors, are –

The August 2022 proposal for the Swan River Crossings Project, including (but not limited to):

– How and when the proposal was developed

– Who was informed and when

– The lack of consultation for this major change from previous proposals

– The impacts on the Fremantle and East Fremantle communities

– Motions to be voted on to support:

– Reversion to the proposal that resulted from intensive community engagement and was confirmed by the Minister for Transport in August 2021; and

– Retaining substantial parts of the existing traffic bridge in a functional, rather than purely symbolic, form.

This meeting is open to electors for the City of Fremantle, check in and registration of eligibility to attend will be required.

IMPROVED ROAD SAFETY FOR BEACY PRIMARY STUDENTS

Good news for students of the Beaconsfield Primary School and their concerned parents! It has taken years, but the Mainroads department has finally agreed to lower the speed limit along Hampton Road, between Scott and Jenkin streets, from 60kph to 40 kph. School zone signs, that light up, will also be installed along that stretch of road.

I received a call from wonderful Emma, a staff member at Simone McGurk’s office, in response to mentioning in the Roel’s Round column in the Fremantle Herald, that Mainroads was reluctant to do anything about the dangerous pedestrian crossing there, who told me the good news.

Some four years ago, when I lived in Maxwell Street opposite the school, I attended an evening meeting at the school, where staff and parents met with Mainroads staff. They told us that a pedestrian light, school zone signs and lowering speed were no options for the very busy road, as it would slow down traffic too much. Great that with the support of our local member of parliament the department has now applied common sense and has made pedestrian safety a priority for the school kids.

Roel Loopers

NEW BRIDGE DEBATED AT POLITICS IN THE PUB

It’s going to be a strange day on-day off long weekend, where we celebrate her birthday and mourn the death of Queen Elizabeth II at the same time, so an early announcement that the next Politics in the Pub will be this coming Tuesday September 27.

The topic will be the new Fremantle Traffic Bridge and the desire by some to save the current wooden one, what impact it will have on the North Fremantle community, if a park in front of the Naval Stores is something we want and need, should Canning Highway flow into Beach Street, etc. It should be a passionate evening.

It is on from 7pm at The Local Hotel in South Fremantle, so the bar and kitchen will be open for drinks and dinner.

There is also an online survey about the Fremantle Traffic Bridge, so have your say there as well:

Fremantle Traffic Bridge Survey

Roel Loopers

REMOVALISTS FOR FREO’S ICONIC CONTAINBOW

Fremantle’s only genuine and real community newspaper, the Fremantle Herald, has a great exclusive on the front page of this week’s edition! The large container artwork at Canning Highway will have to be relocated, because the Mainroads Department needs the strip of land for the new Fremantle Traffic Bridge.

According to the Chook it is all hush-hush, with neither artist Marcus Canning, nor the City of Fremantle willing to make official statements about it.

So where will, where should, the ‘Containbow’ artwork go? It is an iconic entry statement into Fremantle, and popular with tourists, so do we have another good location for it?

Roel Loopers

FREMANTLE TRAFFIC BRIDGE MOVIE DREAM ON VIEW THIS SUNDAY

Western Australians can view this Sunday 10 April how the Fremantle Traffic Bridge, that is destined to be demolished to make way for a new traffic and a new rail freight bridge, would look once transformed into the world’s first coastal Highline park built over a river.

A Perth born Hollywood film director conceived the five minute film, working with more than 35 volunteer Western Australian film professionals and actors to bring The Perth Highline to life.

Experts believe the river-suspended pedestrian and cycling Perth Highline park could become Perth’s top tourist attraction if the State and Federal Governments agree to shelve plans to demolish the heritage listed bridge. More than eight thousand people have signed a petition to save the bridge. 

International timber bridge experts conclude the bridge is in good repair, and will cost more to demolish than repurpose into The Perth Highline. “We disagree with assessments of Main Roads that suggest that the bridge is beyond restoration, cost prohibitive and should be destroyed. There are no insurmountable challenges that would inhibit the bridge from being repurposed for pedestrian and cycling use, nor from improving boating safety and navigational flexibility.” Patrick Bigg, Timber Restoration Services, a group of international companies specialising in the design, construction and maintenance of timber structures globally, said.

Free public movie screening – Sunday 10 April, 6-7pm

Old Fremantle Traffic Bridge, Beach St, East Fremantle, Bring the kids. Bring a picnic!

More information: https://www.saveoldfreobridge.org/