BACK TO BASICS AT WALYALUP KOORT

Is this how Fremantle is going back to basics? This damaged bench has been at Walyalup Koort for a few weeks now, so remove or repair it!

And what about the lack of proper lighting on our city square and the maintenance of the footpaths in the historic West End? How much longer do we have to wait for that?

Roel Loopers

WILLIAM STREET BEAUTIFICATION WORK

A large section of William Street has been fenced off for night work, that includes cutting large sections of the road surface. I presume some of that is for the Jacaranda trees that will line the western side of the street.

Roel Loopers

ARE FREMANTLE PROJECTS FUNDED BY RATEPAYERS’ MONEY OR NOT?

Not all is as some want it to appear, as the above Where Your Rates Go by the City of Fremantle shows on this link: https://bit.ly/3PPlZXY

Closer inspection shows that not all the projects are paid for by ratepayers and that quite a few of them are suspended, so is this link maybe a bit of disingenuous spin by Fremantle Council?

For example the claim that $ 920,000 will be spent on the Naval Store at Cantonment Hill, turns out to be fully funded by lessee Enkel, but the project is indefinitely suspended anyway.

According to Hilton Councillor Ben Lawver the $ 767,570 for underground power in the area is fully funded by local residents and does not cost the City of Fremantle a cent.

There is also a play space renewal in the area for $ 544,495 but $ 200,000 comes from the Federal Government.

I very much like it when Fremantle Council tells us what they are doing and where ratepayers’ money is spent, but for transparency clarity they should also let us know how much money comes out of ratepayers’ money, and how much comes from state and federal grants or others. Boasting about achievements with other people’s money is not great form.

Roel Loopers

FREO CITY NOT JUST SITTING ON THEIR BUM

For all of us cynics who claim that Fremantle Council is doing nothing, or not enough, or the wrong things, there is now a link where we can find out what will be happening in wonderful Freo over the next 12 months.

Explore over 100 projects and activities happening across Fremantle over the next 12 months in the interactive online map.

Visit https://bit.ly/3PPlZXY and navigate the map by clicking on the pins to learn more about each project.

Also, something I was not aware off, the Fremantle Library delivers books to those unable to visit the library, so that is a really good service!

Roel Loopers

HAPPY PAVERS MAKE HAPPY PEDESTRIANS

Concerns were raised that the paving maintenance of a small part of Walyalup Koort on Monday was a waste of ratepayers’ money. It was claimed that the paving was new and done less than a year ago, when the Walyalup Civic Centre opened, but that is not correct.

Although the initial plans were for the entire square to be newly paved, that did not happen because of Freo’s stressed finances.

“The City of Fremantle says “The City’s Engineering maintenance team are increasing their focus on works on footpaths and with paving improvements within and across the City. Walyalup Koort is an increasingly busy area with lots of activity over recent months. These are the original pavers and this was maintenance work which included relaying and levelling to some uneven areas.“

Having had a close look at the work I can assure Freo people that no pavers were harmed during the work, and that Fremantle staff did the work, so no money was spent on contractors. 😳

Roel Loopers

A LOT OF HYPE ABOUT THE FREMANTLE BUDGET

The media release about the budget for the 2022/23 financial year, that Fremantle Council adopted last night, is full of great things Council is planning to do, but what is really new in all the plans? I added my comments in Italic.

Investing in favourite places:

• South Beach: new toilets and changerooms as well as a beach wheelchair and matting to improve access for people with a disability. Was already in last year’s budget.
• Fremantle Arts Centre: replacement of roofing.
• Fremantle Leisure Centre: replacement of 25-metre pool roof. Was already in last year’s budget
• Booyeembara Park: construction of mountain bike trails. Was already in last year’s budget
• Leighton Beach: New playground and upgraded car parking.
• Fremantle Golf Course: clubhouse and community facility. Was already in last year’s budget
• Hilton Bowling Club: new synthetic green to replace old grass green.
• Dick Lawrence Reserve: renewal of changerooms, cricket nets, lighting and irrigation.
• Port Beach: sand nourishment and coastal monitoring. Ongoing work. Nothing new.

Sprucing up our suburbs:

• $1.65 million program to maintain and improve the city’s roads. Does this include the many neglected footpaths?
• Continued program of tree and shrub planting as part of Urban Forest Plan.
• Replacement drinking fountains, lighting, shade sails, bench seats, shelters and signage at parks including Monument Hill, Parmelia Park, Alfred Park, Dick Lawrence Reserve, Samson Reserve and more.
• Hilton Underground Power: the City is contributing $1.26 million as part of a seven-year, interest-free payback scheme for benefitting households. Was already in last year’s budget
• Nannine Commons – Former WGV Men’s Shed: reticulation to support plantings of community garden beds and continue the green corridor to Valley Park and the White Gum Valley orchard.
• Virginia Ryan Park: fencing, seats and drinking fountains to support proposed dog exercise area.

Bringing back the buzz to CBD:

• Tree planting in William Street.
• New lighting along William, Henderson and Queen Streets.
• New footpath linking Bathers Beach with Fremantle Port. FINALLY. This is great news!
• Fremantle Biennale festival sponsorship. Nothing new. Same as last year.
• Fremantle Festival: Ten Nights in Port. Nothing new. Same as last year.
• Fremantle International Street Arts festival. Nothing new. Same as last year.
• Walyalup Koort activations and school holiday programs. Nothing new. Same as last year.
• Christmas festival celebrations. Nothing new. Same as last year.

Want to know where your rates go? Click on this: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/39bdf25663c14ea5b0c998cfe9224cb8?fbclid=IwAR0M2yDm2yvqeHBoxbCzwA1GPefk2CGxdoQ_0aDkkoUxyronJepRtRw9Rtc

Roel Loopers

ARTHUR’S HEAD FENCING ENHANCING

It would be easy to claim for this egotistic blogger that the fencing at the dual path at Arthur’s Head was finally completed because I mentioned its unfinished state last week. But of course the City of Fremantle did not suddenly prioritise the work because I wrote about it. It was meticulously planned to coincide with the Sculpture at Bathers show, and no one at the City takes notice of what I say or write anyway.

There are plans for three trees to be planted in front of the new wall, so no doubt that will happen when the time is right for it.

Roel Loopers

FREO SEEING THE LIGHT

The lights along the bicycle path that links Victoria Quay with the Fishing Boat Harbour were not working since November. It is due to the work on the Old Port Project at Bathers Beach I have been told. Nice to see then that after nine months the lights are finally on again, but it is unfortunate that the timer does not seem to be working, as they are now burning 24 hours a day.

Maybe only a minor adjustment needed City of Fremantle?

Roel Loopers

BATHERS BEACH MEDIOCRITY

I got some calls from irate Fremantle people yesterday that yet again on a weekend the bicycle/footpath had been closed off because of the Old Port Project works at Kidogo Art House. No signs were installed to advise the road ahead was closed, so people had to turn around.

It is really not good enough what is happening there, with workers turning up at irregular times, so work is not progressing as fast as it could. This has been an ongoing saga and we keep hearing excuses from the City of Fremantle.

As a result of the Bathers Beach work the street light at the steps of the Round House has not been working since November last year. Freo CEO Graeme McKenzie emailed me to say the light would be back on by May 1, but a month later it is still not working.

The people of Fremantle are sick and tired of the slackness of the administration. Public works need to be done with urgency, so it does not inconvenience the general public and businesses for longer than necessary!

Roel Loopers