FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DIFFERENT RULES FOR CRUISE SHIPS

 

 

I do not understand why the Federal Government has different rules for cruise ships in New South Wales  than it has for cruise liners in Western Australia.

While we have been told that the MS Artania will remain in Fremantle Port for another fortnight to self quarantine, Border Force was literary out in real force off Sydney yesterday, and threats were made to the captains of the cruise ships that hefty fines and/or a five year jail sentence would apply if they did not leave Australian waters.

That of course comes after the absolutely unacceptable debacle of the Ruby Princess, where most states are still affected by the stupidity of allowing Covid-19 infected passengers to disembark in Sydney. Through them the virus has spread nation wide. Up to today 612 passengers and crew have been diagnosed with the coronavirus.

I am not arguing to let people rot and die, but I want to know why different rules apply in the Eastern States, and I want to know also if state and federal governments are going to invoice the cruise companies for cleaning up their mess.

I for one really like it that many of the Ruby Princess passengers are taking out a class action against the company, because what happened should never have happened, and someone in the NSW government should also get the boot. Incompetence can not be left unpunished.

And from me a big thumbs up to the WA McGowan government for doing a splendid job under extremely trying circumstances!

Roel Loopers

INDIAN PACIFIC TRAIN TO START IN FREO

 

 

Exciting news for Freo! The extremely popular Indian Pacific train journey from Perth to Sydney might well become a real coast to coast from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, and start here in Fremantle

Transport Minister Rita Saffioti used the 50th anniversary of the tourist train to reveal the WA government was looking into extending the service from East Perth train station to Fremantle, with some of the preliminary work already underway.

Earlier this week the Indian Pacific, the 4352 kilometre transcontinental train trip from Sydney to Perth, celebrated its 50^th anniversary.

Fremantle Mayor Brad Pettitt said it would be fantastic to have Australia’s longest rail journey terminating in Fremantle. The popularity of these long and luxurious rail journeys just seems to be growing and growing, and how amazing would it be for passengers to arrive in Fremantle on the Indian Pacific and actually see the Indian Ocean.”

“There are some really great synergies with having the Indian Pacific arriving in Fremantle. For example, people would be able to step off the train and step straight on to a ferry to Rottnest, or they could ride the Indian Pacific to Fremantle and then board a cruise ship to sail home.

“It could also provide the impetus for the redevelopment of Victoria Quay and improving the connections between the port and the city centre.

An uninterrupted rail link from to the Pacific Ocean in the east to Indian Ocean in the west was not completed until 1969.

The newly named Indian Pacific train embarked on its inaugural transcontinental journey on 23 February 1970, with more than 10,000 people turning out to welcome it upon its arrival in Perth.

On average the Indian Pacific is 774 metres long, consisting of two locomotives and 30 carriages.

It takes about 65 hours to travel the 4352 kilometres from Sydney to Perth, at a leisurely average speed of 85km per hour.

Roel Loopers

SOUTH MOLE START FOR FREMANTLE TO SYDNEY BIKE RACE

 

 

It was very busy with cyclists on the Fremantle South Mole this Saturday morning at 6am when around one hundred bike riders came to farewell the 25 mad ones who started a race to Sydney via Melbourne.

Good luck and have a safe ride, and all come home in one piece!

Roel Loopers

LEIGH STRAW BOOK LAUNCH AT NATIONAL HOTEL

 

 

Fremantle Notre Dame University lecturer Leigh Straw has published another non-fiction book Lillian Armfield. It will be launched on Tuesday March 27 at 6pm at the National Hotel.

Lillian Armfield was the first female police officer in Sydney in a time were gender equality was not exactly the priority of the day, so the book will reveal her achievements and struggles.

Roel Loopers

 

LEIGH STRAW’S CRIME MADAM BOOK LAUNCH AT ORIENT

 

Fremantle author and Notre Dame University lecturer Leigh Straw is launching her latest book at the Orient Hotel today at 6.30. The Worst Woman in Sydney: The life and crimes of Kate Leigh is a fascinating book about one of Sydney’s leading crime figures in the 1900s.

Kate Leigh was only 155 cm tall but a larger than life figure feared by many. Sydney newspapers would write about her often as she was involved in prostitution, drugs, sly grog etc. Hence she was considered by police as the worst woman in Sydney.

There is also a Fremantle connection in the Kate Leigh story as she married Fremantle criminal Shiner Ryan in 1950, but because neither of them were willing to move to another state the marriage only lasted six months.

Come and listen to Leigh Straw tonight when she tells more about her book. I hope her crime fiction books will also be available at the event organised by New Edition bookshop as one of them plays out in Fremantle with murders all over the West End.

Roel Loopers

BRAND PERTH A DUD FOR INTERNATIONAL TOURISM

The Sunday Times reports today that WA Premier Colin Barnett, who is also the new Minister for Tourism, has indicated the promotions for WA should be focussing on Perth and not on the natural beauty of our state.

The Premier told the ST that Brand Perth should be our selling point focus, not beaches and the rugged Kimberley. The Premier believes that is what Asian tourists want.

Strange then that the national tourist body only recently said that Chinese tourists want a country/outback experience, and 95 per cent of visitors to the Fremantle Roundhouse I talk to have expressed that they find Perth dull and much like other big cities but that they love the heritage of Fremantle, Ningaloo Reef, the outback, Margaret River, Albany and the rugged coastline.

On that note I wonder if/what the City of Fremantle is doing in regard to offering package deals for the Street Art Festival to attract interstate and overseas visitors. This is a great free three day festival that deserves package deals with tourism operators and airlines. We could for example have a night performance in the Fremantle Arts Centre only for those who arrive here on a package deal for the SAF.

Reading the number of visitors the VIVID light festival in Sydney attracts, I believe Freo could step up a little in that regard as well and not just rely on large numbers of visitors from the suburbs on the long Easter weekend.

Roel Loopers

SMART CITIES ARE BETTER CITIES

The Committee for Sydney has published a report that claims that the most successful cities in the world are those that are data and technology driven and combine smart governance with smart technologies.

The report says that smart cities are changing how they engage with their residents and how they design and deliver services, and how they create business opportunities. Read more on WA Today: http://www.watoday.com.au/technology/innovation/six-smart-cities-sydney-can-learn-from-20151119-gl2oqi.html

Fremantle could no doubt learn from and implement some of the ideas that work well in other cities and improve the quality of services. WA Today mentions the Chigacoworksforyou.com website, the Boston’s Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics, the Seoul Online Sharing Services and others.

I like the New York City Changeby US NYC where individuals create or join city projects and the City of Paris Madame Mayor, I have an idea that is a participatory process where residents propose and vote on ideas and projects, while the Dutch are always ahed dealing with traffic and the City of Amsterdam TrafficLink SCM sounds like a good idea as well.

What we need to learn is that we don’t have to reinvent the wheel all the time and spend a lot of money on consultants because often other cities around the world have already done the groundwork required to implement the changes that would help improve Fremantle. The results of their efforts are available free on the internet.

Roel Loopers

POPULATION GROWTH A BIG CHALLENGE FOR US ALL

A new report by the Australian Council of Learned Academies-ACOLA tells us a lot what we already know but is important to remind us all about it time and time again.

The ACOLA reports says that by the middle of next century the population will be double in Perth, Sydney and Melbourne and that the cost of urban congestion will increase four-fold in the next 20 years to $ 53 billion by 2031.

We all know and understand that urban sprawl is the major factor in this, so ACOLA recommends to reduce and avoid the need to travel through creating economic hubs so people live close near where they work, and to shift to environmentally friendly transport; public, bikes, walking, and improve energy efficiency; electric cars.

The recommendation I like best, and wonder why it is not happening already, is to get all three levels of government, Federal, State and Local to actually coordinate planning.

ACOLA also suggest to establish a planning philosophy where the need for mobility is reduced and the aim of good health and sustainability advanced.

It all makes sense but how do we get the Great Australian Dream of a big house and garden out of the Australian culture?

The W.A. State Government is not exactly rushing to create so called satellite cities around the Perth metro area and move large departments to places like Fremantle, and neither are big businesses keen to move away from their highrise palaces in Perth and West Perth.

One option would be for Landcorp to release less land for single housing and insist on higher density new suburbs, and urban infill needs to increase faster than at the present rate and that is a challenge for local governments as residents are reluctant to embrace it.

Roel Loopers

ROEL FOR FREO! Beaconsfield Ward. Truly Independent.

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

JINA LEE ART ON SHOW IN SYDNEY

Fremantle J Shed artist Jina Lee has just finished several stunning sculptures for Sculptures at the Sea in Sydney. The Korean born artist who works out of the Greg James studio at Bathers Beach was polishing the work this morning before they are going to be transported tomorrow.

Jina’s work is much appreciated. She sold all her sculptures at the Cottesloe Sculptures at the Sea this year and also the one she showed at Sculpture@Bathers in Fremantle.

Roel Loopers

TIM MINCHIN PROMOTES FREO MUSOS IN SYDNEY

 

The City of Fremantle should hand the keys to the city to TIM MINCHIN for the great promotion he did at the Sydney Opera House. Tim decided to make the gig on the steps of the famous Sydney landmark a bit of a family reunion and invited his muso family members from Freo over.

Imagine the stage with Freo legend Jim Fisher and his son Tom plus the children of Clancy’s co-owner John Fisher and you’ll get the feeling.

Joe Fisher, the other part of the Clancy’s team, told me today it was quite emotional and that the family had many long nights and a few drinks, so thank you Tim Minchin for putting Freo and it creative musicians on the map!

On another note; Tom Fisher is in charge of organising the great music on the live stage at the Princess May Markets on Fridays. This Friday ZAKHUTA will entertain the crowd in the park next to Clancy’s!

Roel Loopers