ONE DAY FOR ALL

 

 

ONE DAY IN FREMANTLE is on this Saturday, January 25, so come and enjoy Aboriginal music, food, art, etc. It is on all day at Bathers Beach.

Roel Loopers

FREMANTLE HERITAGE HOTEL NOT A PIPE DREAM

 

 

Although there are a lot of pipes sticking out of the ground the Fremantle Warders Cottages heritage boutique hotel and tavern is not a pipe dream, as this photo I took of the development yesterday afternoon shows.

The hotel will only have a few tiny rooms in the cottages, but a substantial tavern between the old cottages and Fremantle Markets.

Roel Loopers

CHANGING AUSTRALIA DAY JUST A MINOR ADJUSTMENT

 

I almost fell of my stool and choked on my double espresso yesterday when I saw the front page of the West Australian and read their editorial suggesting it is time to have a discussion about changing the date of Australia Day.

When Fremantle Council changed the date four years ago and stopped the fireworks it was blasted by the West and heavily criticised time and time again in editorials and columns by Paul Murray, so what a nice and positive change of heart for this right-leaning publication.

Contrary to what the West has written, and what some politicians and community members have said, this was never about silly politics by some left-leaning loonies, but only and all about respect for our Aboriginal people and their history, and the huge pain and displacement European settlement brought for them.

Moving Australia Day to another day will not diminish the achievements of the early settlers and it will not change Australia’s history. All it will do is show consideration for those Aboriginese whose families have suffered, whose children were taken away, who were moved on from their communities, and who were severely mistreated and their land taken away. The consequences of that are still felt in Aboriginal communities today.

I don’t believe we can take our history for granted and say Aboriginal people just need to move on and forget about the past, because from the past we can all learn, and we can acknowledge that mistakes were made, without having to feel guilty. Moving forward together by changing Australia Day away from January 26 is just a tiny adjustment for non Aboriginals to make, but it would make a huge difference to very many of our First Nation people.

The West is encouraging a community discussion about it, so let us start one with respect and without polemic and political point scoring.

Roel Loopers

WE DON’T BUILD COMMUNITIES. WE BUILD PLACES OF ISOLATION

 

There was an interesting panel discussion NO FIXED ADDRESS, to discuss the importance of social housing and building diversity in our urban centres, in the lovely courtyard of DADAA in Fremantle’s Princes May Park, last night with Dr. Mariana Atkins, Research Associate Professor, The Centre for Social Impact, University of Western Australia and the UWA Living Lab, Dr Holly Farley, Research Fellow, Fremantle School of Architecture, The University of Notre Dame Australia, Dr. Shane Greive, Urban and Regional Planning, School of Design and Built Environment, Curtin University, Michael Piu (CEO, St Patrick’s Community Support Centre), and  Heather Thompson (Senior Assertive Outreach Worker, 20 Lives 20 Homes Program, St Patrick’s Community Support Centre).  It was facilitated by Lisette Kaleveld, Senior Consultant, The Centre for Social Impact, University of Western Australia.

Changing cityscapes are inevitable with urban infill making places such as Fremantle desirable, especially since most of the services are provided in town, and that attracts a diversity of people, including homeless ones, and those who require social and affordable housing, but we are not designing and building for that diversity and the needs of individuals. Not many local governments have the capacity and desire to change with the times, so how do you design a city for all?

People want to be connected, be in contact with nature and there is a real disconnect there, so we need to bring the community on board because it is about the collective, not individuals. To do that we need to start understanding the history of Australia and the values, and where we want to go. We need to understand the diverse perspective, and need to learn to understand the different realities. Design should not be about excluding people!

Homelessness is nothing new and has been around for decades, so the whole community needs to own the issues and solutions, but there is a lack of value judgement. It is a fallacy that homeless people are in control of their own future! We all are only a few steps away from homelessness and if we come together the solutions are in our own hands. Start a conversation and humanise the issue!

A social worker said she had met some of the most amazing, caring and resilient people one would like to meet.

Architects and developers need to start actively listen to everybody’s stories from a design perspective. Bring the focus of development back to the people! We need a change of mindset there, as the next generation of home buyers can’t afford to buy the homes of the present generation. Inter-generational housing is not available, the housing options are not there.

There is huge value in diversity in a community, and we don’t want people with similar social/financial issues all living together, there needs to be a mix and we need to understand what home means for different people. Public housing often results in people failing because of the wrong set up and location and the lack of support. For some community housing or a boarding house is better because they don’t have to look after paying bills and connect with others. Community housing is more flexible.

There is also an interesting small exhibition in the DADAA gallery, so go and have a look at it!

COMMENT:

We don’t build communities, we build spaces where people are alone, spaces of loneliness, because at the lower end of the apartment market there are no community spaces where people can connect. There are no swimming pools, gyms, roof gardens, etc. We build highrise along transit corridors, instead of building them around green open spaces where people can meet and play.

There are tens of thousands of single middle aged and older women and men who have no social life because they can no longer afford to go to pubs, concerts, festivals, theatres, etc. where they used to connect with friends and meet new people. They don’t meet anyone and get isolated. High density living does not cater for that by providing community spaces. Many single people live in a small box with no communical spaces where they can meet their neighbours and make new friends that way.

Roel Loopers

FREO TOURISM INFO UP IN A TREE

 

 

It does not look very good that this Tourist Information banner has been hanging in a tree on the Fremantle Cappuccino Strip for a few days now. These kinds of unsightly things make our city look neglected and need to be attended to immediately when they happen.

Roel Loopers

Great work, City of Fremantle! I posted this 30 minutes ago and already they are taking the banner down from the tree.

FREO BUTCHER CELEBRATES AUSTRALIA

 

 

When it comes to street level advertising Wray Avenue butcher Frank won’t be beaten, as he is showing again with putting many Australian flags on his advertising boards.

 

Roel Loopers

FREO’S ONE DAY AN ABORIGINAL SHOWCASE

 

 

Some of WA’s best young artists will be showcased during this year’s One Day in Fremantle event this Saturday., January 25

The free, all-day event will commence with a traditional smoking ceremony at Bathers Beach at 8am and conclude with a sunset ceremony featuring the burning of six balga trees, signifying reflection and renewal.

From 11am-4pm the stage will be thrown open to some of WA’s brightest young talent, including 2015/16 WAM Song of the Year winner Beni Bjah, 2018/19 WAM Song of the Year runner-up Joshua Flewnt, 2018/19 WA NAIDOC Music Award Winner Indigo Ellis and emerging rapper Trent Howard.

The program has been put together by Perth singer/songwriter and Abmusic Aboriginal Corporation representative Natasha Eldridge, who will also be taking to the stage with her band Kruize Control.

13-year-old Indigo Ellis said she couldn’t wait to perform in front of the One Day crowd.

Rapper Trent Howard said it was an honour to be able to perform at an event that promoted reconciliation and encouraged everyone to come together to celebrate Australia.

Beginning with the smoking ceremony at Bathers Beach, One Day will incorporate Aboriginal artwork, music, workshops and food at Kidogo Arthouse and around the grassed area at Bathers Beach.

Activities include boomerang painting, rock mandalas, weaving, an art exhibition, storytelling and poetry readings along with Uluru Statement from the Heart and a number of other information stalls.

Gina Williams and Guy Ghouse, Walyalup Kannajil and Madjitil Moorna choirs will be among many other performers.

The free celebration will also serve as a fundraiser for the Australian Bushfire Appeal with attendees encouraged to donate to the Fremantle Foundation’s Freo Fire Fund which has been set up to support affected communities in the wake of the recent devastating bushfires.

For further information, visit fremantle.wa.gov.au/oneday.

 

Roel Loopers

FREMANTLE LOOKING FOR NEW VISITOR CENTRE IDEAS

 

The City of Fremantle will undertake an Expression of Interest(EOI) for a new tourist Visitor Centre somewhere in the inner city. It is seeking ideas and concepts for the development and delivery of an innovative and world class visitor centre model for Fremantle, but this can only be at no additional cost to the city above the current operating levels.

It is interesting to note here that the City states the Visitor Centre needs to be in the inner city at street level, when I for one assumed a significant space for the Visitor Centre would have been allocated already in the new under construction Civic Centre at Kings Square, which to me seems the most logical and practical location for a Visitor Centre.

The City is hoping to achieve a world class Visitor Centre that will have a significantly improved servicing model, but ideally at less than or comparable with the current operating costs, because the City’s 10 year financial plan has no additional allocation over and above the current funding.

One thing Fremantle Council needs to prioritise with urgency is to maintain and repair one of our City’s most significant tourist destinations and historic site Arthur’s Head and the Roundhouse, that are in a state of disrepair and an absolute disgraceful eyesore.

Roel Loopers

 

WILL IT BE FREO’S OWN BERMUDA TRIANGLE?

 

Fremantle’s Bermuda Triangle?

 

The hospitality triangle lease of the new Fremantle Civic Centre at Kings Square was the most debated item on the FPOL Committee agenda, and the public gallery was only allowed to hear part of it, since there were commercially confidential issues as well, so we were booted out.

I just want to make some general remarks about what has become a bit controversial in the community, because of the high financial incentives the City is required to give to the proponents of the three level hospitality venue.

Councillor Andrew Sullivan was very passionate in his support and pointed out the new building is part of the City’s commercial property portfolio and hence it should create income. I have no issue with that argument.

Sullivan continued to say it was an essential part of the Kings Square plan to have night time activity, and I agree with that as well, but that would have happened in a far better way if Fremantle Council had insisted on a residential and/or hotel component as part of their deal with Sirona Capital.

We should also consider realistically if the proposed hospitality business would last 20 years. Just look at what is happening right now: A new tavern will open in the Manning building, a new tavern in the Warders boutique hotel, an entertainment venue in the new Police and Justice complex in Henderson street, and no doubt there will be bars in the planned hotels at the Woolstores and Point Street.

All that in addition to the Federal Hotel, National Hotel, Newport Hotel, Sail&Anchor, the Monk, the Old Synagogue, the Norfolk Hotel, Freo.Social, and several small bars. All in a walking distance of five minutes or less from the proposed Kings Square venue! And there will probably be a bar or two in the FOMO centre as well.

Does Fremantle really want and need another alcohol venue, and at what cost to the ratepayers?

Yes, the $ 500,000 will be invested in the building, so it will be the property of the city, but if the proposed hospitality venue does not succeed what would an office do with a dumb waiter goods lift? And we heard that the third floor won’t be activated for at least another 18 months until the proponents have found their feet in the new venue.

I know that Councillors want the best for our city, but this is again a proponent driven venue and not the cafe and small bar that was initially on the cards. It smells a bit like the Sunset Events J Shed venue where Council have stars in their eyes and see something really big happening that they had not even considered in their wildest dreams.

The Fremantle community though might well believe this is more a case of Freo’s own Bermuda Triangle where ratepayers money disappears that we could have used to make a start on the urgently needed repairs of Arthur’s Head and the Roundhouse, as Councillor Marija Vujcic pointed out.

We all want Kings Square and the inner city to be activated and the redevelopment project to be a success, but we expect our elected members to be realistic and pragmatic, and I am not at all sure that this is the right way to do it.

Roel Loopers

and some friendly advise for our elected members. Please do not make this item a confidential item at the Full Council meeting, because the community would question Council’s transparency and ask what they have to hide!

NO ONE GIVES A SHIT!

 

 

I find littering very annoying, and the attitude that someone will clean up one’s mess, and I wonder whose horse it was that shat in the Fremantle Mall, which is a highly-used thoroughfare in the inner city. It could not have been a police horse, or?

Roel Loopers