The Fremantle Society in Fremantle, Western Australia | Non-profit organisation

The Fremantle Society

Locality: Fremantle, Western Australia

Address: Chris Williams Secretary PO Box 21 6160 Fremantle, WA, Australia

Website: http://fremantlesociety.org.au

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21.01.2022 So many shady and poorly negotiated deals not dealt with by this report.

20.01.2022 Dr Carmen Lawrence: Doing Density Differently + Design Freo Exhibition The Fremantle Society invites you to hear Dr Carmen Lawrence speak on how to design for the future without destroying amenity and heritage. Dr Lawrence, whose many roles over the years included that of Chair of the Australian Heritage Commission, gave this talk some years ago, and it is even more pertinent now. It was the talk that warned: "The Council's Kings Square project will blight Fremantle for 100 y...Continue reading

19.01.2022 Bridge Open and Should Stay Open The photo above is opening day for our heritage bridge, a survivor from 1939. Large crowds turned up. Thursday night, a large crowd turned up at the Town Hall to discuss the Main Roads proposal to demolish the heritage bridge and replace it with a dreary, standard, unattractive one.... The meeting was not a real town hall meeting encouraging discussion and input from the audience. The speakers were not allowed to be asked questions, and microphone owner Kavi Guppta shut down questions from the audience after a few minutes at 7pm, for a meeting that was supposed to run till 7.30pm. The Fremantle Society has the following points to make which it couldn't make at the meeting: a) The very large turnout tonight shows the extent of community concern at the way Main Roads is handling this project. b) Main Roads has admitted to the Fremantle Society that the heritage wooden bridge can be maintained and kept, but they dishonestly keep claiming it was only ever built as a "temporary bridge." It was built with an estimated life span of 40 years because Main Roads expected Fremantle Ports to push further up the river with a larger port, necessitating a new bridge. But, now that the port is heading south west to pollute the waters of Cockburn Sound, there is no need for extra room in the river. c) When Main Roads demolished the wooden bridge in Mandurah a few years ago, they promised locals things that didn't eventuate, but that bridge was only two lanes wide compared with the Fremantle four lane one, and it was only listed as a level two heritage structure, whereas the Fremantle one is listed at the highest category possible: 1a. The Mandurah mayor put $30,000 towards bridge events there. When will the Fremantle mayor commit serious funds to saving Fremantle's heritage bridge? After it is demolished? He has known about this issue for years, and our wooden bridge is worth saving from being turned into firewood. d) There are broader issues - dealing with Curtin Avenue traffic and traffic impacts on residents in North Fremantle, which give further reasons to pause the project and get it right - perhaps making the whole issue a Bicentennial project as suggested earlier by the Fremantle Society. e) What to focus on NOW: Urgently needed is an independent engineer's report showing the current state of the bridge, along with a conservation plan that looks at options for conserving it. Main Roads are already in discussions with the Heritage Council to get demolition approval of the wooden bridge, and refuse to release their report to the public. Time is of the essence. You can help. John Dowson President The Fremantle Society [email protected] 0409 22 3622 10 September, 2020

14.01.2022 Postpone the Sale - and Put up a Damn Sign! The handling of the sale of an $8 - $10 million ratepayer asset by Fremantle Council was brought to the public's attention last week by the Fremantle Society and caused a furore on social media, and again in the Herald, which has been dutifully covering the scandal since 2013 when: "In December 2013 the council offered to sell the site to a developer friend of mayor Brad Pettitt, pushing through a quick deal so he could apply for ta...Continue reading

10.01.2022 Major Land Sale: Who Benefits from this Incompetence? The Fremantle Society for years has warned of bad deals done by Fremantle Council and poor financial management - immature and reckless financial wastage of precious ratepayer assets leading to poor quality outcomes. Just last week, former Treasurer Mike Nahan, at Parliament House, said the biggest of them all, the King's Square deal, was a "dud."... Years of warnings should have led to more care and due diligence by Mayor and Council. But now we find that one of the biggest ratepayer assets, the 4,133 square metre site at 7 to15 Quarry Street, is inexplicably being sold quietly with very few people knowing of the sale. The Fremantle Herald reported on October 24th: "In December 2013 the council offered to sell the site to a developer friend of mayor Brad Pettitt, pushing through a quick deal so he could apply for tax credits of affordable housing- so quick its publicly released business plan contained misleading information." Two councillors and the mayor declared a friendship interest with the developer Bruce Moriaty. The mayor left the room, but Crs Pemberton and Coggin stayed and voted for the proposal while declaring an impartiality interest. At that stage the site was 1477 sqm and the deal with the developer, though passed 8-0 by Council, didn't end up going through. The new larger site of 4,133 sim came about by demolishing a useful functioning child care centre and amalgamating three blocks. The site is listed on a Victorian forsalebyowner page and due for auction on December 2nd. Contact details take you to the voice mail of a Fremantle Council officer who is away on holidays. Phone calls to substitute staff go to voicemail. When asked why there are no signs on the property advertising the sale, a local was told by Council that "there is a lot of anti social behaviour in the area and the signs would get damaged." Two councillors were contacted and neither knew anything about the sale. Two real estate agents were contacted and neither- one with 40 years experience in Fremantle and the other a large national brand, know nothing of the sale. This is an extraordinary situation 3 weeks from an auction. The photos above show what a glorious site this is, directly and remarkably abutting the large expanses of Fremantle Park. It is a rare cleared site near the centre of Fremantle. It should be worth around $10 million, but not if Council is keeping the sale quiet for unknown reasons. At the very least this auction must be postponed, and a local or major agent appointed to maximise the interest and return on this valuable ratepayer asset for the ratepayers. Its also time for a government enquiry into the continual dumb deals of Council. John Dowson President The Fremantle Society 0409 223622 11 November, 2020

09.01.2022 Markets Madness Did you know that Fremantle Markets, owned by council, is the Fremantle ratepayers’ biggest income earning asset, generating over $3 million a year? Did you know that Brad Pettitt and 6 councillors gave the Markets to FMPL for 18 years in 2008 with no public tender process? Crs Lauder and Dowson voted against the controversial lease, and MP Adele Carles sought a government enquiry?... Did you know that of the $3 million generated each year, only 26% goes to council? Did you know that the 2008 Conservation plan for the Markets said $4.5 million was needed to fix them up, but less than $1m has been spent in 12 years? Did you know that the Markets now need at least $5.6 million in repairs, but council intends to give FMPL another long lease in a month’s time? Did you know that if Council had run the Markets since 2008, they would have received over $30 million, enought to wipe out council’s massive current debt? You can stop this madness by telling the mayor and councillors NOT to give another lease to FMPL and lose 74% of market income. Email Fremantle councillors: [email protected]. John Dowson President 0409223622

09.01.2022 Australia's Bravest Soldier to be Removed from King's Square? It is indeed astonishing that King's Square (soon to be called Midgegooroo's Triangle?) planning proceeds with ad hoc decisions made behind closed doors without public scrutiny. King's Square, the only town square in Western Australia, has been severely damaged by inserting a $50 million admin building nobody needs. Now, a council officer says they didn't realise how much space the new building would take up, and t...Continue reading

08.01.2022 More Heritage Gone The top picture shows Water Corporation smashing through historic wooden blocks in Mouat Street just 10 metres from where extensive sections of the blocks were discovered two weeks ago, while a workwoman stands guard eating noodles. The discovery of the wooden blocks two weeks ago led to research by the Fremantle Society that of the 300,000 wooden blocks paving the streets of High, half of Cliff, and Mouat, put down between 1898 and 1903, the Mouat Street o...nes may be the only decent section of wooden streets left anywhere in Fremantle. Instead of that being a cause for excitement and care, Fremantle Council gave permission for the street to be dug up just metres from the original finds, with no council staff or archaeologists to supervise. By law, since the West End is now heritage listed, the listing includes the streets, and the Heritage Council are supposed to be notified as with the Pipes for Fremantle Project. The Pipes for Fremantle arm of Water Corporation knew nothing of this work, and neither did the archaeologists. The second picture shows an orphan from the destruction today, a little jarrah block survivor resting on a jarrah floor, pining for its family. The third picture shows Phillimore Street and highly significant finds of wooden drains from at least 130 years ago. An exciting discovery one would think. The fourth picture shows what appears to be the entrance to a tunnel under Pioneer Park. This should have been the opportunity to fully investigate the area, including for maritime artefacts, given the original shore line was here. But the wood was dragged away (so it didn't collapse under the road) and the history gone forever. There have been stories for years about tunnels in this area, especially for water from the prison sold to ships, but now we will never know. John Dowson President The Fremantle Society 14 August, 2020 0409223622

08.01.2022 King's Square Bombshells In the map below the land in red is what Fremantle Council put into the King's Square Business Plan deal with Sirona. Lot 1 is what Sirona put into the deal. Fremantle Council put in 80% of the land. Sirona put in most of the money, buying lots 2, 3 , 375, and 376 at bargain prices from Fremantle Council. Sirona put $220 million into the project, $190 million borrowed from First State Super, while Fremantle Council put $50 million.... Bombshell One Reportedly Sirona has sold 75% of their stake for $250 million, which values their part of the project in the current difficult times, even though unfinished, at $330 million, for a profit of over 50%, or $113 million, while Fremantle ratepayers will be left with a debt of around $40 million. Added to that profit is the Spicer site in Henderson Street where Sirona was supposed to build a hotel like the one above. But Sirona couldn't be bothered, and sold the ratepayer asset for a quick $1 million profit for themselves, to Twiggy Forrest. The King's Square project promised to give Fremantle, in the former Myer building, a shopping and retail experience the likes of which Australia has never seen. But the ground floors are unfinished and empty, with the only tenant reportedly signed up being yet another bar, a US themed varsity bar. Another alcohol outlet -just what Fremantle needs! Bombshell Two The other unfinished building is the new administration building which the community didn't ask for and cannot afford. In January the Fremantle Society fought against a proposed 828 sq metre alcohol outlet in the new administration centre, an inappropriate use of a civic building, but Council voted to allow it. The deal was a shocker, with council giving years of free rent and $500,000 free towards the fit out. But in March the applicant walked. Last Wednesday 14th, a council committee voted to support another dumb deal, which offers this time TEN YEARS' FREE RENT. The applicants run the successful Clancy's at Princess May Park, so Fremantle will not be getting fresh blood from out of town, one of the original requirements for an applicant, but more of the same. The cost to the ratepayers for this crazy deal will be over $2 million. Instead of a town square to be proud of, as the Fremantle Society campaigned for, we now have a financial train wreck, and endless fiascos like the proposed woke removal of the statue of Australia's most highly decorated soldier, the refusal to celebrate colonial history as originally planned with an archaeological revealing of the original church footings, the death of iconic Moreton Bay trees, and the planned renaming of King's Square, which, along with Queen's Square, have been internationally known way finding beacons for 187 years. John Dowson President The Fremantle Society 0409 223622 [email protected]

08.01.2022 These were the councillors who voted through the high rise amendment 49 despite the majority voting against it in their submissions and surveys, and Pemberton says she is 'personally offended' about the 'small minded opposition' (ie the majority). Result 8 years later: lousy big boxes. Where is the quality they promised? Sullivan says: "This council needs some trust" as he talks about the '4 storeys', when engineered up to 12 storeys on any site like Coles which is bigger than 3000 sqm. These councillors have failed to deliver.

07.01.2022 C.Y. O'Connor - where are you when we need you? With State Government politicians on steroids, having saved us from Covid, and wanting to urgently spend billions of dollars they don't have, they have rolled through parliament the Planning and Development Amendment Bill 2020, giving them power to push ahead very quickly with pet projects. This will be evident in the heart and soul of our heritage town with the moving of our port, pushing high rise development of Victoria Quay,... and the proposed demolition of the much loved timber traffic bridge. The raison d'être for Fremantle, its port, is moving in just 12 short years, in a move that has no large scale visible support, led by a Minister (Alannah MacTiernan) who over a decade ago was trying to shovel high rise ING buildings all over Victoria Quay as Planning Minister. The capable CEO of the Port is suddenly leaving, and the community is left to fight on three fronts - to SOB (Save our Bridge), SOP (Save Our Port) and SOQ (Save our Victoria Quay). The Fremantle Society wants our port to stay and continue to thrive, wants Victoria Quay to be developed as a low rise maritime related commercial precinct as detailed in the Fremantle Waterfront Masterplan, and wants the historic timber traffic bridge to stay, whether a new bridge is built or not. Another issue is the intention to build 25 metre high boxes on Victoria Quay for film studios. This idea arose some weeks ago, but wandered off to Jones Street, O'Connor, where the Mayor kindly offered to give away a $7.4 million ratepayer asset for nothing for years to the film industry. But apparently the developers (_ _ _ _) want ocean views and they are back at the port looking at Victoria Quay. The idea doesn't work for two reasons: a) Victoria Quay is a highly important heritage area twinned with its immediate neighbour the West End, where new development should be no higher than the existing iconic goods sheds. b) Allowing large sheds for a film industry would be a privatisation of public space, the whole business being high security with little to no public access. C.Y. O'Connor needs to get off his high pedestal, and chase Alannah out of town. John Dowson President The Fremantle Society 0409223622

03.01.2022 Government Neglect of Its Heritage Assets The totally ineffective Heritage Minister David Templeman came to Fremantle last week to hand out $500 K towards years of neglect and millions needed at the State's most important colonial heritage site, Arthur Head (meanwhile other heritage sites like the kilns at Belmont get $6 million). He should have apologised for his government's poor track record looking after State listed heritage sites in Fremantle, and for flogging them off... as fast as possible. Last week his government sold the Technical School on South Terrace for a low price, they sold all the Warders Cottages after allowing them to run down, sold the old police station and court complex for a bargain, won't properly fund Fremantle Prison, allowed enormous damage to the Spare Parts Theatre in Pioneer Park, and now want to demolish the heritage listed traffic bridge years before its time. David Templeman needs to do his job, and actually advocate for heritage and promote it. A new bridge, while welcome, is not needed immediately, and certainly not until traffic problems in North Fremantle and the future of the port is determined. The second photo shows why the proposed new bridge is planned to go upriver of the existing bridge and not downriver - because of Fremantle Ports territorial ambitions. The existing heritage listed bridge, the longest wooden bridge in the State, has more than 20 years left in its life, especially if all heavy vehicles are banned from it. John Dowson President The Fremantle Society [email protected] photos by John Dowson

03.01.2022 Fremantle: 10 Year Turnaround or Turndown? The Tale of Two Cities is an ancient tale which begins: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we...Continue reading

02.01.2022 Some good common sense here.