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City Council

7 June 2023: What Happened at 2023 Electors Meeting?

6 June 2023: What Happened at 2021 Electors' Meeting?

5 June 2023: Urgent Financial Questions for Fremantle Council

4 June 2023: Annual Electors Meeting 6pm Tuesday

1 June 2023: Whistleblower makes shocking accusations [re Markets]

24 May 2023: Shoddy Business Plan for Markets should be withdrawn

22 May 2023: Fremantle Markets – another dismal "Business Plan"

17 May 2023: CAT bus linked to the issue of the Fremantle Markets lease: CATastrophic Council finances?

23 December 2022: What Happened at the Final Council Meeting for 2022?

The Fremantle Society attended the final council meeting for the year. There were a number of important issues and The Fremantle Society had concerns on the following four.
The public get little notice of many of these issues in advance and it is often rather late to change a council's mind at the actual council meeting. End result: The council deferred number 2 but pushed ahead with the other three.
These are the questions asked and points made in the 3 minutes allowed to The Fremantle Society:
1) PC2212-6 South Terrace 6 Storey Hotel: (applicant applied for 2 year extension)
The Fremantle Society sees no good reason for an extension to a damaging project deemed unacceptable to council and asks that council refuse an extension.
(Council voted against this project initially. They had a chance at this meeting to refuse this or cut the extension to one year, but have allowed the damaging project the extra two years asked for by controversial developer Yolk)
2) PC2212-13 Triangle William/Parry Streets
(ANOTHER car park gone. Car park 24 and the grassed areas alongside will be removed and replaced by what seems mainly to be a special entry to yet another beer barn in Fremantle at the rear of the old courthouse)
This project should have gone out for public comment given it is public space and not just the entrance to yet another alcohol venue.
Currently it is an inoffensive car park earning $90,000 a year with grassed areas and palm trees which dont block views to the prison.
a) How are the palm tree replacements, jacaranda trees, better for protecting views to the prison?
b) Why are there no replacement grassed areas but what seems like mostly harsh paving?
c) Where is the interpretation of the significance of the site, its link to the prison, and the adjacent cottages?
3) C2212-1 ACCEPTANCE OF MINUTES AND CONSIDERATION OF MOTIONS FROM THE SPECIAL MEETING OF ELECTORS
The Fremantle Society is concerned that Fremantle Council is tepid in its support of community concerns, especially Motion 3 by Isadora Noble, to which council states that on 23 June 2021 they moved to have the heritage listed bridge "replaced as a matter or urgency" due to its condition, despite evidence to the contrary given that the $26 million spent recently gives the bridge a longer life, and council's position is contrary to its own master plan (Freo 2029 Transformational Moves) : "utilising the heritage listed Fremantle Traffic Bridge as a pedestrian/bicycle bridge with a new traffic bridge for vehicles."
4) C2212-6. Replacement of Arts Centre Roof with sheets of tin.
(see letter above. Council 6 years ago began replacing some of the roof with glaring bright shiny sheets of tin, totally inappropriate for the Arts Centre which needs a shingle or faux shingle style roof. Now they will spend $700,000 finishing the damage)
This is a shocking outcome for one of the very best buildings in Fremantle. As former city architect Agnieshka Kiera said today: "It is a cheap solution to a place that has potential to be a world heritage site along with the prison."
Please read the 2016 letter from former Fremantle Council heritage officer Michael Willicombe ( to be handed out). There are suitable sensible economic alternatives that keep the character of the formerly shingled building, even if original shingles are not used.
Even the council's own 2020 Conservation Management Plan states:
Upgrade remaining untreated asbestos cement roof coverings to the original building as required including the existing deteriorated asbestos cement roof slates, rainwater goods and flashings on the original asylum building (northern and north western sections).
Upgrade does not mean downgrade. Please vote this item down or defer it.
Look outside the council chamber at the shingles on St John's Church and imagine how awful it would look with sheets of tin. That is what you are doing to one of our most important buildings.
John Dowson

End of October (?) 2022: Council Agenda Issues: Comments from the Fremantle Society

1) Electors' Meeting:
a) Disappointing responses on financial questions. Obfuscation not transparency.
b) Concern that the fact the Annual Report was NOT accepted by the electors appears to be missing from the report.
c) Concern that the question asked by John Dowson "If Cantonment Hill and the River are listed for Aboriginal heritage, why is the escarpment that joins them not listed?" was NOT answered.
d) Concern that the $700,000 re-roofing project for the Arts Centre will proceed despite expert opinion that it will damage one of WAs most significant heritage properties by being totally inappropriate material.
2) South Beach Facilities:
The saga of the $3 million toilet block and changerooms carries on and on, with Cr Sullivan now writing that he will support, not option 3 recommended by the officers, but option one, which destroys a magnificent Norfolk Island pine tree, and adds $158,000 to the budget. Ironic that the Norfolk Pine marks the very beginning of the street eloquently called Ocean Road, and Cr Sullivan wants it replaced by a toilet block. The following comment was posted online in response to Cr Sullivan:
"It is shocking to see Option one being promoted by Cr Sullivan- leading to the destruction of a mature significant tree and a resultant project cost increase of $158,000. All options put forward at the moment are hugely expensive and unaffordable and will not be built any year soon. The options also do not deliver a great deal, and the overall result with extra parking bays and extra concrete paths to the beach will be ugly, compared to the reasonably modest current iteration which does not take up too much of the important grassed area. One's arrival at the beach should not be blighted by a long strip of changing facilities and toilets, extra car bays , and more concrete paths, which for around $3 million do nothing to improve the coffee shop area next door, which is arguably a more important facility for most beach users. Be sustainable, and refurbish the existing facility with its attractive concrete roof like the one on the Port Authority building."
3) Sale of Quarry Street:
The failed original sale process of council will result in at least $1 million less than could have been obtained for ratepayers and the dire budget needs. This comes on top of the loss of $1 million to ratepayers on the sale of the Spicer Site.
4) Cr Lang motion on fossil fuels:
Woke virtual signalling.
5) Swan River Crossing:
Little evidence of council standing up to Main Roads and their bullying and destructive projects. No evidence of council seeking a green belt across the river using the heritage listed traffic bridge, as highlighted in council's own document Transformation 2029.
John Dowson
President
The Fremantle Society
tel (61 8) 9335 2113
0409 22 36 22

Wednesday 26 October 2022: Council Issues

a) South Beach facilities: The ridiculous saga of the $3 million toilet block and changerooms carries on and on, with Cr Sullivan now writing that he will support, not option 3 recommended by the officers, but option one, which destroys a magnificent Norfolk Island pine tree, and adds $158,000 to the budget. Ironic that the Norfolk Pine marks the very beginning of the street eloquently called Ocean Road, and Cr Sullivan wants it replaced by a toilet block. The following comment was posted in response to Cr Sullivan:
"It is shocking to see Option one being promoted by Cr Sullivan - leading to the destruction of a mature significant tree and a resultant project cost increase of $158,000. All options put forward at the moment are hugely expensive and unaffordable and will not be built any year soon. The options also do not deliver a great deal, and the overall result with extra parking bays and extra concrete paths to the beach will be ugly, compared to the reasonably modest current iteration which does not take up too much of the important grassed area. One's arrival at the beach should not be blighted by a long strip of changing facilities and toilets, extra car bays , and more concrete paths, which for around $3 million do nothing to improve the coffee shop area next door, which is arguably a more important facility for most beach users. Be sustainable, and refurbish the existing facility with its attractive concrete roof like the one on the Port Authority building."
b) Sale of Quarry Street: The failed sale process of council will result in at least $1 million less than could have been obtained for ratepayers and the dire budget needs. This comes on top of the loss of $1 million on the sale of the Spicer Site.
c) Swan River Crossing: Will council represent the community concerns about this project, the total loss of the heritage listed bridge, and the destruction of the escarpment and all its history by putting Canning Highway through it? Well, the officer report certainly doesn't.
d) Electors Meeting: Attendance at this meeting recently was a waste of time, again. The electors present VOTED DOWN the annual report but that isn't even mentioned in the report!
Probing excellent questions by accountant Craig Ross were obfuscated over the horizon.
Fremantle Society question as to why the only major heritage project this year will be the damaging one of replacing the Arts Centre roof with inappropriate material (tin sheets) was not answered.
Fremantle Society question about why the land between the Aboriginal heritage listed Cantonment Hill and the Aboriginal heritage listed Swan River is not listed was not answered.
e) Cr Lang Motion on fossil fuels: Woke virtue signalling will be in evidence as ideology takes precedence over common sense about transitioning to a sustainable future. Watch the woke councillors who pile in behind Cr Lang's virtue signal.
f) Gay and Lesbian Community: Council agenda refers to the issue of pronouns and council says in the agenda it will launch into the "introduction of pronouns."
John Dowson
President
The Fremantle Society
0409 223622

3 October, 2022: Electors' Meeting Big Issue Again: Shocking State of Finances

The Annual Electors' Meeting is held for electors to ask questions, make a statement, or move a motion.
While council asked for those to be submitted by 5pm Sunday 2 October, they will take questions on the night. They only put a notice online about this meeting three day before the due date.
Will you be there? If not, who will represent your views?
The meeting is also held to present the annual financial report. But it's missing from the agenda!
The meeting therefore would seem to be in breach of the Local Government Act.
The big issues yet again will largely swirl around the poor state of council finances. While the Fremantle Herald reported on September 17 that Melville Council had $190 million worth of unallocated funds, Fremantle's finances show:
a) Net decrease in cash of $10m in FY21. How is Fremantle financially sustainable?
b) Where is the provision for addressing the rehabilitation of contaminated sites like Jones Street and South Fremantle tip site?
c) Why was 2021 Financial Report not finalised till August 2022?
d) Why has there been so much secrecy over the true cost of the new administration building whose costs have blown out by 50% or $20 million?
e). Why were the architectural costs of the admin building not clearly disclosed? How can architects fees mount to $7 million?
f) Given the financially flawed Business Plan for King's Square that the Fremantle Society has been questioning for years, how will the quality of council business plans be improved, and will the council be more transparent in revealing unfavourable information?
Last year Cr Fitzhardinge, the Chair of the Finance Committee, did not attend the Electors' Meeting, though it was in an election year and she knew she was running for mayor. She has not been held accountable for the parlous state of Fremantle's finances, despite being Chair of the Finance Committee since 2016.
Above are just a few of the financial problems Mayor Fitzhardinge and the rest of council must answer for.
There are many other issues you may wish to riaise.
For example, why is the only major item in the heritage budget this year a sum of $700,000 to damage Fremantle's possibly greatest building (Fremantle Arts Centre) by replacing its roof with inappropriate bright sheets of tin, instead of shingles or faux shingles?
For example, why hasn't Fremantle Council called a Town Hall meeting to discuss the appalling plans of Main Roads to spend $280 million demolishing a Level 1a heritage bridge, demolishing a whole river escarpment for a highway, and not solving any of Fremantle's traffic problems?
John Dowson
President
The Fremantle Society

End September (?) 2022: Leadership? Where is it?

The article above appeared in the Fremantle Herald exactly two years ago seeking leadership from Fremantle Council on the whole bridge issue for Fremantle.
Because there is no leadership, it is up to YOU.
$280 million is about to be spent on a project that nobody wants, is not urgently needed, and which does not fix any of Fremantle's problems.
One of the best ideas, pushed by those like candidate for North Ward Mark Woodcock, is for a TUNNEL. But why wasn't that on the agenda?
Electors' Meeting Monday 3 October 6pm at Council
YOU can attend YOUR Electors Meeting Monday night at 6pm at Council to ask questions and move a motion.
Look forward to seeing you there.
John Dowson
President
The Fremantle Society
0409 223622

(?) July 2022: Dismal 2022-2023 Fremantle Council Budget

Council is not being honest in their council budget document by stating that "After consecutive years of low or no rate increase' they will now increase rates by 6%.
Last year was 4.9% and the previous year, if you believe the Fremantle Herald and the State's Treasurer, was 10%.
Additionally, there was a 2% rate rise for a FOGO bin we pay each year and of course the huge 10.4% increase from 2010 still continues to be paid every year by all ratepayers for maintenance, which we never really have received.
Council's budget is not only uninspiring, but unsustainable. To balance the budget council has to continue their recent trend of selling off income producing assets, meaning that their Quarry Street site will have to be sold, for an estimated $4.9 million.
Assets built up over generations continue to be sold off at fire sale prices.
These assets normally provide revenue.
Hidden in the budget is the fact that council still needs to spend $2.5 million on the new admin building no-one asked for. That is almost 10% of the $27.3 million capital project budget, for a building that is already $20 million over budget.
Heritage, a key economic driver for Fremantle, and solace for our souls, is allocated an insultingly paltry amount.
The Fremantle Society has campaigned for years to have the interior of the Town Hall brought to a suitable standard for hiring out. Hans Hug's wonderful Chamber Orchestra suffers from poor seating, lighting, and a host of other problems, but only $2,793 has been allocated for the interior.
Council may say that the $750,000 allocated for the roof of the Arts Centre is a heritage project, but in fact it is a project DAMAGING the heritage values of that superb building by reroofing it in sheets of tin instead of shingles or faux shingles.
$2.1 million is allocated for long overdue basic maintenance at the Fremantle Markets, but apparently at least $1 million of that will come from the Murdochs in return for getting another 10 years lease without it going to tender.
So little for heritage. But, somehow, $1.4 million can be found for a bike trail in Boo Park.
Somehow, $920,000 can be found for the unsightly Naval Stores.
Somehow, $1.6 million can be found to replace the parking machines yet again. To keep an eye on us $180,000 will be spent on licence plate cameras.
Councillors will be pleased that they now will get over $700 a week, and staff costs, estimated in 2021 at $37 million, will climb this year to an eye watering $42 million.
So, an unsustainable budget from a council with a poor financial track record. Disturbingly, this new budget is presented to you without council yet completing the audited accounts for the year to June 30, 2021. What are they hiding?
If you want to get a word in to councillors before their 6pm meeting tonight, or even afterwards, email them:
members@fremantle.wa.gov.au
John Dowson
President
The Fremantle Society
0409223622

6 June 2022: WA Day today, but no mention of our foundation or history

The shameful woke cancel culture of Fremantle Council is evident on their website.

If you think WA, and Fremantle, are important, you would expect Fremantle Council to reflect that and provide detailed balanced history on their website.

While there is detailed Aboriginal history on their website, as there should be, this page above, with just five short lines of text, is all you will find on the history of Fremantle. This shameful deliberate neglect is despite hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on their website.

There is nothing on the website about Captain Charles Fremantle, our founder. And there is no memorial in Fremantle to him. Just demonisation - like comments from Cr Pemberton that Charles Fremantle was a 'child rapist.'

Fremantle is almost unique in Australia having some 3,000 places heritage listed, four of them Aboriginal. But there is very little about that amazing heritage on council's website, except a page listing a few heritage sites, that is riddled with factual errors.

The website does not explain why heritage is no longer a priority for Fremantle Council - why the heritage budget has been slashed, why the Heritage Awards and Local History Awards have been abolished, why the Heritage Grants program has gone, and why the Heritage Committee no longer exists.

Your Rates and the 6% Rise - Make a Submission by 7th June

Despite promises that the new Admin building would earn money and keep rates low for years, that lie has now been exposed.

If you wish to make a submission about the proposed 6% rate rise, you have till the end of business tomorrow Tuesday 7 June.

Former Mayor Tagliaferri has commented:

The promise of a new administration building with no cost overruns promised by Council for the last several years coupled with no rate increases past two percent for 10 years - those commitments by the then Council and Mayor have misled the residents and ratepayers as you are now proposing over 6.5% increase.

With all the new approved devolvements as quoted over $2billion why are rates even going up?

Electricity, water, gas, and so on have gone up significantly to residents and commercial properties via state charges and cost of living has spiralled . The City of Fremantle have significantly cut services over the last 10 years to residents, sold income earning assets and now your Council wants to punish residents and ratepayers with a 6.5% rate increase . The Council should support a modest increase of only 2% as committed to in its communication to everyone over the last several years.

John Dowson
President
The Fremantle Society
0409223622

27 September, 2021: Your Last Chance to Get Democracy in Freo

The page above [removed by the owner of this website at the request of people named in it] is from the last mayoral campaign for Brad Pettitt and shows the minutes of one of his campaign meetings. It demonstrates the close relationship between the Greens and Labor in Fremantle then.
It is a reminder of the Greens and Labor reach into local politics, which they should stop interfering in.
It is imperative, as Emperor MacGowan gathers more and more power over our lives and health, that individuals stand up for themselves and their own community, so that Fremantle is not simply a facilitator for everything Mark MacGowan and his favoured group of developers want. That will happen if Cr Fitzhardinge, the Labor councillor for Beaconsfield (featured above), is elected.
The path to the mayoralty has been made easier for her by pressure put on the other Labor candidate for mayor, Frank Mofflin, who pulled out of the race after pressure from those within Labor so that Cr Fitzhardinge's vote was not split.
The list above is relevant today. For example, Tim Grey-Smith, on the list above, was a Fremantle Councillor who left owing $17,000 to the council, was a bankrupt, and later went to work for the Labor Party in the Department of Premier and Cabinet before resigning and being paid $34,000 to run Labor's campaign to take over the mayoralty of Melville Council in 2019. Now he is apparently working for Cr Fitzhardinge in her current election campaign - ironic, she being Chair of the Finance Committee, and he being a former bankrupt.
Lisa Barnes (listed above) is currently administrator for the controversial South Fremantle Precinct facebook. She worked with Stephanie Poly to reactivate a precinct that hasn't met for some 20 years - South City Precinct - just in time for the election and without following council process. South City Precinct then tried to control the City Ward Candidates Meeting run by The Fremantle Society and FICRA. A previous administrator of South Fremantle precinct was campaign manager for the Greens in Fremantle, and after the 2019 election was given a job on Fremantle Council as an "education officer."
The precincts were set up for the community, not to help councillors to control the narrative.
Besides electoral interference there is evidence of extensive cronyism, which is being investigated also.

Police Investigating Political Interference

Interference by Labor and the Greens is widespread and continuing. The Liberals appear not to be involved.
The Australian Signals Directorate is investigating serious electoral interference with the Fremantle election and hopefully will prosecute offenders to the full extent of the law.
It is ironic that acting mayor Sullivan, running for South Ward in the current election, is accusing Cr Vujcic and her team of independents of being part of a Trump-like right-wing group, while he has merrily trampled on Fremantle politics with Green tactics and far left undemocratic changes to Australia Day and King's Square without proper public consultation.

The Biggest Scandal - the new council depot?

The biggest scandal at the moment is the revelations from the formerly confidential documents of council about the new council depot issue.
How is it that council turned themselves into property developers and decided to spend up to $20 million pursuing a Greenwash One Planet new depot deal - that crashed around their heads?
They intended selling Knutsford Street for a healthy profit and moving to another property.
The new property was going to be a $14 million one on Carrington Street. Millions more were needed to make the depot, subdivide the land and sell the excess.
That deal failed, and council bought 2 Jones Street for $7.8 million instead. Councillors gave officers permission to spend up to $8.5 million, despite council's own valuation for the property being $7.1 million.
The property was contaminated with asbestos.
Cr Sullivan stated this week that the asbestos on the Jones Street site was mentioned in the advertised business plan as required by law, but it is not.
Despite the real estate boom, that $7.8 million purchase is now worth less than $3.7 million.
The new depot has not eventuated.
Where is the mandate for this sort of outrageous behaviour?
An independent enquiry should be held. When Sean Hefferon tried to get council to investigate, Cr Sullivan moved a motion not to.
We are told to look to the future and not to be looking backwards. But a good future needs money, and millions have been wasted. Lessons need to be learned, and those responsible for disasters must be held to account. Fremantle is too valuable a place to be allowed to continue to disintegrate.
As the Fremantle Society has suggested - do NOT vote for any incumbent (except Maria Vujcic).

John Dowson
President
The Fremantle Society
0409 223622

20 September 2021: 20 Questions to ask your election candidates

Fremantle Society/FICRA forum is Tuesday 21 September. There are plenty of forums and of course you can email your questions to candidates also.

You don't have to ask all 20 questions, and you may have much better ones yourself!

1. Why has Fremantle Council had the worst or close to worst FHI (Financial Health Index) score of any Metro council in recent years?

2. What will you do to restore heritage to its proper place in Fremantle following council's abolition of the heritage grants policy this month, abolition of the heritage fund (1.25% of council rates), abolition of the heritage committee and abolition of the heritage and local history awards?

3. Why did council choose a third rate builder for the administration building when it was obvious that Pindan had a poor reputation for building quality?

4. Why does council refuse to give the true total cost of the new administration building, which is millions of dollars over budget already?

5. One union organiser described the new administration building as a 'shit' building and one developer said it was 'poorly designed and poorly built.' How is this possible when huge fees of over $70,000 a month are being paid to supervise the unfinished project?

6. Why was King's Square renamed, following a committee led by Cr Fitzhardinge recommendation, without a proper public referendum?

7. A massive 10.4% rate rise 10 years ago, a rise we still pay every single year now, was to pay for asset management reports and maintenance, but the dirty streets and damaged tourist signs all over Fremantle from Samson Park to North Fremantle are evidence of a failure to do basic maintenance. Why has council allowed that to happen?

8. Fremantle has enormous character and charm, but the issue of anti social behaviour has not been tackled. The fire bombing of police vehicles in the middle of town was a stark reminder of how much work there is to do. What will candidates do to address this issue?

9. The Tent City debacle involved several councillors using the homelessness issue for their personal political advantage. It was a shocking episode in our history which led to the state government taking the whole of Pioneer Park away from Fremantle Council. What will candidates do to make sure a full enquiry is held into those events?

10. The Fremantle Traffic Bridge is heritage listed at the highest level but Fremantle Council has done nothing to help community groups like the Fremantle Society and Save Freo Bridge Alliance save it for future repurposing as a New York style High Line bridge for pedestrians and cyclists. Why?

11. Why did council allow Arthur Head and the Round House to deteriorate to the extent council had to borrow money from the state government to fix the damage?

12. Why did council spend $7.8 million buying 2 Jones Street for a new depot without doing due diligence that would have shown it is in fact a contaminated site. It is now valued at $3.7 million and that doesn't take into account the cost of remediation. In 2018 councillors asked for a report on the scandal but the report still hasn't been presented to council. Why not?

13. Council sold over $40 million worth of income producing assets to Sirona for $29.5 million, and so many other income producing assets, that there is only around $22 million worth of income producing assets now compared with $87 million in 1997. Why did incumbent councillors like Crs Sullivan, Thompson, Lang, and Fitzhardinge vote for this shocking sell off of assets under Mayor Pettitt?

14. Council is selling one of the last large land holdings in the middle of town (7-14 Quarry Street) after refusing to use a local agent or even putting a For Sale sign on the property and revaluing the property down by $5 million to make it easier for a developer to buy it. Why?

15. Do candidates agree with the 2012 Robson report into local government recommendation that councillors should not stay on council longer than 8 or 12 years, given Cr Thompson has been on council 33 years and Cr Sullivan on and off since 1992?

16. Fremantle has the second worst tree canopy cover in WA but council refuses to allocate enough funds to make a real difference to get to their target of 20% cover. Why?

17. Fremantle Markets: Fremantle Council and the tenant there FMPL have badly neglected the Fremantle Markets in the past 10 years. Why hasn't the Conservation Plan been implemented and why has there been such neglect? Why is council considering a new lease instead of putting it out for tender, when FMPL have earned $20 million over the past 10 years, enough to wipe out much of Fremantle Council's debt?

18. Why are key documents such as council's 10 year plan and the MOU with Notre Dame years late in being written? When will council negotiate for Notre Dame to pay a reasonable sum each year instead of the current voluntary small payment?

19. What are the streets of Fremantle so grubby? One reason is that the local law requiring cafe owners with tables and chairs in the street to STEAM CLEAN their areas every month has DISAPPEARED. Why did councillors allow that local law to be taken off the books?

20. A key element of Fremantle's world famous charm and fame is its human scale, but councillors are not defending that, instead embracing large boxes. Few people like what has happened in and around King's Square. Another example is the proposed privatisation of Victoria Quay for film studios, large non architectural boxes contrary to council's own policy for the area. Why are current councillors so eager for any sort of development, instead of good quality development that fits in?

John Dowson
President
The Fremantle Society
john.dowson@yahoo.com
0409 223622

5 August 2021: Election Issue — Does This Herald a New Dawn? [Council]

This week's Herald seems to reflect a community slowly waking up from winter hibernation and showing interest again in council politics.

The local elections for mayor and 6 new councillors are 10 weeks away, and now we are seeing more CHOICE. The Herald front page showed Maria Vujcic's mayoral launch along with ward candidates Jason Amaranti (Hilton Ward), Craig Ross (City Ward), and Steven Pynt (South Ward).

Great, because we don't need MORE OF THE SAME.

Also on the front page of the Herald is the exciting idea of the old traffic bridge becoming a version of New York's High Line bridge.

Despite her council voting to support demolition as soon as possible, South Ward councillor Maria Vujcic ventured under the bridge today to inspect the heritage level 1a magnificent assembly of wandoo stringers and jarrah piles. Along with the Fremantle Society she spoke to the workers there doing maintenance - who work on timber bridges all over the state. They said the bridge is in good condition. They are fans of the bridge and were impressed to see efforts to save it. They gave their expert views about the positive future if heavy vehicles are removed.

Maria's take away is that this a major election issue, a premature "congestion buster" when there is no congestion, with serious traffic problems in the area to solve first.

Maria spoke of the majesty of a structure that has taken us through a world war, and then a cold war, to emerge in much better condition than many timber ocean jetties pounded by storms and neglect.

Planning and Transport Minister Saffioti has already been in Fremantle this week saying that the community has been listened to on the bridge issue. No they haven't. She is coming back on Friday to talk about the future of Fremantle to the Chamber of Commerce at a $140 a head lunch.

The government promised that community voices would be part of the future of the Fremantle Committee, but there is no sign of that, or of an invitation to the Fremantle Society, now in its 50th year, to be part of the conversations.

John Dowson, President
The Fremantle Society
4 August, 2021

26 June 2021: Council Challenged to Seriously Improve/Electors Seek a New Council/6PRs Liam Bartlett Challenges Acting Mayor Sullivan: "It's Not a Good Look"

This week you were sent a summary of Monday night's Electors Meeting.
Liam Bartlett at 6PR read it, and got Acting Mayor Sullivan on the phone.

Referring to the fact that two former councillors, both friends and allies of Mayor Pettitt, had debts totalling $40,000 waived by the CEO, Liam Bartlett said "It's not a good look!"

During his interview Cr Sullivan told four porkie pies.

a) He told Bartlett that the two former councillors who were forgiven debts were forgiven those debts 10 years ago. In fact it was less than 2.

b) He told Bartlett the attendance at the Electors' Meeting was only around 20. The official attendance figure given to the Fremantle Society by council officers was 40.

(Former Mayor Tagliaferri said yesterday that in the 8 Electors Meetings he ran hardly anyone ever turned up, especially councillors, so an attendance of 40 shows a strong interest from the community.)

c) He told Bartlett the Auditor General had given the council a clean bill of health.

Not true:

(i) debt/service ratio is adverse and has been below Dept of Local Government standards for the past 3 years.

(ii) there are fraud related control weaknesses and non compliance with parts of the 1995 Local Government Act

(iii) IT rating was very low .

d) He told Bartlett the total cost of the new administration building to date was around $39 million. The chartered accountant we use said the figure is $56 million and is being hidden in a deliberate strategy.

The TOTAL cost of the whole project was promised to be $43 million including fit out and 5% fee for Sirona to manage the build and 8.5% fee to the architects.

Also, Fremantle Council are hiding the fact that they in fact have made an operating loss of $8.4 million, and a total loss for the year of $32, 886, 286 after devaluation of property. The council report shows the amount as 'income' when it is a loss!

Telling porkies is one thing.

Destroying the finances of a world famous heritage town is another.

Electors on Monday clearly showed - they want a new council.

Coming: the further questions asked by the Fremantle Society

John Dowson
President
The Fremantle Society
0409 223622

17 June 2021: The Fremantle Society Seeks Good Financial Governance

[image: 2017 photo: Empire Property specialist Anthony van der Wielen who was commissioned to do a valuation of 2 Jones Steet, and Mayor Pettitt. Fremantle Herald photo]

The Annual General Meeting of Electors will be held Monday 21 June at 6pm at North Fremantle Community Hall in Thompson Road.

This meeting is held once a year for electors who are eligible to vote in the local government elections . This meeting is a requirement of the Local Government Act and must be held within 56 days of Council accepting the Annual Report of Council.

The Annual Report is online under Agenda and Minutes, and is an impressive detailed document, whatever ones thinks of the direction and success of Council. Officers have put a lot of time into writing the report.

Given this is a mayoral election year, and given there will be a substantial rate increase of 3.5 to 4% this year because of councillors' financial incompetence, the main issues for the Fremantle Society at the Electors' Meeting will be the financial ones.

Over the years the Fremantle Society has sought expert advice from accountants and licensed valuers and real estate agents. We have given you this insight and professional information to act upon, but mostly you have done nothing with it.

It is said that accountants tell you about problems you didn't think you had, in a way that you dont understand. But The Fremantle Society has been proven correct over and over again in its efforts to protect your ratepayer assets, to improve governance, and to get better results from decisions made. We just need you to act. Let's give you just one glaring example: - the 2 Jones Street purchase.

Fremantle Depot Purchase - the Dumbest of Deals - "A rare opportunity for the perfect property"

At the top of the page is a photo of Mayor Pettitt with, then, Fremantle's only dedicated commercial property specialist Anthony van der Wielen in 2017 in a Herald article entitled "Row Over Depot Deal". The Fremantle Society tried to make this an election issue during that mayoral contest, but the Herald only published the article a few days before votes were counted.

The 2 Jones Street O'Connor site was purchased in 2014 for $7.8 million, despite council's own valuer saying it wasn't worth that much.

The property had last sold during the boom times of 2005 when it fetched $1.975m, yet nine years later during a slump it fetched $7.8m when Mayor Pettitt and his councillors at a confidential meeting agreed to buy it. At the time Scott Bailey from Knight Frank said he was "baffled" how Realmark managed to sell it to Council so soon after they got the listing, when he couldn't sell it to anyone during a 6 month listing.

In the Herald article, where van der Wielen criticises Fremantle Council for having paid too much, Mayor Pettitt says the property was "a rare opportunity for the perfect property."

The "perfect " property is contaminated and contains asbestos.

The "perfect" property had a tenant paying $634,974 rent plus GST plus outgoings, but allegedly it was the owner company paying itself that rent.

If you read the council's latest financial documents you will see that the property is now worth only $3.7 million. Over $4 million lost on one property.

And there has been no progress towards having a new depot.

The financial deals done under Mayor Pettitt are an utter disgrace, and the current group of councillors wear much of the responsibility.

This is just one of many such examples.

The Electors Meeting is an opportunity to not only ask questions but to put forward motions (see online for the form which suggests submitting them by 5pm the day prior).

John Dowson
President
The Fremantle Society
Fremantle
0409 223622

6 July 2020: State Treasurer Agrees with Fremantle Society

The Fremantle Society campaigned for a REDUCTION in rates due to the LOWERING of the GRV (Gross rental Value) of properties.

Because GRV values were going to reduce for the first time in decades, by 10% we were told, the Fremantle Society argued that rates should be reduced by the same amount, and if not, that represented a rate increase of 11% (the Herald, whose maths is not as good as ours, stated it would be a 10% rise).

But councillors online, especially Cr Sullivan, argued that in fact there would be NO increase.

The Fremantle Society's submission, along with all others, has been ignored in the budget papers going to council this Wednesday at 6pm.

Note: Council's own budget document states that: "A zero percentage rate increase for residents is unlikely."

Now the State Treasurer has come out in agreement with the Fremantle Society position. Treasurer Ben Wyatt said (ABC News 4 July) councils had resisted the reduction in GRV and that councils "had willingly passed on the increases in previous years - so they should be passing on the decrease as property values fall."

The scandalous situation is made worse:

a) because council refuses to reduce the 2% rate increase for the third plastic bin which the mayor said was a "one off cost" meaning you are paying that 2% EVERY YEAR.

b) when Mayor Pettitt took office, he benefited from the extra money generated from a massive 10.4% rate increase in 2009, intended as a one off increase. But, the rates were never reduced in subsequent years and ratepayers have paid that 10.4% EVERY SINGLE YEAR SINCE Dr Pettitt became mayor.

c) none of the heritage essentials for a heritage city like Fremantle have been reinstated in the budget.

Heritage Awards are GONE, Local History Awards GONE, Heritage Grants Scheme GONE, Heritage Reserve Fund of 1.25% of rates GONE, and heritage committee GONE. ADDED to that, this year's budget has put aside the minuscule budget for $20,000 for the Heritage Festival!

Meanwhile, council's mates, the developers Sirona , in a confidential deal, have been offered $400,000 a year to run the Fremantle Tourist Bureau, and it will probably go into their new building in King's Square to prop that up.

To begin fixing up the multimillion dollar mess at Arthur Head and the Round House caused by council inaction, council has proudly announced the budget includes $500,000 to start fixing it up. But that is money borrowed from the State Government, and council already spends over $3 million a year servicing debts.

How many scandals does the Fremantle Society have to expose before members get out in the street and bay at the moon? Or, do something?

John Dowson
President
The Fremantle Society
93352113
john.dowson@yahoo.com

21 June 2020: Inquiry into Fremantle Council?

8 June 2020: The Financial Pain Continues — Do You Want Your Rates to Go Up 11%?

Your rates will go up 11% unless you do something.

You have until 5pm Tuesday 9 June to lodge your comments for the “Public Consultation” about rates.

On the front page of this week’s Gazette Cr Sullivan has ‘”fired back” at the Fremantle Herald’s claim last week rates are going up 10%. He accuses the Herald of “borderline scaremongering.”

As the architect behind the massively wasteful failure of the “rejuvenation” of Fremantle, he has been very proficient at spending other people’s money.

Rates are supposed to be based on the GRV of properties and issued by the Valuer General every three years.

We like to think our assets are increasing in value over time, but unfortunately over the past 3 years, the values have gone down. Our properties are worth less when we go to sell them and we can earn less in rent from them. The Valuer General on 1 July will announce that Fremantle values have slipped 10% and reduce the GRV accordingly. Thus someone currently paying $4,000 in rates should see this year’s rates bill reduce to $3,600.

But wait, council have already shown their hand even before “Public Consultation” has finished by saying they need at least as much money as last year, and therefore they will alter the rate in the dollar to make sure the ratepayer who should pay $3,600 this year instead of $4,000 still pays $4,000 – an 11% increase over what he should be paying.

We would all like to earn as much rent as before and to have our asset worth as much as before, but the Valuer General will be telling us things have seriously declined. Ratepayers are expected to trim their budgets, but not, apparently, Fremantle Council.

Council argues that their costs have gone up – but so have ours.

Council committed fraud when it increased rates by 2% for a new plastic rubbish bin that many still have not received. The fraud is in the fact that ratepayers will be paying that 2% every single year, not a one off for one rubbish bin.

The decline in our assets does not even take into account the catastrophe of the virus outbreak. That is added pain to bear.

The Fremantle Society has long campaigned for serious financial reform from council, and has unfortunately been proven correct in its campaigning against council’s reckless financial decisions since Mayor Pettitt was elected, which has resulted in Fremantle now having the worst FHI (Financial Health Index) of any WA metro council.

During the Covid crisis we also campaigned for council to cut executive salaries by 20%, which it has done, and to save millions $$ by not moving staff to the new admin building this year. There are plenty of crazy council ideas that need to go in the bin, none more so than Cr Pemberton’s plan of “Participatory Budgetting,” where selected locals allocate budget money for pet projects.

Every ratepayer has to Iive with a tighter budget. So should Fremantle Council.

Say NO to an 11% rate increase and contact Council by 5pm Tuesday (CEO@fremantle.wa.gov.au and mayor@fremantle.wa.gov.,au and members@fremantle.wa.gov.au)

John Dowson
President
The Fremantle Society
9335 2113
john.dowson@yahoo.com

References and Links – see above

See also campaigns re: Kings Square Business Plan, Fremantle Markets.