High Street Upgrade Consultation is now Underway

Consultation is now underway with the City of Fremantle and Mainroads will be speaking with key stakeholders, local community groups and residents, together with the freight industry to develop and refine a final concept and scope of works.

Mainroads are now inviting feedback on the draft concept plan through an online survey.

You can also comment at the City of Fremantle Library, where the concept plan will be on display and feedback forms will be available from Monday 7 May.

Or, visit the High Street Upgrade Drop-in Sessions where you can you speak to project team members about the upgrade.

• Stackwood, 10 Stack Street, Fremantle:
  • Monday 30 April, 4pm to 7pm
  • Thursday 10 May, 3pm to 6pm

After the survey closes on Thursday 31 May 2018 the feedback will be collated and considered during the concept design phase.

The concept design phase is expected to take up to six months, to ensure the upgrade meets the community’s needs as much as possible within the space, cost and operational constraints. We will provide the final plans and the result of your feedback at this time.

Background

The current layout of High Street from Carrington Street to Stirling Highway intersection, provides direct access to several local roads and driveways, resulting in stop-start conditions, heightened safety risks and congestion.

An initial concept, released in 2013, is no longer the preferred option.

Following consultation with the City of Fremantle, and taking into consideration previous feedback from local residents and stakeholders, a new draft concept plan has been developed.

Draft concept plan

The draft concept plan proposes construction of a roundabout at the intersection of High Street and Stirling Highway, a wide median to separate traffic and preserve a number of mature trees, and a single lane service road for residents north of High Street.

To stay up to date with project information please email highstreetupgrade@mainroads.wa.gov.au

Key dates (subject to change)

Community feedback

Draft concept plan is available for comment

19 April to 31 May 2018

Concept design phase

Comments and feedback will be considered by the project team. Project updates, including the outcomes of the community engagement will be made available.

June – November 2018

Tender phase

Tender phase will run from January to March 2019. The successful contract is expected to be awarded in by mid-2019.

Construction commences

Early construction works anticipated to begin second half of 2019.

Commemorate Anzac Day 2018 in Fremantle

 

• Dawn Service: 5.50 am at Monument Hill War Memorial.
• North Fremantle service: 9.00 am at Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Park.
• March and Closing Ceremony: 10.15 am step off from Fremantle Esplanade Reserve.
• 2018 Portrait Photography: 7.00-11.30 am at Fremantle Esplanade Reserve.

 

Timelapse of Kings Square Redevelopment – Demo Feb-April 2018

And while we are talking Kings Square…

Renders of New Library in Kings Square

These new renders of the soon to be built City of Fremantle library in Kings Square look great.

It will include a spacious interior with double height ceilings, natural ventilation and light as well as fantastic new outdoor under-croft areas.

 

 

Motion to Council to Phase out Live Exports

The horrific images on board Awassi Express have brought to light once again the serious problems with Australia’s live sheep trade – the majority of which happens out of the port of Fremantle.

Back in 2010 the Fremantle Council called for a phase out of the live sheep trade and tonight the Council will debate a notice of motion by Cr Sullivan reaffirming the Fremantle Council’s support for this phase out.

Looking through recent information, it would seem that the Fremantle Council’s long term position of calling for a phase out is increasingly justified. As Paul Murray wrote in The Weekend West (and based on a report for Animals Australia by Pegasus Economics) phasing out the live sheep trade would not be as catastrophic for WA farmers as the rural lobby has often argued.

This is largely because the live sheep trade has been in decline since a high of about six million exports in 2002 to fewer than two million a year since 2014.

Even in the case of WA specialist sheep farmers, the sale of sheep to the live export trade now only accounts for a relatively minor part of their enterprise to only 11.7% of sheep sales by volume.

For WA’s mixed-enterprise farms, 70 per cent of their income came from grain and since 2011 less than 5% from sheep.

Times are changing: our export markets are changing, our community values are changing, and now is the time for major changes to this industry.

Help the Homeless Art Auction is Back. May 11th and 12th.

Fremantle offers up another site for “leading-edge” sustainable development

From the Fifth Estate by Cameron Jewell:

https://www.thefifthestate.com.au/urbanism/planning/fremantle-offers-up-another-site-for-leading-edge-sustainable-development/98516

The City of Fremantle is offering up one of its underutilised land holdings to be transformed into a medium to high-density development incorporating cutting edge sustainability.

The announcement comes as the council fronts an inquiry into the federal government’s role in the development of cities, arguing for policy interventions to limit Perth’s urban sprawl.

The 25,316 square metre Knutsford Street depot has been identified as one of the council’s top five corporate actions in meeting its One Planet Council obligations.

• See Fremantle joins the One Planet council family

As part of a just-released call for tenders, interested parties will have to commit to a development of at least 7 star NatHERS that generates more energy than it uses, diverts 95 per cent of waste from landfill, reduces car parking, includes sustainable materials, has 30 per cent of trees as edible species, reduces potable water by 60-70 per cent, and achieve Silver or Gold level under Liveable Housing Australia guidelines.

The winning bid will also need to offer select sites or an agreed proportion to social or affordable housing, or innovative housing groups. It should also offer a range of housing typologies, involving local artistic and cultural groups.

Fremantle chief executive officer Phillip St John said the proposed sale had strong community support.

“The City of Fremantle prides itself on being a leader in diverse and sustainable housing through initiatives like the WGV development and the recently adopted Freo Alternative infill policy,” he said.

Details on potential land sale price (and potential discounts) were not revealed, however a caveat on the previous 7 Quarry Street site, scheduled to be transformed into a baugruppen development, was that it was to be sold at or above market price.

• See Fremantle jumps into co-housing

Calls for more infill support

The announcement comes as Fremantle City Council fronts the House Standing Committee on Infrastructure, Transport and Cities inquiry into the federal government’s role in the development of cities.

It is calling for the state to return to a 60 per cent infill target (up from 47 per cent).

“In Perth it costs the government $150 000 to provide infrastructure for every new lot in outer developments, against $55 000 for infill development,” its submission said.

“By extension WA taxpayers are paying $94.5 million for every 1000 homes built on the fringe of Perth.”

Doing so could save $23 billion by 2050, it said, but was contingent on public transport being invested in upfront, designing for people and place, and committing to greater urban density that is sustainable and includes affordable product.

Committee chair John Alexander was the committee was interested to find out why sprawl continued to even as governments recognised the benefits of infill development.

“The committee is very focussed on uncovering the barriers to a more compact urban form and effective solutions,” Mr Alexander said.

“A business as usual approach to urban development will not resolve significant issues such as traffic congestion and spatial inequality. It is simply not good enough.”

The state government recently suspended work on its Perth and Peel Green Growth Plan for 3.5 million.

Tags: fremantle, sustainable development