Launch of Boomerang Bags and Plastic Free July at Growers Green Farmers Market this Sunday

You are invited to join us for the Launch of Boomerang Bags and Plastic Free July at Growers Green Farmers Market this Sunday, 9.30am, 2 July 2017.

Boomerang Bags is a community movement. The bags are made by volunteers using recycled fabric and are available for shoppers to use when they forget their own shopping bags.  This stops the need to use plastic bags.  The bags are boomeranged around the community via stands which enable you to drop off and borrow again.  This simple idea has given communities the opportunity to think and share sustainable practices, recycle materials and come together to stop the amount of single use plastic.

We hope you can join me along with Plastic Free July founder Rebecca Prince Ruiz, and Minister Simone McGurk at Growers Green Farmers Market and see how we are embracing the phase out of single use plastic  in Freo.

Freo’s War on Waste Event – Tuesday the 27th of June

Plastic Free July aims to raise awareness of the problems with single-use disposable plastic and challenges people to do something about it. Initiated in 2011 by Freo local Rebecca Prince-Ruiz and the Earth Carers, there are now more than a million people from 130 countries world-wide in making a difference.

As Freo works towards banning plastic bags (again!), local farmers market manager Kylie Wheatley has created ‘Fremantle Boomerang Bags’. Volunteers from all walks of life get together to make re-useable ‘boomerang bags’ using recycled materials, as a means to provide a sustainable alternative to plastic bags. This excellent community initiative is been launched at the Growers Green Markets at South Fremantle High School, just in time for Plastic Free July.

And it’s not just the community but local businesses are getting on board too. Heath and Emma from the Raw Kitchen in Freo have taken on the challenge to reduce plastics and other waste with gusto and are bringing commitment, solutions and innovation to reduce waste in their restaurant, both for their customers and in the kitchen.

Are you part of the War on Waste?

Come join the discussion:
6pm, Tuesday 27 June
Upstairs at the National Hotel Fremantle

Fremantle Projects and Architects Shine at the WA Architecture Awards

Fremantle projects and Fremantle-based architects once again did extremely well at the WA Architecture Awards that were announced on the weekend.

A range of Fremantle-based architects including Officer Woods Architects, Bernard Seeber, CODA Studio, Local Architecture, David Barr, spaceagency, and Slavin Architects all got awards and/or commendations. We clearly have a lot of talent in our port city.

Check out these great Fremantle projects that were all recognised.

Leighton Beach Changerooms and Kiosk by Bernard Seeber

 

Strange Company by spaceagency

 

Gen Y house by David Barr Architect

 

South Terrace Supported Accommodation Hostel by spaceagency

 

19 Douro by Motus Architecture

 

Grey Street House by Local Architecture

 

MSC by Slavin

 

Heirloom by Match by Cameron Chisholm Nicol

Here are the winners with a Fremantle connection taken from

https://www.broadsheet.com.au/perth/art-and-design/article/wa-architecture-award-2017

PUBLIC ARCHITECTURE
The Jeffery Howlett Award for Public Architecture – East Pilbara Arts Centre by Officer Woods Architects
Commendation – Leighton Beach Changerooms and Kiosk by Bernard Seeber
Commendation – Karratha Super Clinic by CODA Studio

EDUCATIONAL ARCHITECTURE
Commendation – Bunbury Catholic College Mercy Campus by CODA Studio and Broderick Architects Joint Venture

RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECTURE – HOUSES (New)
Commendation – Grey Street House by Local Architecture

RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECTURE – HOUSES (Multiple Housing)
Architecture Award – Gen Y Demonstration Housing Project by David Barr Architect
Commendation – 19 Douro by Motus Architecture
Commendation – Heirloom by Match by Cameron Chisholm Nicol

HERITAGE
The Margaret Pitt Morison Award for Heritage – South Terrace Supported Accommodation Hostel by spaceagency

INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE
Architecture Award – 19 Douro by Motus Architecture
Architecture Award – Strange Company by spaceagency

URBAN DESIGN
Commendation – Perry Lakes Redevelopment Project by CODA Studio

SMALL PROJECT ARCHITECTURE
Architecture Award – Grey Street House by Local Architecture
Commendation – Comben Place by spaceagency

SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE
Architecture Award – Gen Y Demonstration Housing Project by David Barr Architect
Commendation– East Pilbara Arts Centre by Officer Woods Architects
Commendation– Mediterranean Shipping Company (Aust.) Pty Limited – Head Office for Aust & New Zealand by Slavin Architects

COLORBOND AWARD FOR STEEL ARCHITECTURE
Colorbond Award for Steel Architecture – Mediterranean Shipping Company (Aust.) Pty Limited – Head Office for Aust & New Zealand by Slavin Architects
Commendation– East Pilbara Arts Centre by Officer Woods Architects

 

The Australian Institute of Architects WA Architecture Awards entries exhibition is in the lobby of Allendale Square (77 St Georges Terrace, Perth) runs till Friday June 30th. The exhibition is open from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday.

Light rail on track for Perth’s south, with route from Murdoch to Fremantle mooted

In today’s Sunday Times there is a good story about the Southwest Group of Councils (of which Freo is a part) and light rail.

http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-australia/light-rail-on-track-for-perths-south-with-route-from-murdoch-to-fremantle-mooted/news-story/f62357a00d5ab598645dc701c6c1e84b

I think it is good example of cross-council collaboration and planning to enable public transport in our region to be improved when the budget and political stars align.

You could say it is about working together to make sure public transport is purposely and carefully planned into our cities and not accidentally planned out as too often happens.

Winterworld has come to Freo (Despite the Sun!)

Tree Houses and High Wire Ropes – Hilton Primary Designs Kings Square

Our final student led design charettes for the new Kings Square Play Space was with the kids at Hilton Primary School today. By the looks of things, we’ll be putting up lots of tree houses and ordering trampolines and high wire ropes!

This is community engagement at its best. Well done to all involved.

The Australia Day Conversation Gets a Push from Local Governments Around the Nation

There was an interesting and unexpected development in the discussion around the date of Australia Day today. The often conservative Australia Local Government Association National Conference narrowly voted to support looking at changing the date.

It is good to see that this conversation is continuing around the nation. There is a long way to go before there is wider change but from little and local things, big national things grow.

Here is how the Guardian reported it:

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/jun/21/local-councils-across-country-push-for-australia-day-date-change

Local councils across country push for Australia Day date change

Representatives from councils back plan to consider ideas on ways to lobby federal government to switch date from 26 January

Thousands of Indigenous Australians and their supporters marked 26 January this year by calling for the date of Australia Day to be changed. Photograph: Jacqueline Le/AAP

Australian Associated Press Wednesday 21 June 2017 10.18 AEST

Representatives from local councils across Australia have backed a plan to come up with ideas on ways to lobby the commonwealth to switch Australia Day from 26 January, a date that marks the arrival of the first fleet from England.

The Australian Local Government Association said its board would consider what action to take at a meeting in July.

“The ALGA board noted the level of debate and the closeness of the result of the debate and will take these matters into consideration when determining a course of action,” the association said in a statement.

In a close 64-62 vote on Tuesday, council representatives at the annual National General Assembly of the ALGA in Canberra voted to back a motion by Hobart city council for councils to consider efforts they could take to lobby the government for a date change.

The vote came ahead of a planned address by the Australia Day Council chairman, Ben Roberts-Smith, to delegates on the final day of the assembly on Wednesday.

Hobart city council has been at the forefront of growing calls for Australia Day to be changed from 26 January, a date many Indigenous people regard as “Invasion Day”.

Hobart’s councillors in April voted in favour of lobbying the federal government to find a new date and said they would consult with the local Aboriginal community to find an alternative date.

Across the country in Perth, the City of Fremantle moved some of its Australia Day events to 28 January this year, citing cultural sensitivities and calls from local Aboriginal elders that 26 January was not a day to celebrate.

However the growing calls for change could face stiff opposition by federal politicians.

The Greens senator Rachel Siewert failed in her bid in February to get the Senate to support a date change, with Liberal, Labor and crossbench senators voting against a motion acknowledging 26 January as a day of mourning for many Indigenous people as it represented the start of colonisation.

Thousands of Indigenous Australians and their supporters marked Australia Day this year by marching in protests in major cities, calling for the date to be changed.

The prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, has said that while everyone is entitled to debate the date of Australia Day, the government does not support a change.