The Bridge Debate Just Won’t Go Away

This coming Monday night, 14 November 2022, at 6 pm in Fremantle Town Hall, the City of Fremantle will hold a Special Meeting of Electors to canvass a range of motions that challenge the latest new traffic bridge plans from Main Roads WA and its Alliance consultants.

It seems the plan makers have succeeded in doing what few have been able to achieve before – get many East Freo and Freo residents to agree on an important issue!

Here’s the City of Fremantle notice of the meeting.

And now here’s the Town of East Fremantle’s notice too –

The Freo electors who consider better outcomes are available than offered by the latest plan, pictorially make their case in this SOS flyer –

Electors intend putting the following motions to the meeting –

Motions

1. That this Special Meeting of the Electors of the City of Fremantle:
(a) Welcomes the resolution of the City of Fremantle Council, at its meeting on 26th October 2022:
(i) to call for substantial additional information on a range of options, including the ‘reference design’ reached at the previous community consultation in July 2021, and a comparative analysis of a range of workable options,
(ii) that the community be an integral part of this analysis, including establishing the criteria, and
(iii) that options be ‘presented in full to the community for engagement, discussion and feedback’.
(b) Registers its deep concern at the lack of consistency and sustained community involvement in development of the Swan River Crossings project leading to the Swan River Crossings proposal announced by the WA Minister for Transport on 21st August 2022.
(c) Requests that the wider Fremantle community be actively informed and engaged as an integral part of the Swan River Crossings project through to completion.

2. That this Special Meeting of the Electors of the City of Fremantle:
(a) Acknowledges the Fremantle Council’s inclusion of the old traffic bridge as cultural heritage “to be fully assessed, valued and managed in accordance with a comprehensive, professionally prepared heritage assessment report, interpretation strategy and implementation plan”;
(b) Requests that the community be an integral part of the development of that plan; and
(c) Requests that no decisions or actions be taken that would restrict the available options for the old traffic bridge (or any of the other “items of significant heritage value” (see note below)) until that assessment report has been completed and considered by Council and the community.

NOTE: “Items of significant cultural heritage value” include, but are not necessarily limited to:
(i) Whadjuk significance of the place, including the Swan River and Cantonment Hill
(ii) The old traffic bridge
(iii) The limestone escarpment
(iv) The former Capstan
(v) Remnants and artefacts of previous river crossings
(vi) The ‘containbow’ art installation
(vii) The award-winning ‘Gathering Place’ location.

If you like proverbial town hall meetings, then you’ll love this real Town Hall Meeting.

Get along and have your say!

WHILE YOU’RE HERE –