Rarely a Dull Moment - Committees, Carbon, Capitalism

A night of committees, carbon, and capitalism, but not cleaning?!

PERTH SOUTHWEST METROPOLITAN ALLIANCE

Council considered the renewal of the Governance Charter and Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the City of Fremantle and the Perth Southwest Metropolitan Alliance (PSWMA) for a further term of six years to 2031.

PSWMA operates under an MOU between the City and five local governments within the region.

The PSWMA Plan for 2036

The officer report reminds us that “The PSWMA has provided support and advocacy for regional projects such Future of Fremantle, Regional Transport initiatives, Westport, the Western Trade Coast, Housing, Economic initiatives and Environment issues.”

Readers might recall the recent report on the AUKUS delegation trip that our Mayor, along with other Mayors from the partnering local governments, undertook to appreciate in person the potential implications that increased naval presence and investment can have upon cities.

According to the report, this latest MOU entails the following changes:

“renaming references from South West Group to Perth South West Metropolitan Alliance;
extending the agreement term from five to six years, ensuring each Council has an opportunity to chair the Alliance during the period;
adjusting post-council reimbursements to a flat 5% of income to account for inflation; and
removing provisions covering conflicts of interest and disclosures, as these matters are already governed under the Local Government Act 1995.”

Cr Lawver moved that the Council defer the item to the next available meeting in order to:

Clarify the process for PSWMA taking an advocacy position on an issue/item when one or more member councils have expressed a differing view or has an existing position established through Council resolutions; and
Resolve any inconsistencies between the MOU, Governance Charter, and Code of Conduct(s).

After protracted discussion over whether there genuinely was inconsistency between the documents and whether further discussion would be fruitful, the motion was lost.

Council voted in favour of the Officer Recommendation that it:

Clarify the process for PSWMA taking an advocacy position on an issue/item when one or more member councils have expressed a differing view or has an existing position established through Council resolutions; and
Resolve any inconsistencies between the MOU, Governance Charter, and Code of Conduct(s).

FOSSIL FUEL ADVERTISING AND SPONSORSHIPS POLICY

This item responds directly to Cr Lang’s Notice of Motion endorsed by Council at the Finance, Policy, Operations and Legislation Committee on 12 October 2022.

The Notice of Motion requested that the “City of Fremantle investigate ways to restrict fossil fuel advertising on council owned or managed land and should not accept sponsorships from companies whose main business is the extraction or sale of coal, oil and gas.”

Readers might remember the 26 June 2024 OCM where Council resolved to approve the draft Fossil Fuel Advertising and Sponsorships Policy (FFAS) for public advertising.

The implications are that the City would no longer accept sponsorship from fossil fuel industries nor consent to displaying their advertising on City owned or managed properties.

Members of the public, including the Cottesloe Community Independent candidate at the recent State election, Dr Rachel Horncastle spoke in favour of the proposal to ban fossil fuel advertising and warned that pollution from burning coal kills more Australians every year than alcohol, car crashes, and gambling combined. Heat-related illnesses are on the rise, evident from her clinic and in other GPs in her network.

Community engagement for the draft policy ran from 25 July 2024 to 23 September 2024. This entailed online, printed, and in person advertising of the policy.

48% of respondents advertised they do not support the draft policy, 45% support it, and 7% “somewhat” support the FFAS policy.

The 48% supported it on the basis of:

“Support for policies that reduce fossil fuel dependency and promote decarbonisation efforts
Opposition to fossil fuel advertising and sponsorship in general because of their influence on communities
The health risks associated with fossil fuels Opportunity for local government to display climate leadership
Growing recognition of global warming as an existential crisis”

Some respondents on the fence were unconvinced the policy will be effective. Others questioned whether this is a Council priority. And others wanted the restricted to go even further to other harmful industries. From little things.

The respondents in opposition to the policy expressed:

“Disagreement of council’s role and responsibilities – council is seen as overreaching.
Fossil fuels are still essential for providing affordable energy.
The policy will impact funding to local sporting clubs.
Scepticism on the efficacy of the proposed climate policies, viewing them as ineffective or misguided.
Loss of sponsorship could lead to detrimental effects on community programs and initiatives.”

Cr Lang moved an amendment that the policy is altered to:

Amend part 1.3 b of the draft policy to read as follows:

the advertisement is of a temporary nature and not displayed more than 12 hours prior to an event or 12 hours after the events conclusion.

The basis of this change was “to decrease the time the fossil fuel advertisement is displayed, where it meets the policy provisions.” This was ultimately lost due to concerns it would be too onerous.

After a lengthy and considered debate, Council voted in favour of the main motion, with matters of contention including Cr Archibald voicing her concerns on the basis of clubs such as the Surf Lifesaving struggling to survive financially without sponsorship, Cr Thompson expressing deep cynicism on past lack of enforcement of policy due to factors such as individual circumstances or a persuasive gallery (concurred by Cr Camarda in his voting against part 2 of the decision), and Cr Graeme voting against while claiming that the Dockers pulled out of Fremantle because it’s all too hard now and that health issues associated with pollution are no different today than they were “50 or 100 years ago” even with the invention of airline travel:

Receive the community engagement report, provided in Attachment 1.
Adopt the draft Fossil Fuel Advertising and Sponsorships Council Policy, as provided in Attachment 2.

Fun fact, apparently the City of Yarra has already implemented this ban so it seems we have some catching up to do compared to our Victorian neighbours.

NORTH FREMANTLE PLAN WORKING GROUP

Anyone who has been paying attention over the last few years will have noticed there’s a lot going on in North Fremantle, historically and in the works.

Not least of all the North Fremantle Heritage Trail.

Recently, the City has discussed “the potential benefits of establishing a North Fremantle Plan Working Group, consisting of elected members and senior staff, to focus on strategic planning matters.”

Elected members and senior staff will populate the group, with the potential for the Chief Executive Officer to later invite external members to the group and allow for “specific expertise or community representation” in their discussion.

The Working Group will be tasked with creating a high-level plan for North Fremantle, one which will facilitate the “alignment of projects and broad advocacy” for future planning.

Cr van Dorssen expressed her gratitude for the officers for bringing this item to the Council that night as this is “something that has gone on for many many years in our community” and she previously applied to Council for grant funding to fund a similar plan some time ago. She spoke on the implications of Future Fremantle upon the area, rezoning of the land near Port Beach, high rise development on McCabe Street, and the bisection of North Fremantle by Stirling Highway, which presents a barrier for community members on each side easily reaching each other and for the eastern side to access the beach due to the dangers presented by the road after it was widened by Main Roads.

The Officer Report anticipates that “there is likely to be significant community engagement on key planning matters, once the project is fully scoped by the working group.”

City of Fremantle Internal Group Framework – excerpt from Council report

Council unanimously resolved that it:

Supports the establishment of the North Fremantle Plan Working Group consisting of elected members and senior staff, to advance strategic planning issues, based on the overall approach and purpose set out in this report;
Approve the Terms of Reference for the North Fremantle Plan Working Group, provided in Attachment 1.
Note the Chief Executive Officer may invite external members to the Working Group, to bring specific community representation to the discussion, should the Working Group consider that this may be advantageous.
Endorses the following elected members to be representatives on the North Fremantle Plan Working Group:
1. Mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge (ex-officio)
2. Cr Andrew Sullivan
3. Cr Doug Thompson
4. Cr Ingrid van Dorssen

WALYALUP RECONCILIATION ACTION PLAN 2024-27 & TOWARDS 2029

Council received updates on its Walyalup Reconciliation Action Plan 2024-27 Working Group proceedings where we learned that apparently “wanjoo” used in the new Fremantle Visitor Centre mural “is not a local Noongar word but borrowed from Yamatji language” which is a surprise to me but still a “welcome” addition to our vocabulary.

Local Noogar map depicting Walyalup and surrounds – from Council report

Local Noogar artwork depicting Walyalup and surrounds

There were many encouraging reflections from this report, such as the success of the FOCUS film festival which featured two films shown each night “from filmmakers across Australia, with most directors of featured films attending.” The screenings attracted approximately 600 people, and the Sunday music concert that weekend attracted 1,750 attendees.

Mayor’s Update:

“The Mayor acknowledged Clive Morrison as the recipient of the Sealin Garlett Award.

The Mayor shared that Reconciliation Australia have said they see the City and the WRAP Working Group as leading the way. She briefly spoke on the work she and Cr Jemima Williamson-Wong have begun with the Office of the Future Generations Commissioner of Wales on intergenerational planning, noting that Indigenous planning already incorporates a multi-generational perspective.

The Mayor also spoke on a meeting with interim Whadjuk Aboriginal Corporation CEO Lisa Dobrin regarding establishing clear pathways for business between the Whadjuk Aboriginal Corporation and WRAP, which can be explored further when a longer term CEO is appointed.”

Towards 2029 Working Group:

The Group is currently planning for the 200-year anniversary of European arrival.

WRAP members were invited to contribute by joining the Towards 2029 Working Group.

Meanwhile, the Working Group discussed approved Noongar road Names for local development and photographs of a 1940 land survey map depicting Fremantle and East Fremantle with Noongar place names was presented by one of the members.

NOTICE OF MOTION – PIAZZA AND MALLS DISTRICT

You may have heard of the recent plans for a community cleanup of the Fremantle Malls, ultimately cancelled at the owners’ request.

This clean up was to include repainting, installing planter boxes, seating, and a decent scrub.

Alas, the Malls remain wanting for that extra love and care.

One could argue that perhaps the owners should be getting on with that themselves instead of prompting community members to give up their Sunday morning to volunteer to do it.

Cr Lang advises:

“The intent of this Motion is to support community and volunteer efforts to activate and return business to the PM District (Piazza and Malls District):

Fremantle Malls
Fremantle Piazza
Paddy Troy Mall

Piazza Mall

In recent times the PM District has seen many long-term vacancies and as a result, the area can be subject to antisocial behaviour.”

Warning posters of vandals caught on camera are on display for a depressing urban exhibition.

To address the issue, Cr Lang suggests that the City “offer free alfresco dining rates on City land and investigate ways to assist alfresco on non-City land (with the individual strata buildings)”.

Cr Mofflin voiced his dissent with the Motion on the basis that City officers are already hard at work to try and tackle this very issue in collaboration with landowners and the community.

Mayor Fitzhardinge acknowledged the efforts of City officers, private property owners, and local community groups, including town teams leading projects such as ‘William Street: Reimagined’, to activate their neighbourhoods and address these issues. What she wants to see, chiefly, is a “governance methodology for those parties to work together in a longer-term way” constructively. I’m sure those groups would agree with her.

Council unanimously resolved that it:

Requests the Chief Executive Officer to bring a report back to Council considering the following:

Initiatives to encourage activation within the following areas of the Piazza and Malls District for a period of 24 months:

Fremantle Malls
Fremantle Piazza
Paddy Troy Mall

City of Fremantle to investigate options to facilitate activation within the strata owned properties in this precinct, noting that this does not include those properties facing Market Street, South Terrace or High Street within the Piazza and Malls District.

IN OTHER NEWS

We did promise “rarely”, not “never”.

This was a big meeting for the finance buffs. Council considered and voted on the Statement of Investments for February 2025, the Schedule of Payments for 28 February 2025, and the Monthly Financial Report for February 2025.

The CEO also had his performance review, a second independent audit committee has been appointed, an independent auditor has been appointed, and Council adopted the 2024 Compliance Audit.

That’s a wrap for March. Thanks for reading!

By Gayle O’Leary. If you’d like to catch up on more by Gayle here on Fremantle Shipping News, look right here!

~ If you’d like to COMMENT on this or any of our stories, don’t hesitate to email our Editor.

~ WHILE YOU’RE HERE –