On the eve of the Easter Break, I know many of you will be looking forward to (including me!), spending time with family and friends. On behalf of Councillors and staff I wish you a relaxing break. Please stay safe on the roads if you are travelling, and if not, why not get out there and enjoy our beautiful Swan River and surrounds, and support our local hospitality businesses who need your patronage.
In just over two weeks the young people of our Town will gather for our first ever 'Youth Meet Up' on Sunday 18 April 2021, 10am - 2pm at Locke Park. Please read on for details and share this with the young people in your life. Early registrations get free food, drinks and prizes but the free tickets are going fast, so don't miss out!
Thank you to all of our residents who attended our Open Day in March, and who completed our Markyt Scorecard Community Perceptions Survey. Your input will help us to improve in a broad range of areas, and we will share the results with you shortly. Thanks also to those who made submissions to the business case for the East Fremantle Oval - stay tuned for further updates.
Applications are now open for the Community Assistance Grants and I encourage all of you who may be eligible for Council funding to read the guidelines and get your applications in before the closing date of Monday 24 May 2021. At our website, you can get inspiration for your project from those successful grant applicants who have received funding in previous rounds.
Finally, we have a brand new art installation coming to the roundabout on the corner of Silas Street and St Peters Road which will add colour and vibrancy to our local streets - read on to see the design! And if you haven't already, please register for e-rates so that we can save on paper and do the right thing by our environment.
Careers advice from South Metro TAFE WA, Murdoch University
Try a new sport with local clubs...
East Fremantle Football Club - handball with our Sharks
East Fremantle Junior Football Club - lemonade yum!
East Fremantle Lawn Tennis Club - have a hit
Hurricane Paddling Crew - give paddling a go
Keen to Meet Up? Register now Spots are going fast, so be quick to grab your FREE e-ticket to make sure you get free food/drinks and entry into the major prize draw for a $500 voucher to be used at JBHIFI or for career advice from local gurus The Meet Up Collective!
Tree Terrorism Condemned
The Town of East Fremantle has once again been targeted by tree vandals and is calling on local residents and the general public to help find those responsible.
In the second such act in four months, six new trees planted along Riverside Road have suffered deliberate damage that will cost Council more than $10,000 to replace including the cost of new trees and staff time.
The Town has condemned the acts that occurred on 31 March in the strongest terms and is encouraging residents who may witness vandalism to come forward and report it, and is offering a reward for information. Mayor Jim O’Neill expressed his concern and frustration at the repeated act of tree vandalism at the same location and outlined steps Council will take to deter such acts in future.
“I simply cannot believe that anyone would do such a thing. The Town is trying to mitigate climate change as well as provide shade along the river and habitats for animals and this is done. This is the worst type of vandalism and we must, as a community, take a stand against these selfish and utterly senseless acts. This is the height of cowardice. It may be reasonable to speculate that these acts were done in a misguided attempt to protect views,” he said, “but we are determined that the landscaping plan in this area – which was subject to extensive community consultation in 2020 – will go ahead as planned.”
Officer in Charge at Fremantle Police Station - Senior Sergeant Bret Reyne states: “Police support the Town of East Fremantle in the deterrence of wanton and deliberate damage of public space assets. If persons responsible are identified they face will criminal prosecution and considerable penalties.” He has asked anyone who has witnessed damage occurring to call Police on 131444, and that anyone with information on the damaged trees is asked to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
For April 2021, please note these important dates:
Town Planning Committee Tuesday 6 April 2021.
Ordinary Council Meeting, Tuesday 20 April 2021.
To view the agendas for Council and Committee meetings (once available) visit our website.
Please note that social distancing restrictions will be in place and the number of members of the public able to attend either meeting will be governed by State Government restrictions in force at that time. All efforts will be made to facilitate attendance within these guidelines, and all parties interested in attending are required to register their attendance by midday on the day of the meeting.
Register for e-Rates
The Town of East Fremantle is pleased to offer you the option of receiving your future Rates Notices via email in two easy steps.
If you would like to receive your rates notices via email, please register via clicking on the following link: http://erateswa.com/eastfremantle
Complete your details and click the “Register” button when completed.
NOTE: Following completion of the registration, you will help reduce paper usage and no longer receive a copy of your rates notice in the mail.
Easter Tips!
Changes to bin collection for the Easter Long Weekend
Please note that bins that would normally be collected on Friday 2 April will be collected the following day. All other services will be as normal.
If you are heading away over Easter, be sure to tell your neighbours so that they can keep an eye out for you and help with collecting mail and newspapers.
For more tips on reducing waste and optimising recycling, visit our website
Gather, Scrunch, Pop!
Easter is a time we all look forward to with lots of tasty treats as well as time to spend with family and friends. Here are some tips to have a safe, sustainable and tasty Easter.
To reduce your waste why not make your own Easter eggs and hot cross buns? There are lots of recipe ideas online!
If your bought Easter eggs/bunnies/bilbys come in cardboard, they can go in the recycling.
The 'scrunchable' plastic that eggs sometimes come in can be placed in your red-lidded general waste bin or returned to REDcycle at participating Coles and Woolworths.
The clean foil wrapping can also go in your recycling bin.
New Art Installation Coming Soon
A new, colourful visual feature will be added to the Town of East Fremantle streetscape when our latest public art work is installed on the corner of Silas Street and St Peters Road.
The new art installation is described as “fun, quirky and whimsical, depicting Town centre life portraying a sense of community and belonging. A localised, colourful and inviting approach to the landscape.”
Residents are advised that the Town is undertaking footpath upgrade works on Stratford Street, on the western side between the Canning Highway intersection and number 11 Stratford Street.
Works will commence on Monday 12 April, with estimated completion by 7 May 2021 (weather permitting).
A letter drop has been undertaken to inform all Stratford Street residents of the works. Please contact the Town on 9339 9339 if you have any queries.
Local Planning Scheme No. 3 - Complex Amendment No. 17 - No. 7 - 27 (Lot 14 - 19) Canning Highway - Between East and Glyde Street
At its meeting of 8 December 2020, the Council adopted (initiated) complex Amendment No. 17 for the purpose of advertising for public comment. The land the subject of the Amendment is on the south side of Canning Highway between East and Glyde Street (see aerial photo on the left). This land is mostly in State government ownership with one privately owned lot on the corner of Glyde Street.
In summary, the Amendment proposes to:
Amend Schedule 2 (Additional Use - A9) by deleting the information for Lots 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19 Canning Highway and inserting the following in the ‘Additional Use and/or Development’ column:
A maximum of R80 residential development; and
Any dwelling development within this Additional Use area shall be used for residential dwelling purposes only.
Amend the ‘Special Conditions’ column of Schedule 2 by inserting special conditions, amongst other things, relating to the preparation of a local development plan and associated design guidelines, building height and setbacks.
Full details of the Scheme Amendment are available at our website, and a hard copy is also available at the Town Hall, 135 Canning Highway, East Fremantle, during office hours up to and including, Wednesday, 19 May 2021.
A submission may be made by completing the online survey (available at this link) or in writing to the Chief Executive Officer, Town of East Fremantle on Submission Form 3A and lodged on or before Wednesday, 19 May 2021. Should you require more than one submission form per household additional forms are also available from the Town Hall or can be downloaded here.
If you have any queries in relation to this matter please contact the Town on 9339 9339 or email admin@eastfremantle.wa.gov.au.
Hurricanes Find a New Home
An enthusiastic and growing water sports club now has an official home base at which to stage their activities following a decision by the Council at its meeting on Tuesday 16 March.
Whilst a long-term co-tenant of the building, the Hurricane Dragon Boat and Outrigger Canoe Club have now secured in their own right as a sole tenant five-year lease under the new arrangement.
“We are delighted that we were able to accommodate the Hurricanes with a new lease”, Deputy Mayor Cr Jenny Harrington said, “to provide a stable home base for their members, the vast majority of whom are local to East Fremantle.”
She explained that the Council had conducted a transparent and thorough process, with expressions of interest called for in November 2020. All submissions had been weighed against selection criteria and a thorough analysis of the advantages of each proposal, with the Hurricanes emerging as the successful tenant.
“All submissions were considered meritorious in their own right, which made this a very difficult decision, however, after careful consideration we chose the tenant whose proposal demonstrated the greatest local benefit and would generate the best value proposition for the Community,” Cr Harrington said.
“The Town looks forward to working with the Hurricanes to enhance and improve the facility, and we are excited to see water sports participation grow in East Fremantle as a result,” Cr Harrington said.
She explained that Council would continue to work in partnership with the First Leeuwin Scout group, who will now be based exclusively at their Camp Waller facility, which is another Town-owned facility on the Rivers edge. To assist with the transition to one building, the Town has allocated funding for minor improvements to the building.
The Town of East Fremantle’s Community Assistance Grants Program (CAG) continues to provide an opportunity for local sporting clubs and community groups to build capacity within their club and the community.
Applications for 2021-2022 funding opened on Monday 29 March 2021 and will close on Monday 24 May 2021, 4pm.
For information about how the Town can assist individuals with their community-focused ideas head to our Community Led Initiatives Programpage.
At our website you can view a list of dozens of projects that have been funded by Council as part of the CAG process - this may inspire your application.
Need help with your application? Contact us by calling 9339 9339 or by sending an email to admin@eastfremantle.wa.gov.au
We're Hiring
The Town of East Fremantle is now recruiting for two important roles:
National Volunteer Week (NVW) is Australia’s largest annual celebration of volunteers. From Monday 17 to Sunday 23 May 2021, NVW will celebrate the significant contribution of Australia’s almost six million volunteers. Each year these volunteers dedicate over 600 million hours to help others. The theme for NVW 2021 is Recognise. Reconnect. Reimagine.
You are invited to nominate your local ‘community champion’ so that the Town of East Fremantle can:
RECOGNISE the vital role volunteers play in the community;
RECONNECT with community champions to strengthen local networks; and
REIMAGINE how volunteers and the organisations they support can better be assisted.
24 lucky nominees will be invited to join the Mayor for lunch on Saturday 22 May 2021. This promotion closes at 5pm on Friday 30 April 2021, click here for Terms & Conditions.
Presented by the Town of East Fremantle, kindly supported by East Fremantle Football Club.
New Bin Enclosure, Footpath Upgrade
Our Depot Crew have been hard at work doing improvements to the Town that certainly add to its visual appeal.
When walking along beautiful Riverside Road it can be easy to get lost in views of the river and accidentally trip over. When residents report a trip hazard, our crew quickly get to work and make the repairs.
They also installed new bin enclosures along the path, in sleek metallic finish and featuring the Town's iconic logo.
Have you spotted an issue that needs repair? Get in touch with us by email to admin@eastfremantle.wa.gov.au or by calling 9339 9339 during office hours.
Pipe renewal for East Fremantle
Water Corporation will soon be renewing water pipes in East Fremantle.
Around 3 kilometres of pipe will be installed along Fraser Street, Petra Street, Fletcher Street, Moss Street, George Street, Silas Street, St Peters Road and Sewell Street. There will also be work completed on the corner of Preston Point Road, Staton Road and Alexandra Road.
Construction work is planned to begin in mid-2021 and will take around ten months to complete. For more information about the project, please visit watercorporation.com.au/eastfremantle
For general enquiries please contact Kate Lee, Water Corporation Community Engagement Advisor, email Kate.Lee@watercorporation.com.au or phone 0476 810 379.
Request a Verge Tree
Verge trees help to create ecosystems that provide habitat and food for birds and other animals. Verge trees provide shade for pedestrians, improve the appearance of our streets and create corridors between natural areas for wildlife. Tree-lined streets can also increase property values, reduce cooling costs and improve the overall health of our communities.
If you are interested in having a verge tree installed at your property this year, please contact the Town at admin@eastfremantle.wa.gov.au To coincide with planting season, requests should be received by the end of May 2021.
To find out what species of tree is available in your area, please consult our Urban Streetscape and Public Realm Style Guide – tree selection matrix (see p46) or contact us for advice.
Seniors Stay on Their Feet For Longer, Healthier Lives
Residents of East Fremantle, Fremantle and Melville were recently treated to a free “Stay on Your Feet, Give it a Go” day, to help prevent falls in the local community and help older adults stay on their feet.
This project was a collaborative initiative between Injury Matters, the Cities of Melville and Fremantle and the Town of East Fremantle and supported by the South Metropolitan Health Service (SMHS), Health Promotion.
“Falls and falls-related injuries are the leading cause of injury hospitalisation for older adults in the SMHS community”, said Richard Crane, SMHS Manager Health Promotion and Community Development
Held at the East Fremantle Lawn Tennis Club, attendees heard from a range of professionals on how to include fall prevention strategies into their daily routines.
There's always lots happening here in East Freo. To ensure you don't miss any opportunities here in our vibrant community, keep an eye on our Events Calendar on our website.
Upcoming events and important dates coming up include:
Got a local event you want to share with us? Submit it online here
Check Your Pet's Registration
Residents are reminded to check the status of their pet's registration and update their details with us. It's easy.
Call us to help you with this process. We're here to help!
Containers For Change
Have you started collecting and cashing in containers? It's as easy as 1,2,3...
1. Collect eligible containers
Most aluminium, glass, plastic, steel and liquid paperboard drink containers between 150ml and 3L are eligible.
2. Take them to a refund point
There are different types of refund points across Western Australia, so find the right one for you.
3. Earn your refund or donate.
A refund worth 10 cents for every eligible container you return which you can keep or donate.
Cash in your eligible drink containers for 10c at one of the 205 refund points across WA, including the City of Fremantle's new refund point located next to the Recycling Centre on Montreal Street.
Did you know that the Town partners with Act Belong Commit to access an amazing array of good mental health resources?
Head to the Act Belong Commit website for more information.
And remember, if you have a community activity idea, we can support you through the Community-Led Initiatives Program - visit our website for inspiration.
