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North Freo residents’ bid to join Town of Mosman Park dead

Jon BassettWestern Suburbs Weekly

MOSMAN Park and Fremantle councils have killed residents’ bid to change North Fremantle boundaries after its chief executives met earlier this year.

“There wasn’t a common position for this to proceed,” Mosman Park chief executive Mark Goodlet told the Westerns Suburbs Weekly.

For 18 months, about 200 North Fremantle residents in the Minim Cove development at the north end of the port city have petitioned, lobbied and argued they should join the western suburbs because Fremantle allegedly did not provide adequate services and infrastructure.

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After an impasse last year, former local government minister Tony Simpson told the councils to find a solution.

However, Fremantle would not let its ratepayers go without a corresponding land swap with Mosman Park.

“Mosman Park does not want this,” Mr Goodlet said.

A City of Fremantle spokesman said there could be no net financial cost to either council if change took place.

“The Town of Mosman Park advised they would not be willing to concede any land parcels and therefore a mutually acceptable deal would not be possible, and there has been no further discussion,” the spokesman said.

Mosman Park Mayor Ron Norris said his council wanted to “straighten out” an existing boundary that put the Taskers apartments development in Fremantle, and make east-west McCabe Street the new border traffic on the major route into his town could be controlled.

Mr Norris said Fremantle handing over the western Minim Cove and some North Fremantle homes, while taking Mosman Park homes on the north side of McCabe Street, would make control of the street’s traffic “worse”.

“It will be up to the North Fremantle residents wishing to join us to determine what further action will be taken, and I know they are determined to pursue the matter,” he said.

Petitioning residents’ spokesman Geoff Totterdell said it was disappointing no change had been decided by the councils using monetary criteria and not the rule of democracy and the wishes of their ratepayers.

“It may show they are making a profit out of us and they don’t want to give it up,” Mr Totterdell said.

He said the residents would consider options including a second request for a change allowed by law to any new State government near local government polls later this year.