‘Look at which is the more progressive council: Fremantle, with its granny flat policy and seven storeys on Victoria Street, or the problems the Government has had with building proposals dealt with by the western suburbs councils,’ he said.
Cottesloe Council and the Government continue to battle over proposed eight storeys on the beachfront, Subiaco has been forced to consider 16 storeys at Subiaco Pavilion and Nedlands came into conflict with the Government over four storeys in Dalkeith last year.
‘If I wanted to get something built I’d be putting the plans together right now because Fremantle is more user-friendly than anything in the western suburbs,’ Cr Thompson said.
Last week, Premier Colin Barnett announced North Fremantle, now in the City of Fremantle, would join the G7-plus of Subiaco, Cambridge, Nedlands, Claremont, Cottesloe, Peppermint Grove and Mosman Park councils, with the suburbs of Wembley, Churchlands and Woodlands from the City of Stirling.
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READ NOW‘This isn’t a rational argument because the port wants to deal with one council and 90 per cent of its buffer zone covers North Fremantle, and the announcement breaks current Government ‘logic’ that there should be one council around the port’s truck and rail routes,’ Fremantle Mayor Brad Pettit said.
He may organise protests about the remainder of his split City joining East Fremantle and Melville councils, after Fremantle planned to spend $2 million in North Fremantle in 2013-14, primarily sourced from rates because of the suburb’s small commercial base.
However, North Fremantle Cr Robert Fittock said there had been a ‘surprising’ positive public reaction to the southern end of Mr Barnett’s electorate joining a western suburbs council.