Published on Thursday, 10 December 2020 at 2:38:11 PM
The future redevelopment of East Fremantle Oval got a step closer last night with broad support expressed for Council’s final, detailed vision for the ‘once in a lifetime’ project.
At two community sessions held on the afternoon and evening of 9 December, the multidisciplinary design team appointed by Council took residents and representatives of local clubs and associations through the plan in detail.
The presentation included 3D modelling representing how the design will appear from street level and above, giving the community an interactive and true-to-scale impression of the look and feel of the redeveloped site, which has been estimated to cost $26.5 million to deliver.
“The main concerns raised by residents were in relation to traffic management issues surrounding the precinct, and we are working on a solution for this,” Deputy Mayor Cr Jenny Harrington said, “but otherwise there were smiles all round, and our community are keen for us to progress to shovel ready stage as soon as possible.”
The vision for the redeveloped Oval has been guided by community desire for a more open and accessible space that is attractive to all ages and abilities for a broad range of uses - for active and passive recreation and leisure opportunities, and to provide a viable future for the tenant clubs (WAFL, bowls, croquet and playgroup) while making new spaces available for the community and aligned businesses focussing on community wellness.
Cr Harrington explained that extensive consultation has taken place since 2018 to guide the process to this stage, and she thanked the many community members whose input had shaped the vision from its very beginnings.
CEO Gary Tuffin explained that the challenge now was to raise the funds necessary to redevelop the site. The Town intends to commit $5 million, with the bulk of the funding being sought from the State and Federal government, as well as through the AFL Community Facility Funding program, corporate naming and sponsorship packages and community fundraising.
He said that where possible, the Town would engage local businesses to help build and landscape the new facility, with the project expected to provide much-needed stimulus to the local economy post-COVID-19.
The Town has released materials that explain the new vision in detail, which are available online from the Town’s website at eastfremantle.wa.gov.au, with printed copies of the presentation available upon request.
Cr Harrington further advised that community members should get ready to support a major fundraising campaign in the new year and invited potential donors, sponsors and partners who would like to help bring the new vision to life to contact the Town to seek out opportunities to work together.
Background
Full project scope and background
3D fly-around videos
Flythrough: https://youtu.be/FJRPi5ZuzxI
Street View: https://youtu.be/Z6BaqAgkuNY
Back to All News