Published on Thursday, 17 June 2021 at 11:21:59 AM
The Town of East Fremantle’s 2021/22 Budget was adopted this week, with investments being made to ensure the Town prioritises and addresses what is important to the East Fremantle community. To allow us the opportunity to be more sustainable to promote active recreational pursuits, address environmental concerns, maintain and enhance our river with green space enhancements, sensible development and heritage protection.
The Budget will assist the Town to deliver on its newly endorsed vision for "an inclusive community balancing sustainable growth and lifestyle," with significant allocations made to sustainability, public art and civic events and festivals, and to progress its plan for the redevelopment of the East Fremantle Oval precinct, with construction expected to begin by May 2022.
“This Budget gets the balance right”, Mayor O’Neill said, “maintaining our emphasis on fiscal responsibility, with a rate increase of 2.9%, and ensuring we invest in those areas that are important to our community, providing and improving the services we all value.”
On sustainability, the Town will plant 400 new street and verge trees and has begun an exploration into energy-efficient public lighting, as well as a greater emphasis on water-wise practices and implementing recommendations from the Town’s Climate Action Reference Group.
To create greater vibrancy in the community, the Town has allocated $25,000 to support the Fremantle Biennale, with several installations taking place locally, while the Town has retained its support for public art and the return of the highly popular George Street Festival on Sunday 5 December 2021.
A new strategy to guide movement throughout the Town will be released soon, prioritising public transport and walking/cycling in the Town, and encouraging linkages across and between activity points.
Residents will soon be able to access the new ‘state of the art’ Fremantle Library through a shared services agreement, and priority is being given to providing more services and facilities for the Town’s young people.
Mayor O’Neill explained that the Budget includes a significant capital works increase (programme worth $16.5 million including the planned redevelopment of the East Fremantle Oval precinct) which will ensure that streetscapes and associated infrastructure, footpaths and cycle ways, parks and playgrounds and Council buildings are well maintained, as well as the Town’s river wall and drainage systems.
To encourage healthy lifestyles, upgrades are planned to the playground at John Tonkin Reserve and more sustainable park infrastructure, with new BBQ facilities being installed at the Tricolore Centre, home of the Town’s Neighbourhood Link Community Services, who also recently took delivery of their new bus.
The Town will also continue to support its community groups and volunteers through grant funding and other in-kind support. The implementation of the Town’s Reconciliation Action Plan is also well underway.
Mayor O’Neill has encouraged residents to explore the Budget documentation in more detail via their Rates Notice and Budget Bulletin.
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