Published on Thursday, 27 August 2020 at 1:18:37 PM
The Town of East Fremantle’s plans to redevelop the East Fremantle Oval have reached an exciting new stage as Council meets tonight to decide on the appointment of a multi-disciplinary team that will guide the project to a schematic design level.
The plans for the site have been developed to address the long-held concerns of residents who desire more open space, and opportunities for active and passive leisure as well as important upgrades to club facilities for current tenants, the East Fremantle Sharks WAFL club, East Fremantle Bowls Club and Croquet Club.
“The development of the new vision for the Oval was a collaborative process that began with our community in May 2019”, Town of East Fremantle CEO Gary Tuffin explained, “and based on that vision, we have developed and refined – with the support of expert consultants – a draft concept design, business plan and funding document.”
During the extensive consultation and co-design process, the community expressed strong support for:
- Upgrades to club facilities,
- Providing passive recreation space for walking (including with dogs), general exercise and other activities,
- Supporting active lifestyles through enhanced access to club sports and recreation activities.
Interest was also expressed in adding new offerings including:
- a Men’s (person’s) Shed/activity space,
- a gym/health/fitness facility as well as shared-use courts for basketball/netball/tennis,
- a nature play space, flexible outdoor community event space and modest skate park, and
- a function room, café, and multi-purpose areas for community projects and performances.
“This delivers on community sentiment, expressed consistently for many years, to ‘open up’ the space for broader and more accessible use”, Mr Tuffin said. He also said that the timing of the project was now critical, as the Town was well placed to take advantage of possible external funding opportunities.
Mr Tuffin explained that once the multidisciplinary team was appointed, the next phase will be to advocate for the project with local partners and State/Federal Government representatives. Following a positive result at tonight’s meeting, he said the launch of a comprehensive fundraising campaign would be imminent.
“We are mindful of the significance of this project and its importance to the community. The consultation undertaken has been extensive, and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive from our community as a whole. As one of our residents expressed: ‘This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to get this right’, and it is our sincere intention – with our community’s insight and guidance – to do exactly that,” he said.
Mr Tuffin explained that following the appointment of the multi-disciplinary design team there will be further opportunities for the community to have input into the design, and this is welcomed by the Town, with background on the project available online.
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