THE North Fremantle community association has slammed Fremantle council’s consultation.

Association chair Gerry MacGill says the association, which is an official council precinct, received no notification about plans to dramatically increase heights at the old brewery site.

It did, however, get told of a planning application for a two-storey house in South Fremantle that no-one cared about.

• A computer image of the proposed development.

Mr MacGill says information from the council is now so sporadic he’s not even sure if anyone is still employed as a precinct officer. The system was established in the mid-90s with a full-time co-ordinator and officer, but over the years the co-ordinator’s position was made redundant and the officer’s position later made part-time.

A former councillor himself, Mr MacGill says the council appears to want all precinct business to go through a web portal it’s set up, but says that simply doesn’t work.

The council has admitted it didn’t let the precinct know, but says the huge number of submissions received showed it had made the effort to advertise the development.

Disclaimer: Steve Grant was a former precinct officer at Freo council.

by STEVE GRANT