FREMANTLE council adopted its 2018/19 budget on Wednesday night with an average rate increase of 1.8 per cent.

The increase folds in last year’s 2 per cent increase to pay for the roll-out of the three bin waste system FOGO, but mayor Brad Pettitt says it was never intended as a one-off increase to be subtracted this year.

“My understanding is there are ongoing costs in having a FOGO system that last year’s 2 per cent will cover without any further increases to cover this,” Dr Pettitt said.

“FOGO is expensive to implement, and that’s one of the challenges, but the SMRC were the first in the metro area to do it, and we’re proud to have done that.

“And to be honest, I think the community is happy to pay for it, given the benefits.”

One-off

But in a release on May 31 last year, the council explicitly referred to a one-off increase.

“The capital cost of setting up the system – including purchasing the new bins – will be around $1.2 million, which will be partly funded through a proposed one-off, 2 per cent increase in residential rates,” the council said in a press release.

The other big-ticket items were the Kings Square redevelopment and the $3.2 million Fremantle Park sport and community hub.

There’s $44m in the budget for the admin and library building in the square, although $20m of that comes in the form of a new loan from state treasury.

Dr Pettitt said the loan would be drawn down gradually as the project progressed, with the first instalment in August/Sept.

The budget also includes $350,000 for a car park at Fremantle Park, $691,000 for the last stage of the city’s CCTV roll-out, $120,000 for a play space at Frank Gibson Park and $230,000 for conservation works at Fremantle Markets.

by STEVE GRANT