COMMON sense prevailed on Wednesday night when Fremantle council approved the business case for the Fremantle Markets, that will see the current operator Jamie Murdoch’s FMPL getting another 20-year lease – until the end of 2046.
There has been a vocal minority that demanded the lease be put out for tender, but that was not applicable.
As one market stallholder said: “The markets are better than ever, but the negative attacks continue.”
The City of Fremantle received 387 public submissions of which 88 per cent were in favour of the new lease for FMPL.
Fremantle Markets CEO Natasha Atkinson read out a support letter from the Fishing Boat Harbour traders, who said the markets were a cultural icon that is driving local businesses, and has a ripple-effect on others.
Councillor Marija Vujcic wanted Council to ignore that they were not dealing with a competitive tender process and put a motion forward that the CEO should verify the offers of FMPL and GTL Enterprise, but the motion was rightly defeated 10-3.
Cr Su Groome said the markets are a very good business that has contributed for a very long time. “I am not prepared to risk that market.”
She pointed out the debacle of the tender processes for the South Beach Sunset Markets and the cafes at the Fremantle Arts Centre and Leisure Centre.
The popular summer market is no longer operating and the two cafes are closed.
“Fremantle Markets is a lynchpin for Fremantle.”
Cr Jenny Archibald pointed out that no other business collective pumps that kind of money into Fremantle, and that the Fremantle Markets are an enabler for small businesses, for those who can’t afford to open their own shop.
Cr Andrew Sullivan said the notion that anyone can run a market is not correct. His recent travel to the Eastern States had shown him that the Fremantle Markets is streaks ahead of most of the markets he visited.
Mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge said that council needed to move on as it effected many small stallholders.
Cr Ben Lawver put a sensible motion forward, that carried, to make sure FMPL will invest $3 million into the maintenance of the markets, and pays that forward to the City, and that the rent will be CPI reviewed every 18 months.
The Business Plan carried 11-2 with Councillors Vujcic and Camarda opposing it.
Just as a comparison; The Fremantle Markets, that only opens on weekends and public holidays, attracts 2.5 million visitors a year to Fremantle, while Fremantle Prison, that is open seven days a week, gets around 200,000 visitors.
Roel Loopers/Freoview