Kicking goals?

HOW interesting that South Fremantle Football Club members should find out on the front page of the Herald that as part of the redevelopment plans for Fremantle Oval the club has signed a contract to lease the oval for a period of 40 years. 

This despite members being assured at Annual General Meetings in the recent past that no commitments would be made or signed before any such agreement/s had been put to the members.

This length of time was put forward by the council when negotiations began some years ago and was knocked back by the then-board as not long enough, if my memories are correct.

What has changed?

The 2023 Annual General Meeting of the South Fremantle Football Club was held on Monday December 4 so why was this matter not discussed there?

Obviously that commitment has been ignored and the members, whom the board is supposed to represent, have been treated with no respect.

South Fremantle members own a large part of the land on which their members facilities are located so they need to take a more proactive interest in negotiations in relation to the redevelopment, or, they may find that the use of their land is being usurped, and the land and new member’s facilities being built are built more to accommodate the desires of the Fremantle council than those of the members.

To put that 40 year time frame into perspective one only has to look at the recent time frame of the Dockers stadium movements.

Established in 1994 they will have been in existence for 30 years in 2024; 23 years at Fremantle Oval and then the move to Cockburn.

Apply this timeframe to the South Fremantle Football Club agreement and that 40 year lease looks very weak and almost into the renegotiating period already. 

Where to then? 

This contract should have been for a much longer period out of respect for the history and heritage the  club brings to Fremantle and the land ownership involved.

As a Lifetime Member of the football club I have been a member of it for more than 50 years as have a number of others.

The Fremantle council with its grandiose plans for the redevelopment has ignored the fact that Fremantle Oval, in the centre of the city, is the only real green space of any value, except for the area near the Fish Markets and Fremantle Park.

It also has immense heritage value, especially in that area, something on which the appeal of Fremantle is built.

Fremantle Park is currently under-used. 

Perhaps the City should consider using that as a base for the uses it is planning for the heritage-listed Fremantle Oval. 

It would be more appropriate for housing and such, while still retaining green open space for community use.

Shame on both the board of the football club and the councillors of the City for the lack of foresight and trust exhibited by this decision, and the lack of understanding for the need to preserve the heritage of the oval. 

It also genders little faith in what the final plan will look like for the oval or the football club.

Pat Newton
Lifetime Member of The South Fremantle Club
East Fremantle