THE Leighton Action Coalition fears Fremantle’s coastal strip became a bit of an afterthought in planning for the city’s post-port future and needs more consideration.

LAC organiser Paul Gamblin attended Future of Fremantle planning sessions last year and says while the ambitious project seems to be moving along well, he fears there was so much to consider in other areas that Port and Leighton beaches didn’t get the attention they need.

As a result, the three scenarios released by the Future of Fremantle committee in late November were broadly similar and didn’t explore possible alternatives, he said.

“They have the same limited setback, and they all have quite significant engineering – groynes and revetments and things like that,” Mr Gamblin told the Herald.

“The port area is mainly the concreted, hard stand area, and now we’re looking at a dynamic, partly natural coastal environment, which just needs a different mindset and a different approach.”

Mr Gamblin said it’s becoming more common in coastal planning to look at ways the natural environment can be used to help repair damage and prepare for climate change, and LAC surveys have consistently shown beach users are averse to groynes.

“We’ve got examples in Western Australia of where coastal infrastructure is credited with the problems that we then chase our tails to correct.

“Port Geographe is one example where that’s caused massive seagrass build-up over years and it’s been a constant battle.

“Modelling the ocean and ocean dynamics is extremely difficult, and it’s very easy to get it wrong.”

Mr Gamblin said the beaches had a catchment of 100 suburbs, stretching to the hills, but there hadn’t been adequate study into how they should cater to visitors and urban development, such as with access, parking, recreation needs and setbacks to cope with climate change.

Setback

“Then we’ll use that setback, whatever that distance is, to determine what the split between parks or recreations and urban development it.

“Based on our analysis of the area for almost 25 years now, we think that approximately where Bracks Street is now, is probably where you’re looking at.”

Mr Gamblin also fears the Future of Fremantle committee might have felt constrained by a live amendment to the city’s planning scheme, with developers waiting for a decision from the WA Planning Commission on whether a large parcel of former industrial land opposite the beaches can be rezoned for housing.

“Those are industrial land holdings that date back nearly a century, which was pretty optimistic zoning; in fact it wouldn’t really have been a zoning back then, and it’s definitely not informed by what we understand of coastal process and climate change.”

The LAC put in a submission to both the Future of Fremantle and WAPC amendment calling for the rezoning to be delayed.

“We are really trying to encourage the planning commission to do what it really should be doing, and I think wants to do, which is to plan in an unfettered manner about what the future of that area should be, unconstrained by the existing land holdings,” Mr Gamblin said.

by STEVE GRANT