SAMSON PARK has been allocated an upgrade by Free council in what residents are calling a win for the city’s outer suburbs.
The Sir Frederick Samson Park Master Plan and Management Plan was passed by council at its meeting last week with the intention of setting “the foundations for upgrade, renewal, and conservation works” in the Park.
At 8.6 hectares, it’s the City of Fremantle’s largest natural park, but its low ground level acts as a drain for neighbouring water runoff, and residents say it floods with water and rubbish every time it rains.
• The Friends of Samson Park are thrilled its in line for a major upgrade.
Seasonal wetland
As part of the upgrade, the City says it will install a “seasonal wetland” to prevent flooding.
Additional parking, toilets, signage, shelter, playgrounds, barbeques, seating, and a basketball court are also in the mix.
The upgrades will cost the City about $2.93 million over the next four years, with $300,000 already adopted as part of this year’s budget.
As part of the master plan, the City is forming a reference group to “facilitate consultation” with the Samson community, which will include councillors Ben Lawver, Frank Mofflin, Jenny Archibald, Adin Lang, and mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge.
Community groups Friends of Samson Park, the Samson Precinct Group, and the Samson Leisure Centre will also be on the reference group.
Friends of Samson Park member Jean McKay says the park upgrades are “really important” for many residents who feel Samson is left off the map due to its location on the outskirts of Freo.
“It was terrific to know that this is actually now being passed by council, and it’s in their budget for this year,” Ms McKay said.
“The really important thing is it’s actually forward funding that goes for four years, and it’s been each year build on the activities.
Ms McKay says she is “absolutely thrilled” that the Friends of Samson Park will be included as part of the Reference Group, many spending hours volunteering their time weeding the park on a weekly basis.
“We work closely with the City, but we don’t actually have any sort of place in the hierarchy to deciding how things actually happen,” she said,
“Whereas [the City’s] natural areas and landscape team, it’s their job and they’ve obviously taken this on board.
The park itself is one of the WA government’s Bush Forever locations and is a significant jarrah, marri, and tuart woodland, which the City says is habitat to over 50 species of birds and reptiles.
Samson Precinct Group co-convenor and volunteer Alison Evison says they are “grateful and optimistic” about the upgrade.
“We always feel like the money gets spent with CBD upgrades,” Ms Evison said.
Rate increases
“We just keep getting great, massive rate increases and not seeing anything for it, so this is really good that there’s actually going to be some money spent in the Samson area.”
It’s a “massive” decision for Samson’s community, according to Ms Evison, which has lost its hub in the last few years since the nearby shopping centre shut down.
“We don’t have anything else in Samson,” she said.
“I went to the council meeting last week, and one of the other residents said that he’s got young kids but he’d take them somewhere else instead of the park literally at the end of his road.
“To have it improved is huge, because if your own residents aren’t even going there, then there’s something wrong.”
by KATHERINE KRAAYVANGER