THE Town of East Fremantle says ratepayers are not bailing out the redeveloped East Fremantle Community Park despite the precinct recording an $858,000 operating loss.

The loss, recorded in the 2024-25 financial year and linked to operator Belgravia Leisure, comes amid ongoing debate over temporary fencing around the newly rebuilt East Fremantle Football Club oval.

A staff report to council warned councillors faced criticism regardless of whether they approved fencing demanded by WA Football.

Backlash

Under a section headed “reputational risk”, the report warned rejecting the fencing could see the Sharks prevented from hosting WAFL home games at the ground, while approving it risked backlash from residents unhappy about losing open access to the oval.

WA Football requested the installation of perimeter fencing to comply with venue regulations, maintaining the requirement was related to the safety of players, officials and spectators rather than charging admission.

Sharks chief executive Adrian Bromage said the club’s main concern was retaining home games at the venue.

“Our primary goal is to continue to play our games there,” he said.

The club proposed leaving fencing in place during blocks of consecutive home games to reduce installation costs.

“If we do an install and demount each home block, there’s only 12 times that occurs, it will cost us about $8,000,” Mr Bromage said.

He also agreed to wider gaps in the fencing to improve crowd movement.

Council ultimately agreed to allow temporary fencing for the 2026 WAFL season while a longer-term solution is considered.

The debate unfolded as the town defended the financial performance of the multimillion-dollar community precinct.

Town chief executive Jonathan Throssell disputed claims the council had made a specific decision to “underwrite” Belgravia’s losses, arguing the figures reflected the structure of the facility’s operating model rather than a separate bailout.

According to the town, the precinct costs about $700,000 a year to operate as a community facility, including grounds maintenance, utilities and staffing.

Recruitment

The first year also included establishment and commissioning costs, staff recruitment and a period when parts of the venue were not fully operational, including the delayed start of WAFL matches.

“The higher figure reflects the reality of the early operating period,” Mr Throssell said.

“It was always understood that in the opening period there was likely to be increased costs while we were setting it up.”

The town said commercial operations including Carnaby’s Café, Bar and Restaurant and the B-Active Health Club were intended to offset community operating costs rather than maximise profit.

“Without the commercial component of the community park, the cost would actually be higher not lower as the businesses wouldn’t be there to offset the costs,” Mr Throssell said.

Under the operating agreement approved by council, Belgravia does not receive a management fee in years where the precinct records a loss.

However, once losses exceed the value of that fee, the remaining shortfall falls to the town as owner of the facility.

The council said accounting treatment required by the Auditor General meant all income, losses, assets and liabilities associated with the precinct had to appear in the town’s accounts.

“This does have an upside, meaning there is greater transparency and stronger accountability, even though it makes the numbers more visible,” Mr Throssell said.

The town said it was not considering special rates or levies to cover the deficit and would instead manage costs within existing budgets while seeking to improve the precinct’s financial performance over time.

“Our focus now is on improving performance year on year, strengthening the governance and ensuring that the park delivers good long-term value as a community asset,” Mr Throssell said.

by JAYDE BARRY