UNESCO ADVISER SCRUTINISES FREO HERITAGE

‘DIRECTOR of Possibilities’ Richard Mackay says he will ‘triage’ the city’s cultural heritage sites, particularly in the West End, when he visits Fremantle next week.
Invited by The Fremantle Society, the founder of Sydney-based Mackay Strategic told StreetWise heritage assets were under pressure in Fremantle.
“Part of it is a resourcing issue and part of it a development/residential demand issue,” the UNESCO heritage adviser said. “I’m coming to do, if you like, a triage and look at new strategic opportunities to improve heritage management for the historic city of Fremantle.”
Professor Mackay said he would provide a report of his review to the Society, “which invited me to learn a little bit more about Fremantle, particularly the West End, and current intentions to review the town planning scheme. In particular, what opportunities are there to provide improved cultural heritage management, conserve buildings and find new uses for tourism and development”.
Mayor Ben Lawver has indicated a need for the City to update its town planning scheme with stronger heritage protections, particularly for the West End. Any review would include consultation with the Society, businesses, residents and developers.
Professor Mackay said his review would draw on discussions with heritage authorities, businesses, developers and members of council including the mayor when he meets him on Monday.
On Wednesday, Professor Mackay will take part in a Fremantle Society Q&A at the Federal Hotel moderated by international lawyer Andrea Tokagi-Ramana.

Society president John Dowson told StreetWise the visit and subsequent report would help convince council that heritage should be a priority.
“In 1997, when I was elected to council, the City had $97.7 million in income producing assets. The CEO said we would build on this and add to that. We would have $200 million worth by now. But we don’t, we have maybe $20 million.”
Mr Dowson said part of the problem was developers increasingly had a front door key to City officers who were reluctant to lose big ticket projects when they should seek the best deal for the city.
 Readers can explore 50 years of Society heritage battles at https://www.streetwisemedia.com.au/new-book-showcases-society-heritage-battles/.

Heritage priorities

JUST this week, City officers in response to electors’ questions about why there are no heritage assets disclosures in its latest financial reports said, “while it’s something local governments do … there is no requirement to do so and has not been identified by us as a priority at this time”.
Mr Dowson told StreetWise: “We know heritage is not in the city plan nor in the annual report. It is not a key plank of what they value about Fremantle. We know that.”
Mr Dowson said the City under Cr Fitzhardinge who was appointed last week as a commissioner at Tourism WA after her upset loss in October, “wanted to get rid of the Roundhouse at Arthur Head”, while mayor Ben Lawver appeared to acknowledge its importance in the lead up to WA’s bicentenary in 2029.
“What we need is money being spent on things that need doing now,” he said, adding many heritage sites were held in trust but not owned by the City, such as the Roundhouse, Princess May and Arts Centre. “The spotlight also has be placed on the state government.”
High Street resident Craig Ross who lives opposite the Roundhouse said the City’s financial notes released to electors this week for fixed assets contains a table showing additions and disposals: “There should be a separate column for heritage buildings. The City is not including it because it will show they are not spending very much on heritage.”
Mr Ross said the City of Perth has disclosed its list of heritage places including maintenance, valuation and depreciation on council owned sites and structures including buildings and monuments.
Heritage lists are created under the Heritage Act 2018 as databases which identify places of significance and interest within the City. All places on the Heritage List are on the Local Heritage Survey (formerly the Municipal Heritage Inventory), but not all places on the survey are on the list.
The database of heritage places assessed for their aesthetic, historic, social or scientific value contains an invaluable collection of information for hundreds of places in Fremantle and is available on the Heritage Council of WA website: inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au.
“The LHS is a starting resource for local heritage planning and in itself has no statutory role. The LHS helps local governments make decisions that reflect local heritage values and supports the creation of a heritage list or heritage areas which identify places to be protected under the local planning scheme.” Compliance is not mandatory.
About 250 places including buildings and monuments are listed on the State Register of Heritage Places, many in the State heritage-listed West End.
The City has said it owned or had vested authority over 37 heritage buildings and, contrary to the officer’s dismissal at the electors meeting, “seeks to conserve, manage and maintain them so that they can be used, celebrated and understood by both current and future generations”.
In a 2023 council information pack titled ‘Heritage Listings Explained’, the City states: “Heritage in Fremantle is an integral part of our city’s identity and our point of difference. Alongside Fremantle’s many unique and highly significant individual heritage places, we are also fortunate to have a large concentration of houses, bungalows, terraces, duplexes, cottages commercial buildings and industrial buildings that all contribute to the character of our suburbs, areas and streetscapes and contribute significantly to what makes Fremantle, Fremantle.”
By Carmelo Amalfi