It’s Not A ‘Done Deal’: Cr Marija Vujcic

FIREBRAND Independent Marija Vujcic wasted no time chastising councillors over the Kings Square hospitality deal before she successfully convinced council to consider her motion for an independent probity audit.

That was just the warm up, the South Ward councillor having already criticised elected members for holding ‘conversations’ among themselves about renaming the 187-year-old title of the city square without seeking wider community input.

Ms Vujcic’s successful probity motion follows public criticism over its decision to prop up a three-storey restaurant, bar and cafe covering 828sqm opposite the Anglican Church site.

Fremantle Doctor Restaurant and Bar have until tomorrow to decide whether to accept the council offer to contribute $500,000 towards the fit-out and two years free rent. The ‘consortium’ was formed in November last year after a failed marketing attempt to attract none of the 130 hospitality operators approached by council’s leasing agents in 2018 and 2019.

As reported previously by StreetWise, questions remain over why the council offered the consortium $1.3 million in inducements and three years free rent, later reduced to two, the third and fourth years returning two and five per cent of the company profits, respectively.

And, why council did not return to the market and offer the same sweeteners to other hospitality operators, including in Fremantle.

Councillors except Geoff Graham voted to send the matter to the finance committee for further debate.

A done deal?

Cr Vujcic told council on Wednesday recent media comments by Greens Mayor Brad Pettitt that people in Freo were enlightened enough to make tough decisions, such as changing the name of Kings Square, could be perceived as inflammatory and derogatory.

“The adjective ‘enlightened’ is hardly inclusive language,” she said amid applause from the public gallery. “The community ought not have the perception that this is a done deal. Inclusion means that every stakeholder in our community has equal value. Everyone needs to know how their feedback was used in the decision making process. Anything else invites the perception of a done deal.” Cr Vuycic added, “Inclusion means everyone so we need to include people whose first language is not English”.

Socialist stalwart Sam Wainwright said it was not a done deal as debate was still bubbling in the Noongar community and warned by, “throwing the door open like that”, council could be faced with a more pointy discussion over Kings Square, particularly if no group could agree on a new name.

Labor councillor Hannah Fitzhardinge said there had been plenty of community consultation through its Walyalup reconciliation action plan but after meeting with the indigenous community yesterday decided to put up an alternative idea where shortlisted names would be put to the public.

Council decided to rename the new civic building Walyalup Civic Centre and deferred its decision pending wider community consultation on the renaming of Kings Square after Noongar leaders including Yagan’s father Midgegooroo.

Before the vote to include ‘civic’ in the new title, Cr Doug Thompson said, “At the end of the day it doesn’t actually tell me anything”, while Cr Su Groome said she could never pronounce Walyalup (as did Mayor Pettitt live on Nine News today).

City Ward councillor Rachel Pemberton took a stab at Fremantle’s founding father, describing him as a paedophile and rapist, a claim Fremantle Society president John Dowson described today as “utterly disgraceful”.

“Some people have been very agitated about the idea we would name something after someone whose killed somebody,” Cr Pemberton said, referring to Midgegooroo who was shot without trial accused of killing white settlers in the first few years after the British arrived in WA in 1829.

“But we’ve actually already got that in numerous places. Fremantle is a pretty offensive name because today he (Captain Charles Howe Fremantle) would be described as a paedophile and rapist.”

Mr Dowson said, “Captain Fremantle never went to court over anything and was never convicted of anything. The Fremantle family are obviously upset and bewildered”.

Cr Andrew Sullivan, who felt that sometimes people were too precious about such matters, added: “We might have a debate about whether people who may or may not have murdered people, should we use them as a reference for naming an area. Half the street signs would need to be changed. That’s part of our history. This process allows us to have a conversation about this history.”

Walk the talk

Most councillors wanted more conversation that was robust and inclusive of the community.

Cr Fitzhardinge: “We’re taking the reconciliation conversation outside council and into the community. So this a real opportunity to have a conversation.”

Cr Pemberton: “I reckon it is going to be an interesting and exciting conversation. I think we have a long conversation to have.”

Cr Sullivan: “This little aspect we are dealing with in terms of the naming allows us as a community to have an adult robust conversation.”

Mayor Pettitt: “I do think the community is bright, progressive and enlightened but what they come up with is up to them. It is the kind of conversations we need to have.”