City of Fremantle blind over Japingka parking contempt
COMMENT: SO much for council vigilance and good governance at the City of Fremantle.
Just a week after StreetWise exposed the unlawful parking habits of Japingka Aboriginal Art tenants, it seems CEO warnings against unauthorised parking of four cars in three bays behind the former Union Stores have fallen on deaf ears.
As it turns out, a fifth car has been using the rear of Japingka as their personal bay (pictured here). The owner of the car works at Japingka where Mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge’s mother also parks.
Images sent to StreetWise by neighbouring High Street tenants affected by Japingka’s encroachments show the breaches have occurred for at least the past 12 months.
Mr Clarke today contacted the City after he discovered a fifth car was using the rear of Japingka in a space with no lines or signs: “Hi, five cars in three bays. This seriously needs to be fined. Same car is in all previous photos.”
On May 17, the City wrote to tenants warning: “One permit issued equals one vehicle only. Blocking of, or encroachment of an adjoining car bay, is not permitted. The City wishes to advise all tenants will have a grace period of two weeks before infringements are issued for the above, so those needing to secure alternative parking arrangements have time to do so.”
Nothing happened and the breach continued.
After StreetWise published images of the unlawfully parked cars, CEO Glen Dougall last week instructed staff NOT to enforce any parking infringements until he sent tenants a formal response.
On Monday, the order was rescinded after Port Jarrah Furniture owner Clint Clarke sent the City a letter of demand for taking money for a service the City had not provided by overlooking his neighbour’s freeloading (at $215.50 a month).
“I demand a refund of my parking bay fee for the complete calendar year for the misuse of my exclusive paid bay. Total $214.50 x 12 months. Total $2574 including GST,” Mr Clarke said.
With a fifth car in the mix, that’s $431 a month or $5172 a year in income denied to Fremantle ratepayers.
Under the City’s parking local law 2021, parking without permission in an area designated for authourised vehicles only or failure to park wholly within a parking stall (not over the line as featured in the image) attracts a fine of $80.
“The City has a sign clearly stating authorised parking only. With up to $5000 penalty under private property agreement … Why are you refusing to fine the vehicles and asking the tenant to go pay for street parking?” Mr Clarke asked.
Acting director of city business Matt Hammond informed Mr Clarke on June 29, overtaking the CEO directive of May 17: “For any future occurrences of unauthorised parking in your parking bay I have instructed the relevant officers to take appropriate action.”
Nothing happened and the breach continued.
The City has not responded to StreetWise questions about whether it would issue infringements based on the photographic evidence provided by Mr Clarke and whether it will compensate him for a service he did not receive even though the City took his money while allowing tenants of Japingka to encroach on his paid bay. Not providing a tenant with a service they are paying for is fraud.
Japingka confirmed it leased three bays, but hung up when referred to the images of four (now five) cars regularly parked there since 2021.
Mr Clarke told StreetWise Mr Dougall and elected members including the Mayor and Deputy Mayor Frank Mofflin knew of the local government breaches, but did nothing.
He added all of the tenants at Japingka were culpable as they had to move their own cars to accommodate a fourth car.
“The fact the CEO instructed staff to overlook an unlawful practice is highly questionable,” a StreetWise source said. “The fact is for the past several years Fremantle ratepayers have been denied income because of this ‘oversight’ Mr Dougall and the mayor were aware of for some time.” They said the CEO is blatantly allowing this to occur.
Nothing happened and the breach continued.
Mr Clarke said: “The City has more than enough proof of photos that I have sent just in the last six months. There is also a sign stating of fines up to $5000 by the City. Why haven’t they been infringed?”
Mr Clarke plans to lodge a formal complaint with the Department of Local Government.
Additional stories www.streetwisemedia.com.au.
