An artistic impression of what the new city would look like. Image: WA Government
The WA Government is endorsing a 50-year plan to turn Fremantle Port into a major waterfront city.
The move follows a government decision to spend $273m on detailed planning to move container traffic to the new Westport terminal in Kwinana by the late 2030s.
The Future of Fremantle plan call for the development of 260 hectares and 10 kilometres of ocean and river frontage in a project compared in size to the likes of Barangaroo (Sydney), Canary Wharf (London) and HafenCity (Hamburg).
The WA Government says after the container park is relocated, the area will be able to house up to 55,000 new residents in 20,000 new homes and create up to 45,000 jobs, generating up $13.6 billion in Gross State Product annually.
Deputy Premier and Treasurer Rita Saffioti says the Westport terminal will set the state up for the next 100 years.
“By relocating these services further south on our coastline, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine our harbour city and deliver new maritime, tourism, housing, employment and cultural experiences in Fremantle,” she says.
Planning Minister John Carey also calls the plan “an opportunity to reimagine the next evolution of Fremantle”.
“This is a bold vision that will reinforce Fremantle’s identity as an eclectic, dynamic and resilient waterfront city and one of the world’s great places to live, work and visit.”
Fremantle MLA Simone McGurk says the plan will help underpin future work in a “huge” parcel of land.
“Redevelopment of this scale will transform the harbour precinct into a world-class destination and bring a new era of investment to Fremantle and the wider region,” she says.
The plan envisages new uses for the land such as tourism, maritime industries, education, culture and the arts, research and development.
Government says that large areas of the site will be dedicated park and open green spaces with proposed protection for the Port and Sandtrax beaches from more coastal erosion.
The harbour would continue to cater for passenger cruise, naval and recreational vessels, government says.
