Fremantle business owners say they don’t need mayor Brad Pettitt to be a moral crusader

Peter de Kruijff and Josh Zimmerman, The West Australian
Fremantle business owners are fed-up with Mayor Brad Pettitt’s ‘moral crusade’.
Fremantle business owners are fed-up with Mayor Brad Pettitt’s ‘moral crusade’.Picture: Sharon Smith/Sharon Smith

Fed-up Fremantle business owners have launched a stinging attack on mayor Brad Pettitt for ignoring the port city’s economic struggles while being preoccupied with social and environmental “crusades”.

The rebuke came as Dr Pettitt sent a letter to The West Australian claiming councils had been forced to tackle climate change because of a “depressing absence of leadership” at State and Federal levels.

His letter was sent in support of the City of Bayswater’s push to implement a 100 per cent renewable energy target by 2020.

Fremantle traders say they have watched visitation to Fremantle nosedive, with the exception of aggressive homeless people, and believe the grim economic conditions have emerged under Dr Pettitt’s watch.

Federal Hotel and South Beach Hotel owner Nikola Jurin labelled Dr Pettitt “a moral crusader with a personal agenda”.

Mr Jurin said the only time he saw Dr Pettitt in the media was when he wanted to talk about social or environmental issues.

“There is nothing about business, nothing to do with commerce or infrastructure – all these things that are very, very important,” he said.

“Fremantle is an immature city that needs to grow up. It likes to call itself quirky but now it’s just dirty, dilapidated and run-down. We need leadership from a business and commerce point of view, not a moral compass.”

A man walks through the Fremantle CBD.
A man walks through the Fremantle CBD.Picture: Megan Powell/Megan Powell/ The West Australian.

In his letter to The West, Dr Pettitt took aim at shadow local government minister Bill Marmion’s suggestion that councils steer clear of climate change politics and instead focus on basic service delivery.

“Arguing it is not the role of local government to address climate change misunderstands that many of our communities are asking us to do exactly that,” Dr Pettitt wrote.

But Fremantle Society president John Dowson said Dr Pettitt’s ideological tendencies over the past decade had placed the port city in a precarious financial position.

Questioning the importance of changing the date of Australia Day or banning balloons, Mr Dowson said the council had been forced to sell off assets in pursuit of its green agenda.

“In many ways they are heading towards being broke,” Mr Dowson said.

“The City has gone from owning nearly $90 million in property to closer to $20 million.”

Financial health indicator scores compiled by the State Government placed Fremantle last among metropolitan councils in 2017-18, including awarding the City zeroes (out of 10) for its ability to service debt and cover its operational costs.

For Lease signs on empty shops in High Street Mall, Fremantle CBD.
For Lease signs on empty shops in High Street Mall, Fremantle CBD.Picture: Megan Powell/Megan Powell The West Australian.

“We have one of the highest- paid mayors in the State and yet the worst-performing Perth council in terms of finances,” Mr Dowson said.

“All the climate change stuff is just a distraction. Getting rid of plastic bags is great but look at the financial situation and it is dire.”

Bousfields menswear owner Bruce Haskell’s family has been in business in Fremantle for more than 80 years.

He said it should be the State and Federal governments’ responsibility to sort out issues such as energy and where it comes from. “Councils are way out of step with what they’re saying, as far as I’m concerned,” he said.

“I just want services,” Mr Haskell said. “They don’t seem to be aware they’re spending other people’s money.”

Warren Menswear owner Sam Pangiarella said the council was focused on everything but businesses.

Mr Pangiarella said many residents were environmentally minded and liked the mayor but there were major problems for businesses, such as parking access, that had to be addressed.

“Spending a squillion dollars in Kings Square is not going to fix Freo,” he said.

“He (Dr Pettitt) was elected to run the town, not have an agenda about Australia Day.”

Fremantle business owners are fed-up with major’s priorities.
Fremantle business owners are fed-up with major’s priorities.Picture: Megan Powell/ The West Australian.

Fremantle Chamber of Commerce chief executive Danicia Quinlan said the council, and its ideological bent, were a reflection of the ratepaying community.

“We acknowledge leadership needs to come from Federal and State governments in terms of broader policy change in (the climate change) area, however we believe local government have a significant role to play in taking leadership,” she said.

Dr Pettitt told The West he did not see why the council could not “walk and chew gum at the same time” when it came to economic and social issues.

“Investments in renewable energy and the like are economic investments,” he said.

“They are lowering costs for all ratepayers including businesses. We’re seeing local governments do this everywhere so I just don’t understand why that would be a point of criticism.

“Our future modelling of our FHI shows it returns to normal healthy levels within a couple of years. Fremantle is going through its biggest economic investment boom since the America’s Cup with $646 million of projects under way at this point,” Dr Pettitt said.

The mayor said the council was focused on getting hotels built, destination marketing and getting more people living in the CBD.

“Macroeconomic headwinds for retail and for high streets generally are huge, that’s why you’ve got to change the structural elements which in our case is about bringing jobs back in,” Dr Pettitt said.