Bold plan to transform Freo Oval on cards
An ambitious new vision to transform Fremantle Oval as part of a thriving mixed-use precinct has been pitched to the Albanese Government in a bid to secure Commonwealth support.
thewest.com.au
An ambitious new vision to transform Fremantle Oval as part of a thriving mixed-use precinct has been pitched to the Albanese Government in a bid to secure Commonwealth support.
The West Australian can reveal Fremantle Council mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge and Fremantle Dockers chief executive Simon Garlick pushed the plan during talks with federal ministers, MPs and senior Commonwealth bureaucrats in Canberra this week.
The vision for the project has expanded beyond just a sporting ground upgrade, with proponents now eyeing a redeveloped 14,000-seat Fremantle Oval as the centrepiece of a transformation of the entire precinct.
Project documents presented to Federal MPs - dated November 2023 and seen by The West - show mixed-use housing, a community aquatic centre, allied health and fitness centres and a new 200-300 space carpark are just some of the uses that could surround the oval.
“Sport will still be at the heart (of the project),” Ms Fitzhardinge said.
“But what we’ve all agreed is that it needs to deliver more than just a sporting outcome. It needs to have community (facilities), potentially education, health and wellbeing, potentially housing and accommodation.”
The new vision has the backing of the council, the Dockers – whose AFLW team plays at Fremantle Oval – South Fremantle Football Club and the WA Football Commission.
The project doesn’t have a price tag at this stage as it still needs to go through detailed design work and community consultation.
However, the proponents will seek State and Federal Government funding to help get it over the line.
The hope is for construction work to start in early 2026, subject to approvals, allowing the ribbon to be cut in time for the City of Fremantle’s bicentenary in 2029.
Ms Fitzhardinge said she left the meetings in Canberra confident that there was an opportunity for federal funding, giving the team the impetus to start developing detailed designs and a business case.
The oval redevelopment has been in the works for years as one of a handful of projects earmarked to drive the revitalisation of the centre of Fremantle.
The masterplan for the oval upgrade includes new clubrooms and grandstands, a realignment of the playing field, better spectator facilities, lighting upgrades and a refurbished heritage pavilion.
Ms Fitzhardinge said the redevelopment would secure Fremantle Oval as the home of the Dockers’ AFLW team and create a viable “second-tier” venue to host matches that don’t pull the crowds to fill the 60,000-seat Optus Stadium.
Mr Garlick said the Dockers were excited to work with the council to deliver the “much-needed” upgrade.
“Fremantle Oval is the historical heartland of the Fremantle Football Club and remains the home of our AFLW match days,” he told The West.
The community atmosphere and connection to the port city makes this venue special and iconic.
“It has been helpful to better understand how the Federal Government may be able to support this much-needed project in the interests of equity in sport by ensuring AFLW facilities are at the required level.”
Local Government Minister Kristy McBain was among the MPs to meet with the delegation to Canberra.
Asked if the Federal Government was open to supporting the project, Ms McBain said: “The Australian Government has a number of grant programs available to these organisations, and encourages them to submit a grant application, should they be able to demonstrate that their project meets the relevant funding guidelines.”
The project has the backing of two Dockers supporters in the Albanese Government – Fremantle MP Josh Wilson and Resources Minister Madeleine King.
“Fremantle Oval is a treasure at the heart of our city, but it should be enjoyed by more people for a wider variety of activities and for that it requires a generational upgrade,” Mr Wilson said.
“Looking at the oval’s future is the next stage in the steady revitalisation of Freo.”
Ms King said the project presented a “remarkable opportunity” to support women’s football while rejuvenating a much-loved sporting precinct.
