Party on in Freo streets

Fremantle Council has adopted a new policy to make it easier for people to block off their street for neighbourhood events and street parties.

The new Community Street Activation Policy creates a clear and easy process for community event organisers to follow to host a safe and successful event.

A key aspect of the policy is for the City to provide community volunteers with the training and accreditation required to undertake traffic management protocols.

Fremantle Mayor Brad Pettitt said the policy would encourage neighbours to connect with each other and create vibrant, active and friendly neighbourhoods.

“Fremantle has always been a very community-minded place, and there’s nothing better than rolling the barbecue out into street and having a get together with your friends and neighbours,” Mayor Pettitt said.

“It’s a great way to meet new people and really build that feeling that you belong and are part of the community, but it’s also important that these things are done safely and there are appropriate traffic management measures in place.

“To help with this the City will recruit community traffic volunteers through our precinct groups and pay for them to attend traffic management and traffic controller courses which will certify them to close local streets.

“We’ll also provide proper traffic management signage for organisers to use, and cover the cost of public liability insurance for the event.”

White Gum Valley resident and Yalgoo Avenue Community Street Party organiser Roy Lewisson said the new policy would make it easier and cheaper to host a community event.  

“For an average community street party like the Yalgoo Avenue Community Street Party it costs between $3000 to $4000 to put on, over 60 per cent of which goes on traffic management costs,” Mr Lewisson said.

“What this policy will do is reduce the cost to between $300 to $400 to hold the same event.

“It will also streamline a lot of the paperwork like risk assessments, public liability insurance, permits and applications.

“We all recognize that road closure procedures and protocols are necessary to ensure a safe event, and this policy will assist Fremantle residents to hold a community street party which is affordable and reduces the bureaucratic burden on the local residents.”

The Community Street Activation Policy applies to small scale events that attract fewer than 400 people, are targeted towards residents from the immediate streets and are generally invitation only.

The streets allowed to be closed under the policy have to be low volume, low speed residential streets. The section of the street to be closed must not include an intersection, traffic signals or bus routes.

Fremantle Council this week adopted the policy for a 12-month trial period. At the end of the trial period the policy will be reviewed and a report presented to the council for consideration.