oneperth.com.au | Perth news

CHRIS THOMSON

The owner of the Claremont and Leederville hotels intends to transform the rundown Fremantle Club building into a niche, four-storey hotel.

A licensing application seen by oneperth.com.au reveals that Patrick Prendiville plans to erect a “new class … a new breed” of venue to be named the Fremantle Club Hotel.

Located in Bannister Street, just west of the South Terrace cafe strip, the hotel would offer 89 tiny, 15sqm, rooms themed as luxury motor yacht cabins.

Three self-contained apartments are also proposed.

Complementing the nautical rooms would be a rooftop bar and restaurant/bar offering a “vast” array of international and local wines.

Old cellars under the existing heritage building would eventually be used to store up to 500 cases of various wine vintages.

Mr Prindiville’s company, Red Rock Consolidated, bought the building off the Fremantle Club on September 29.

He is seeking approval for a hotel to sell liquor from 6am to midnight Mondays to Saturdays, and on Sundays between 10am and 10pm.

A front desk would allow guests to “customise” their mini bar with a selection of wines, beer and snacks. An unrestricted liquor licence has been sought to accommodate this.

Earlier this month, Fremantle City Council approved in principle Mr Prindiville’s plans to demolish much of the 1960s extension to the club and refurbish the heritage component (pictured above).

A three-wing, four-storey hotel (pictured, left) would rise in the club’s place.

A pool, gym and landscaped gardens are also on the drawing board.

The port city is yet to grant final approval for the project.

STAFF REPORTER

Police hold concerns for the welfare of a 78-year-old man last seen leaving his work at Fremantle Hospital at 2.49pm yesterday.

Kevin John Murphy (pictured) of Mount Claremont is 172cm tall, of medium build, with blue eyes and light brown hair balding on top.

Mr Murphy was last seen wearing dark business trousers, a grey long-sleeved business shirt and a tie. He was carrying a black briefcas

He left his work at the hospital and boarded a train at Fremantle Station.

Mr Murphy got off the train at Subiaco at 3.22pm and boarded another train for Perth.

He got off the train at Perth station, and was last seen on the pedestrian footbridge over Wellington Street at 3.49pm.

Police and Mr Murphy’s family have concerns for his welfare as his disappearance is out of character.

While still fit, Mr Murphy suffers from a heart condition and needs daily medication for this.

Anyone with information about Mr Murphy’s whereabouts should call police on 131 444.

CHRIS THOMSON

Eight chefs and food merchants – including the manager of the self-proclaimed best fish restaurant in Fremantle – have been convicted of a seafood cocktail of offences.

Among those caught in the Department of Fisheries’ net is Paul Anthony Wallen, 58, of Jandakot.

Wallen had managed the Essex Restaurant which – before it closed down recently – had been regarded by many in the seafood-savvy port city as Fremantle’s finest fish restaurant.

The restaurant’s historic building is now up for sale.

However, the defunct venue’s claim of having ‘simply the best seafood’ in Fremantle is still advertised on a sign affixed to the building facade.

At Fremantle Magistrates Court in September Wallen pleaded guilty to illegally buying high value demersal scalefish on two separate occasions.

He was fined $5000 plus $18,542 in mandatory penalties, and ordered to pay court costs.

SIMPLY SEAFOODS

Convicted as part of the same operation was Trinh Ngoc Thanh, 41, of Morley, the former owner of Simply Seafoods in the Wanneroo suburb of Merriwa.

In November, Thanh pleaded guilty in Joondalup Magistrates Court to illegally buying high value demersal scalefish on two separate occasions and possessing other fish products he could not account for.

He was fined $2500 plus $3771 in mandatory penalties, and ordered to pay court costs.

COOGEE RAID

More recently, a raid by government fisheries officers on homes in Coogee and Cervantes saw 10 people charged with 53 fisheries offences.

The alleged offences include excess possession of rock lobsters, use of excess lobster pots, interfering with other fishers’ rock lobster pots, and dealing in recreationally-caught lobster.

The most recent raids were executed after a month of surveillance. Three vehicles, one boat, six lobster pots, 64 whole rock lobsters, 63 rock lobster tails, cooking equipment and cash were seized.

The alleged offenders will appea in Joondalup Magistrates Court in early 2012.

Department of Fisheries spokesman Phil Shaw said the raids sent a strong message to would-be black market fish traders.

“Commercial fishing is carefully managed by the Department of Fisheries to ensure our most precious Western Australian fish species are sustainably harvested,” Mr Shaw said.

“Taking fish and selling them for commercial gain outside of the licensed fishery not only jeopardizes the livelihoods of legitimately licensed fishers, but also threatens the sustainability of the fishery.”

The latest operation is one of two that have so far resulted in eight convictions.

A further 17 cases are pending in the courts.

CHRIS THOMSON

The long-awaited ‘Bon Scott Bog Lap’ is finally open at Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour.

Last year, oneperth.com.au revealed that a new level crossing of the train tracks near Cicerello’s fish and chippery would make a street circuit – or ‘bog lap’ in the WA vernacular – possible past the statue of Bon Scott.

The late, great Scott, a Fremantle local, was the first frontman for AC/DC, a band favoured by bog-lappers.

Scott’s dulcet tones are oft heard blaring from car stereo systems in the quaint port city.

The new bog lap will be an alternative to the tried and true one around the South Terrace cafe strip.

Making way for the roadworks (and since the above photo was taken), the Scott statue was recently moved to the other side of the street. However, it will still be clearly visible from the new bog lap.

The Department of Transport and the Public Transport Authority funded the roadworks which include an exit-only vehicle crossing, bicycle crossing for entry and exit, and upgraded pedestrian crossings on both sides of the new vehicle exit point.

Fremantle City Council built the crossing – but naming the new stretch of street has become snared in Freo-esque red tape.

Department of Transport spokesman Steve Jenkins said the project has had other benefits including the widening of footpaths near the fishing boat harbour restaurants.

“The new level crossing also makes it possible for the Fremantle CAT bus service to include the harbour on its route in the future,” Mr Jenkins said.

A spin around the bog lap in the oneperth.com.au Yaris proved the new road surface to be very easy on the Bridgestones.

STAFF REPORTER

A 31-year-old man was arrested and released without charge this morning after a tug boat went up in flames at the Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour last night.

The Fire and Emergency Services Authority was called to the boat fire about 4.00am.

Police spokeswoman Naomi Smith said the fire was believed to be deliberately lit.

Acting Sergeant Smith said the man had been “assisting with their inquiries” and that investigations were continuing.

Arson Squad investigators were at the boat harbour this morning scanning the ashes for clues.

Acting Sergeant Smith said that nobody was injured in the fire.

The vessel is a 33-metre, ‘Gillian 3’ boat.

STAFF REPORTER

NOVEMBER 9 UPDATE:

A man who allegedly escaped from Bunbury Regional Prison on Thursday handed himself in to Fremantle police last night.

Police spokeswoman Naomi Smith said that Dominic Christopher Indich, 34, presented to officers at Fremantle Police Station about 9pm.

Indich had allegedly escaped from Bunbury Regional Prison on Thursday night.

He will appear in Perth Magistrates Court this morning.

CHRIS THOMSON

The Mt Lawley bar co-owned by former Fremantle Dockers captain Peter Bell looks set to avoid legal action over the appearance of its dark green facade.

After a long town planning wrangle with the City of Stirling, Bell finally got to open his late night Malt Supper Club in November last year.

The venue has quickly become a favourite haunt of Perth social climbers, its rooms bedecked with chandeliers and plush wallpaper.

However, Malt’s outward appearance so offended the city’s planners that they urged legal action if changes were not made.

As reported by oneperth.com.au in July, the planners advised that the facade detracted from the ambience of upmarket Beaufort Street.

Now, oneperth.com.au can reveal that secret discussions between city officials and Malt have led to a tentative agreement that the club instal openable windows to Beaufort Street.

The officials believe this will improve the club’s cachet. All that remains is for the city’s councillors to rubber stamp the deal.

Law graduate Bell and his partners reportedly lost hundreds of thousands of dollars due to the delay in the bar’s opening.

CHRIS THOMSON

Moves to name a small but defining segment of a planned ‘Bon Scott bog lap’ at Fremantle fishing boat harbour are floundering in a net of red tape.

Last year, oneperth.com.au revealed the new stretch of road across the train tracks near Cicerello’s fish and chippery would make a street circuit – or ‘bog lap’ in the WA vernacular – possible past the statue of Bon Scott.

The late, great Scott, a Fremantle local, was the first frontman for AC/DC, a band favoured by bog-lappers.

Scott’s dulcet tones are often heard blaring from car stereo systems in the port city, and the new bog lap will be an alternative to the tried and true one around the South Terrace cafe strip.

Instead of reinforcing Scott’s street cred’ by naming the new stretch of road after him, Fremantle city councillors first endorsed ‘Cray Street’.

This was rejected by the state government which figured the name sounded too much like nearby Wray Avenue and Grey Street.

‘Boat Lane’ and ‘Deck Lane’ were then suggested by city officials, endorsed by the government but rejected by the city councillors.

In various combinations and permutations of the labyrinthine decision making for which the port city is infamous, a further eight names have since been considered and rejected.

Now, the officials have given their political masters six fresh alternatives from which to choose.

These range from ‘Wardan Lane’ (after a Nyoongar word meaning ‘ocean’) through ‘Trawl’, ‘Mast’, ‘Sail’, ‘Kybra’ (the name of a cargo ship that once berthed in the port city) to a simple extension of the existing Cliff Street.

The street name will again be debated – but not necessarily settled – on Wednesday night.

CHRIS THOMSON

The shape of a second marina next to the contentious Port Coogee has been refined and thrown open for public comment as part of a draft plan for the north Cockburn coast.

In July, oneperth.com.au revealed a second marina was being planned to adjoin the contentious Port Coogee into which there had been a Corruption and Crime Commission probe over Brian Burke’s involvement.

Before it received council and state approval, Australand’s sprawling Port Coogee had been subject to years of protests – mainly by Fremantle environmentalists who lived on the other side of the nearby Cockburn-Fremantle border.

Now, provision for a second marina has been included in blueprints released by state Planning Minister John Day.

The mooted marina is part of a revamp plan for the run-down area around the defunct South Fremantle power station.

When oneperth.com.au first shed light on the marina proposal it had been buried as a sketch in an attachment to a City of Cockburn document.

Now the marina’s shape has been filled in and it is included as a distinct possibility in several segments of the state government plan for the area.

Mr Day said releasing the plan for public comment was an important step forward.

He said the plan would pave the way for new residential, commercial, recreation, entertainment and tourism opportunities and a network of cycle and pedestrian paths.

Comments on the planned marina and the wider Cockburn Coast plan close on December 1.

STAFF REPORTER

A major section of road into the City of Fremantle will have its speed limit permanently cut from 70kph to 60kph from October 24.

Main Roads has advised that the westbound and eastbound lanes of South Street, in Hilton, will have the reduced speed limit between Stock Road in the east and Hines Road in the west.

Hines Road is where the ‘Hilton Village’ shopping area, and current 60kph zone starts.

The change means busy South Street will now have a 60kph limit for the four-kilometre length between Stock Road and South Street’s terminus at Marine Terrace in South Fremantle.