Fremantle looks set take a hit in this year’s State budget, with early signs revealing that the Warders’ Cottages may be the first victim of the Government’s financial mismanagement.

Fremantle Labor MP Simone McGurk said the Liberal National Government looked likely to adopt a plan to renovate and sell off two cottages at a time, raising money for the renovation of the next set of cottages.

“This will be the final chapter in the ongoing saga of neglect at the historical Henderson Street site.

“Privatising Fremantle’s heritage assets is a slap in the face for a community which has valued and appreciated these Cottages,” Ms McGurk said.

Ms McGurk said a recent petition she launched together with the Fremantle Society attracted more than 1,000 signatures, calling for a solution that was realistic on the resources needed for restoration, recognised the historic significance of the cottages and put in place plans for their future use.

“Not only will the Government’s new plan take the heritage icons out of public hands, Henderson Street would become a building site for the next ten years,” Ms McGurk said.

Ms McGurk said a recent meeting scheduled with Housing Minister Bill Marmion was cancelled at the last minute, indicating that the Government had closed the door on finding a compromise.

“I would support the plan for the Government to gift the cottages to the City of Fremantle, on the condition that restoration work commences immediately, and heritage standards are maintained,” Ms McGurk said.

Ms McGurk said given the Barnett Government’s record in Fremantle, she was doubtful the budget would deliver on some of the outstanding promises by the Government, such as the relocation of the Department of Housing to the Freo CBD and the replacement of the outdated traffic bridge.

“I’d also like to see the outrageous funding cuts to education reversed, and our high schools invested in, so that Fremantle schools can once again provide the best education possible for our children,” Ms McGurk said.

The State Government has failed to ease parents’ concerns over possible school amalgamations in the Fremantle area by releasing a misleading survey disguised as community consultation, Member for Fremantle Simone McGurk said.

“It has been over six months since the initial announcement on possible school closures, but the State Government still hasn’t laid out any clear options,” Ms McGurk said.

“Without clear options to choose between, the consultation process is meaningless,” she added.

Ms McGurk said the survey was both simplistic and misleading, noting that participants were asked about John Curtin College of the Arts and North Lake Senior Campus, despite any changes to both schools being explicitly ruled out in the fine print.

“More than 90 per cent of the intake at John Curtin College of the Arts flows into its specialist programs at the expense of local intake,” Ms McGurk explained.

“John Curtin College of the Arts must be included in deliberations if the Government is genuine about delivering decent high schools for local families.”

Ms McGurk said a key concern of local parents was that a good selection of university entrance subjects was available to their children.

“Families want to see solutions from this Government about how this is best achieved, not a cynical survey where the options are unknown,” she said.

“I urge Fremantle parents to let the State Government know that they want a broad range of university entrance subjects, that they want to know what the options are and that all school will be considered in any change,” Ms McGurk said.

State Member for Fremantle Simone McGurk has launched an online petition calling on the Government to act on the dilapidated Warders’ Cottages in central Fremantle.

The petition calls on the State Liberal Government to recognise the historic significance of the Warders’ Cottages, ensure there are resources to restore them, and put in place suitable plans for their future use.

Click here to view and sign the petition.