20. CONCLUSION Strategically, this project presents a rational proposition for infill development: “Fremantle can support population density, it’s an area where there are jobs and also transport connections… there is diversity of social and economic opportunities” – Fremantle Member, Mr. Josh Wilson (Claire Moody, 2015)11. However, regardless of its strategic rationale, its proposal would likely stir some public resistance. Local Fremantle residents, Bruce Maluish and Eileen English, expressed their concerns of increased congestion, stress on existing infrastructure, and a detrimental effect on the city’s character: “they (local Government) have no feeling for the character of Fremantle… to go and put six-storey-high buildings in here is not appropriate” (Claire Moody, 2015). The proposed development exhibits several key features that will help to alleviate community resistance, including: improved public domain, increased public waterfront accessibility, safeguarding of valued historic infrastructure, sea level rise resilience, and conservation of ecological systems. In the isolated areas where Fremantle does engage with its waterfront, they are extremely successful places for people. It was considered that by increasing the accessibility of interesting public waterfront spaces, this would be a key premise for galvinising public support, typified by the design’s floodable parks. A permeable urban structure and vitalised linear movement would reconnect the harbourside with Fremantle and enact a more walkable city beyond the popular historic core, effecting an increased use of public transit systems, and helping to lessen fears of increased congestion from new residents and visitors.
11) CLAIRE MOODY, R. T. 2015. Perth infill backlash: Suburbs fighting high-density development [Online]. ABC News. Available: http://www. abc.net.au/news/2015-06- 08/perth-infill- backlash-suburbs- fighting-high- density-development/6521460.
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Without intervention, sea level rise threatens to regularly flood and inundate Fremantle’s low-lying areas. At the same time, a warming ocean will impact the livelihood of coastal fisheries and marine ecosystems, deteriorate the natural biodiversity, and potentially lead to a decline in tourism. The proposed strategy to safeguard valued infrastructure draws on the understanding that healthy, fully functioning ecosystems are more resilient to stressors and therefore better able to support adaptation (Munang et al., 2013)12, asserted by the proposal of actions in the water, and on the land. An environmentally-friendly strategy for sea level rise resilience will help to alleviate resistance in an eco-conscious community. This project could be coordinated by the MRA, acting as a broker between local communities, various levels of government, agencies, and private developers. State and Federal governments would need to fund the infrastructure, including the alternate rail reserve and linear levee park, with private developers brought in to develop sites. Following Directions 2031, Perth remains extraordinarily short of its long-term infill target of 47%, falling to 28% in 2012. According to Fremantle Mayor, Dr. Brad Pettitt, “The State Government needs to take a more interventionist approach if it’s serious about this (infill). There is little value in having another document with a series of blue-sky outcomes that don’t have any teeth to back them up” (Law, 2014). This project clearly follows this train of thought, balancing environmental, technical, social, and economic priorities to achieve strategic goals. The idea of linking densification to coastal resilience will become increasingly significant in appropriate river and coastal foreshores across Perth in the future.
12) MUNANG, R., THIAW, I., ALVERSON, K., MUMBA, M., LIU, J. & RIVINGTON, M. 2013. Climate change and Ecosystem-based Adaptation: a new pragmatic approach to buffering climate change impacts. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 5, 67-71. pg. 1 13) LAW, P. 2014. Future Perth: 900,000 new homes without the urban sprawl. via PerthNow [Online] [accessed Nov 10, 2014] http://www. perthnow.com.au/news/special-features/future-perth-900000-new-homes-without-the-urban-sprawl/story-fnknbeni-1227098457513