Fremantle Oval’s redevelopment plan includes housing, upgrades, and more events to benefit the community

A business case to support Fremantle Oval’s transformation underpinned by new high-rise apartments will be pitched to the State Government after the local council waved through a master plan for the major redevelopment. The multimillion-dollar plans are tipped to bring grandstand seating for up to 12,500 patrons, a health club and about 240 new dwellings to the precinct. But Ian Ker told Fremantle council that the housing element had come “out of the blue” for most people. “There was no mention of it in the 2020 master plan, and even the 2022 business plan only mentioned it, and then only four to six storeys as a means of funding the plan, not specifically as a desirable element,” he said at a council meeting. The revamp is intended to make the football oval category four by AFL standards and a State Government tier-two destination currently in short supply across WA. South Fremantle Football Club chief president Peter Christie also said facilities at the oval were ageing and leaving little to no capacity for women’s football, which is growing. The club has been the major tenant of the oval for almost 125 years. “We, for obvious reasons, are keen to secure our future there for the next 125 years,” he said. “Most in the room will also know that the overall facilities are 40 to 50 years past their use-by date.” While concerns over the incorporation of social housing into the mix had previously been raised, mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge said it was an opportunity for more people to live in the port city. “What happened to make us want to look at housing as a part of this?” she asked. “The housing crisis happened. “Fremantle is becoming very unaffordable, and I think we’re all very aware of that. “We have less than 2000 people in our inner city, historically at a low.” She said the redevelopment had been on the city’s radar for more than a decade. “It really is now or never to bring this beloved place up to scratch for the next generation,” she said. “We believe that Fremantle Oval is a destination of State significance that is capable of hosting sporting fixtures, concerts and events for medium-sized crowds. “The sporting facilities are in desperate need of an upgrade and have been for some time. But we also see opportunities for new uses of this prime location in the heart of Fremantle that would benefit the commercial city centre and the wider community.”