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The future of Fremantle lies in the integration of new buildings with heritage listed buildings. The integration of retail, tourist and educational pursuits will be the heritage of Fremantle's future. Fremantle has so far been restricted in terms of what can come out of such integration by resistance to change. The catchphrase "retain the working port" has been used to stifle progress at Fremantle Port. Some people fail to accept or want to recognise that thousands flock dockside to Sydney Harbour. Hobart also is now not just a place for ships but for people. It has been transformed into a vibrant, eclectic, and dynamic port area. Hobart is a still a working port with an active fishing industry, the country's best markets, restaurants, a distillery, bars and hotels. It is a working port offering a fantastic environment for families and travellers.
Fremantle is currently considered to be the centrepiece of the tourism experience in Perth for both interstate and international visitors by most major tourism operators. The most obvious example of this is the promotional video played by Qantas to Perth-bound passengers coming from the east coast or overseas. The video features the port, historic landmarks and buildings, markets and restaurants, hotels and pubs that make up the Fremantle experience. The NPQ development would be an ideal addition to this marketing of the uniqueness of Fremantle.
However, one of the long-acknowledged challenges for Fremantle is meeting its tourism potential. It lacks facilities and amenity for cruise ship passengers. Sydney Harbour has developed a hotel and restaurant/entertainment precinct at the passenger terminal. At the moment, there is nothing similar for cruise ships berthing at Fremantle. Passengers arriving there are faced with a long walk or taxi ride if they want to leave their ship.
The NPQ proposal would provide the interest and local population base needed to stimulate investment and development similar to that of Sydney. While the focus of operations in Sydney is the harbour and not the coastline, they still manage the same issues but on a larger scale. One of the most recent changes undertaken to help manage these competing demands is the relocation of all heavy freight traffic and most container traffic from Sydney to Port Kembla.
This has taken place over time and has in no way diminished Sydney's reputation as a working port, but it has freed up harbour side land and other facilities for more community and tourism-friendly activities and developments, while allowing heavy industry to continue to have access to port facilities without impacting on the amenity of others in the community.
The port at Hobart has also managed its development as a focus of tourism, recreation and industrial development. Not only do visitors and locals alike enjoy the popular markets, historic buildings and restaurants, hotels and bars, but the port has maximised the tourism and development potential offered by its unique position as the gateway to Antarctica.
Research scientists, laboratories, suppliers and the like can all be found at the port, and it has become an important part of the Hobart tourism experience to visit the ice-breakers when they are in port and meet with some of the crew and researchers from the ships. The siting of the Antarctic Division of the CSIRO at the port has led to many other spin-off businesses and developments at the port.
There is nothing new in people living close or even within the confines of a working port. Tourists have always flocked to ports to enjoy the ambience and activity. Ports have always been 24-hour places by the nature of their work, with people relaxing, eating and entertaining. Internationally, Oslo, Auckland, Singapore, Hong Kong, Buenos Aires and Cape Town are just a few of the destinations where working ports are integrated with a variety of other land uses. This integration has made these ports a vibrant part of the wider community.
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