Media Release
Hilton receives $4.6m facelift
THE City of Fremantle’s plan to develop a new community precinct along Hilton’s Paget Street today received a $3.5 million boost from Federal Government funding.
This is in addition to $1.1 million put into the project by the City of Fremantle.
Over three years of planning has already gone into the Hilton Precinct Project which aims to integrate existing disjointed services in the Paget Street/Rennie Crescent area to make a more user-friendly and cohesive town centre.
Capital works are expected to begin in February. They will include the expansion and improvement of the Police and Citizens Youth Club (PCYC) which will be linked with the neighbouring Progress Hall which will also be upgraded to offer better facilities and a toy library; the Paget Street streetscape will be upgraded and pedestrian access and landscaping enhanced.
City of Fremantle Chief Executive Officer Graeme Mackenzie said the new precinct would improve the quality of community services available in the suburb whose growth had outpaced existing infrastructure, much of which was from the 1950s and 60s.
“The new Hilton Precinct Project will transform a dated area into a new vibrant and sustainable hub through the implementation of a community-approved master plan,” he said.
“The aim of the project was to enable the City of Fremantle to provide better community services, and better service delivery, to residents in the area.
“Securing Federal Government funds for the project is a credit to City of Fremantle officers Phil Gale, Helen Emery and Ken Posney (retired) who put together a comprehensive proposal.”
The funds are part of the Rudd Government’s $800 million Community Infrastructure Program administered by the Department of Infrastructure.
The public consultation process for the Hilton project began in 2005.
Regional development, lot sub-divisions and infill residential developments had rapidly changed population demographics and subsequently increased demand for community facilities and services in the area.
Mr Mackenzie said that improving the design, functionality and integration of the built form and open spaces within the precinct would enable the delivery of a broader range of community services and programs.
The Paget Street frontage developed as a common frontage to accommodate community centre entrances, pedestrian, bicycle and vehicle access and parking. It will involve relocating the fringe housing car park and the hall toilets, and the common development of access and landscape for the full street frontage.
Click here to view the plan
The community hall and the PCYC building will be linked to enable sharing of facilities.
Concept plans for the Hilton Precinct Project will be available on the City of Fremantle’s website at www.freofocus.com
For more information or to arrange an interview, contact Merryn McLean on 9432 9827 or 0405 307 141 or merrynm@fremantle.wa.gov.au
