Local woman Georgie Adeane started the South Fremantle Food Markets, turning them into a big success. Local people and Perth residents come from far and wide to enjoy dinner from the food trucks at South Beach during the Summer months.

Council has decided to put Georgie’s business out to tender this year, so we. may not have the popular markets this Summer.

This is quite extraordinary given that the iconic Fremantle Markets has not been put out to tender and remains with the same operator from 2008 – 2026. Prior to 2008, the current lessors’ family had partnership in the Fremantle Markets lease. It seems that Council will throw red tape at small operators and let the big operators in town get through the door without a public tender process (eg Fremantle Markets and Sirona Capital who picked up $50 million worth of Council assets around the Admin Centre without a public tender process.)

Georgie and I attended the City of Fremantle 2020 AGME on 21 June 2021 and I spoke out in favour of Georgie retaining her right to run the markets.

Unfortunately 6 weeks later, Council ignored this and voted to take control of these markets away from Georgie by putting them out to tender to find another ‘operator’ and possibly another Fremantle location. Council has treated this as a money grab, instead of supporting a much loved local market. Note the fine print that the operator can tender for an alternative location which means South Beach stands to lose these markets for good.