Why Fremantle

Fremantle has always been a place of consequence – a city shaped by trade, innovation, and the ocean.  

We’re building on that legacy, creating a built and living environment that reflects our city’s unique influence while ensuring it remains a place where businesses, investors, and creative industries can thrive. 

We’re open for business. Let’s have a conversation, and let’s talk early. 

The Future of Fremantle Place and Economic Vision reaffirmed the city’s alignment with sectors such as renewable energy, tourism, international education, defence, innovation, primary industries (seafood) and space (remote operations). 

Fremantle has immense potential for an innovation precinct that supports targeted industries, housing for knowledge workers and office space for industries within the Western Trade Coast. 

As the city transforms, it its commitment to protect what makes Fremantle unique is unchanged. Its quirks and charms, its heritage and its connection to the sea – these are all elements of Fremantle that are central to its identity.  

To realise our vision for Fremantle, we need more people. Currently, few residents call the city centre home, and the local economy depends heavily on workers commuting from the southern and eastern corridors. Achieving sustainable growth will require increased density and a more diverse mix of housing options in the city centre.  

There are design and architectural considerations that must be carefully navigated and quality-built form is important to us, but these hurdles are not insurmountable. We prioritise exceptional quality development and investment to bring people to our city centre. 

Developers are already working with us, investing more than $800 million in development through planning and building applications. 

In 2024, Fremantle welcomed an additional 49 businesses to the city. The largest share of these fell within the Professional, Scientific and Technical Services sector, which now represents 17.9% of all registered businesses in the City of Fremantle, significantly higher than the state average of 12.7%.  

Tourism in Fremantle is largely driven by the domestic market, with 900,000 day trippers and 400,000 domestic overnight visitors recorded in 2023/24. This accounts for 8.3% of all day trips and 6.4% of overnight stays across Greater Perth. Fremantle also welcomed more than 62,000 cruise ship passengers during the same period. We’re an adaptive council and we’re ready to work with people to help deliver outcomes, to align your ideas with our vision for the city.