New Fremantle mayor vows to ‘get stuff done’ after upset win

The shelves were bare and the smell of fresh coffee filled the room as Ben Lawver sat behind the mayor’s desk on his initial morning in office, pausing for the first time after a whirlwind few days.

The view over Walyalup Koort, Fremantle’s heart, behind him in the morning light.

Less than 12 hours earlier, he had been sworn in. He already feels the weight of expectation that comes with the extravagant chain.

Lawver’s grassroots campaign was built from the ground up, with volunteers helping paint signs that supporters pitched outside their homes. He said he only ran because locals kept urging him to. And now that he is elected, he wants to hit the ground running.

“We say we’re a creative city all the time, but I want us to show it, not just say it,” Lawver said.

“I just want to take care of our community and get stuff done.”

Lawver’s election was an upset win over Labor-aligned incumbent Hannah Fitzhardinge, who had served as mayor since 2021 after five years on council.

From a total of 9661 formal votes, Lawver won with 4441 to Fitzhardinge’s 3589 after preferences, and will now serve a four-year term.

Fitzhardinge said she was proud of her team’s effort and hopes her achievements will leave a “positive legacy”.

She also questioned the future of voluntary postal voting, “when a less than 35 per cent voter turnout is considered good.”

“People who don’t have a lot of money shouldn’t be penalised for being less fortunate.”

Ben Lawver

Before Fitzhardinge, Greens MP Brad Pettitt served more than a decade as mayor, shaping Fremantle’s sustainability and reconciliation agenda, which Lawver said was now “embedded in the city’s DNA”.

Looking to the future, the newly elected mayor said cancer and a tough upbringing explained his sense of loyalty and community.

“Fremantle kind of adopted me,” he said. “I feel loyal to the people here.”

Originally from the Rocky Mountains in Washington State, Lawver now lives in Hilton with his wife, dog and three chickens.

He has resigned from Labor senator Glenn Sterle’s office following his win and was previously in the union movement, an experience he said had shaped his community-first approach.

One of the first practical changes Lawver wants to deliver is removing penalty fees for residents who pay their rates in instalments.

“I would rather try 10 things and have two not work, because that means you got eight things done.”

Ben Lawver

“People who don’t have a lot of money shouldn’t be penalised for being less fortunate,” he said.

Lawver says Fremantle must again be a place willing to experiment.

“I would rather try 10 things and have two not work, because that means you got eight things done,” he said.

Homelessness will be one of his earliest tests. He wants the council to move beyond sympathy and lead with action, opening a rest-centre.

“To give rough sleepers a safe place to sleep and come down in peace, if they are struggling with drugs or exhaustion,” he said.

“People should be respectful to people, no matter whether you have a house or not. When they wake up they might feel a little more human again.”

Another major challenge is the number of empty shopfronts throughout the city. Lawver has a plan to open council-owned empty spaces to artists immediately.

“We shouldn’t ask others to do things we’re not willing to do ourselves,” he said.

Lawver wants Fremantle to become a place where the state government can trial initiatives, like taxing vacant shops and overhauling noise rules that shut down live music venues.

“Help us as a city by just making us a pilot area to try new things so we can have residents and live music venues coexisting,” he said.

Heritage and identity are also on his mind. He wants to protect the West End’s iconic 19th-century architecture, while allowing growth elsewhere.

He said tree canopy was another priority after previously backing stronger protections for private-property trees.

On the future of the port, Lawver backs retaining a working port and pushing for cleaner, quieter freight movements.

But if the port ever moved, the land should be given to the Wjadkuk Aboriginal Corporation who manage native title interests.

“That would be really special, and make a statement that we’re serious about reconciliation in a big way,” Lawver said.

Lawver is determined to avoid cynicism and stay connected to residents.

He plans to keep door-knocking and will meet each councillor individually to find common ground in the next week or so.

“It’s not just about me,” he said.

“If there’s a bold move the whole council wants to make, then let’s do it.”

Lawver dismissed any idea of higher political ambitions.

“I know just enough about that place to avoid it,” he said.

“I just want to look after our community. There’s enough to do right here.”