Western Australia

|General|South West|Metro|Kalbarri|North West|
Contact: Frank at franko@grrinninbear.com.au

STATE NEWS

WA GETS STATE COASTAL POLICY…AT LAST

The WA State Government has gazetted the State's first coastal planning policy, which will be implemented through local government town planning schemes, and regional and local strategies. This means higher standards and better laws protect the WA coast. Surfrider Foundation and Western Australian surfriders would like to extend their thanks to those members who made public submissions to this policy in 2002, especially the excellent submission produced on behalf of Surfrider by our Project Director Neil Lazarow.

WA Govt media statement back to:|WA News Index|

WOMEN'S SURFING SCOOP FOR SURFRIDER

The final of the Surfing WA State Open Women's Series (Event 1) was won by Rebekah Lorimer, one of Surfrider's newest members in the West, with Sallyann Gudge, former Surfrider Director and now WA Beach Representative, placing second. The final of the held in clean, solid and hollow 4 - 6 ft waves at Strickland Bay. Sallyann, who is also a marine ecologist and ranger on Rottnest Island, has been actively involved in the Save Ningaloo Reef Campaign, conducting research and preparing submissions on behalf of both Surfrider Foundation and the Australian Marine Conservation Society. Congratulations to both Sallyann and Rebekah.

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NO BUTTS ON OUR BEACHES

Surfider, with assistance from Rottnest Island Offshore Boardriders Club, Rottnest Island Business Community and Rottnest Island Authority, has developed "No Butts on our Beaches" campaign - the first for Western Australia. Design of posters and stickers to label recycled film canisters have been produced, distribution has begun, and a launch is planned for later in the year.

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3.5m WHITE POINTER TAGGED OFF SOUTH COAST

"The first component of study began in waters off the south coast of Western Australia in early May. The scientific team successfully attached a PAT tag to a 3.5-metre female white shark. This was the only white shark sighted during five days of berleying in the region, emphasising how difficult white sharks can be to find."
CSIRO WA shark study.

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NEWS FROM THE SOUTH WEST

• Save Smiths Beach - amendments to the local planning law to secure protection from inappropriate development will require public submissions soon. The www.savesmithsbeach.com website has the latest news.
• The Save Smiths Beach campaign website (built by a Surfrider Foundation member) is being used as an example of internet democracy by researchers from the School of Environmental Studies, Griffith University, Queensland.
• "The Capes" Marine Conservation Reserve proposal is a plan for a Coastal Marine Park encompassing one of Australia's most famous surfing coastlines
• Thanks goes out to those Surfrider members who made public submissions on the planned housing and guesthouse development at Injidup Bay just south of Smiths Beach. We'll post more news on the status of this one soon.
• At Margaret River, the Gnarabup Beach development is back in the Supreme Court after communication / consultation initiatives between protestors and the developer have again failed to find consensus about the future of this piece of coast.

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METRO-PERTH

Perth surfriders are fuming about the closure of an access track through private land to a northern beaches surf spot known as "Derrs" at Yanchep. Letters have been written to the local council.

A 980 low pressure system passed over Perth in mid May bringing 7m swells and a 1m storm surge to exposed coastlines. Much of the sandy coastline had to give up some of its foredune sand reserves to the ocean. Thank goodness coastal councils see the value in sand dune rehabilitation in decreasing the potential damage in these storm events.

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IN THE MID-WEST

• A proposal for a $150 million development has been mooted for this area of coast.
• Surfrider is involved with Friends of Blue Holes on creating a Fish Habitat Protection Area for the Blue Holes inshore reefs system.
• Surfrider, with the local townscape committee, are just about to start a Envirofund Coastcare community coastal project at Chinaman's Pt , Kalbarri.
• David Pratt - Kalbarri Beach rep

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NORTH WEST WA

EXMOUTH BRANCH ON THE MOVE

Word from the north is that active Surfriders and Ningaloo supporters stationed at Exmouth are looking to start a Surfrider branch! If there are any interested people in the area, please contact SF head office as there are loads of issues and conservation action needed in this area.

• Ningaloo Reef: Surfrider Foundation is involved in the development of the Ningaloo Framework Paper, after having made a submission on "surfers as stakeholders" in the area. This is grass roots involvement from Neil Lazarow (Director of Projects) and other interested (mainly Western Australian) Surfrider members. An invitation was made by the Marine Planning Officer, Marine Conservation Branch, WA Dept of Conservation and Land Management (CALM) on reading the short submission. Other interested Surfriders please contact Neil for how you can have input.

• Earlier attempts at planning for the Ningaloo Reef (The Carnarvon Coastal Strategy) have been scrapped by the WA government for a broader approach to the natural resources in the Gascoyne region of WA. The Ningaloo framework paper is one of the baseline consultation papers being produced in this latest approach.

• News Flash! A decision on the Coral Coast Resort at Mauds Landing on the Ningaloo Reef has been announced by the WA Premier, Dr. Geoff Gallop - the resort development proposal was rejected.

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