For those of you interested in what is planned for the Safety Bay foreshore, here is an update:
We attended a public meeting at the ramp on Monday 2nd May where some of the council staff and councillors provided a revised draft of the plan for facilities at the Bent Street boat ramp.
The plan included
* creating additional parking to the east of the existing parking area (with bitumen) and relocating playground equipment further east
* formalising the 'temporary overflow' parking on the grass to the west of the boat ramp by installing a solid (maybe limestone) base under the grass and replacing the grass
* fencing off around the Norfolk Island pine trees to prevent damage to their root systems from cars
* construction of a self-cleaning uni-sex toilet unit at the western edge of the existing carpark
* removal of the Norfolk Island pines at the top of the boat ramp to allow construction of a boat launching "preparation" lane
There were a number of other issues raised by attendees at the meeting, and these included:
* extending the length of the new finger jetty to allow an additional boat on other each side to tie up/wait for trailers etc (we raised that this would not be a good outcome for windsurfers, given the limited take-off direction from the beach)
* traffic management - ie signage and policing to ensure people park in a sensible manner (not ad hoc) which enables maximum use of the grassed area by windsurfers and the general public not just empty trailers and cars
* fencing (height & location),
* pedestrian (and windsurfer) access to the beach,
* dune restoration,
* seaweed build up
* overflow parking to the east end to remain grassed (as the west side did this summer) rather than installing bitumen
There were other issues raised as well, but interesting for all to note is that the Council expects this whole boat ramp facility to have a max life of 10 years due to the silting of the bay.
If you want further information about the UWA Centre for Water Research Thesis that was done on the silting effects of Warnbro Sound (and 'The Pond') refer to this link:
http://www.cwr.uwa.edu.au/cwr/publications/ug/04thesis/Hollings_2004.pdf If you want more info about the Councils plans, contact Ian Barker at the City of Rockingham on ph 9528 0332 or email
[email protected]The council is currently accepting submissions from the public (only until 31 May 05) and will then finalise the plans. Submissions should be sent to -
The City of Rockingham
PO Box 2142
Rockingham DC WA 6967
Following the public comment period, a final plan will be drafted and presented to the Council. The plans and report to Council will be available after Monday 20th June.
If you are interested in the plans for the area, or having your say on what happens, dont sit back til it's too late. Have your say.
