As a newbie to kiting, I haven't been on the scene long enough to know what the issues are you all had with the JCC & Mullaloo SLSC last year; I haven't heard of anyone being decapitated by kite lines or seriously injured by a kiter.
But as a multiple use beach user (like us all) I feel that I have to wade into this discussion.
It seems to me, perhaps wrongly, that the whole beach use investigation/persecution has been spurred on in response to a bit of a p*ssing contest for turf rights started by a small vocal minority.
It also seems that a lot of the attention has been unfairly placed onto the kiters who use the Mullaloo & Pinnaroo Point areas, maybe it seems this way due to my only exposure to this issue has been through this forum, I haven't checked out any jet ski or fishing forums to see if they are just as much up in arms as much as us all here.
The beach is a common place for everyone;
Yesterday I was having a lesson at Pinnaroo point, halfway through I was exiting the water, the water was about waist deep when I stepped on a fish hook & got it stuck in my foot.
What followed would have looked pretty funny if you didn't know what was going on; I fell to my knees & was rolling around onto my ass a bit as I struggled to regain my footing & not step on my afflicted foot, all the while trying to keep the kite in the air & not crash it on anyone.
I could feel that there was line pressure on the hook & was hoping it wasn't somehow snagged on anything (even though I know full well that there's nothing to get snagged on at Pinnaroo) as I regained my footing & got out of the water; I ended up being able to pull it out of my foot while keeping the kite in the air & asked another kiter walking by, to put it in the bin for me (thanks mate), then kept going with my lesson, I'm tough like that ;)
It ended up being a full rig from hook, which was a bit smaller than the size used on ganged tailor rigs, to swivel & small running sinker.
On top of that, the amount of times I've seen fisher folk set up & cast out amongst swimmers, kiters & others is mind boggling.
I mean right in the middle of anyone who is already there, often they set up right in the middle of the kite school at Pinnaroo Point, it's a designated school area with signs & they see fit to set up right there, with a 'stuff you Joe I'm alright' attitude.
And on the weekends, people swimming, jet skis roaring around & the fisher folk set up & cast out thinking they're gonna catch something with all that activity in the water.
Not to mention putting people at risk of getting hooked, letting their empty bait bags fly down the beach etc
So why does fishing only rate as a 'Medium risk activity?
So whilst the kiters, jet skiers & windsurfers are being faced with having restrictions/safety requirements placed on them, why stop there?
Fishers should be tested & certified in the skills of knot tying so they don't lose rigs in wading distance of the shore, social awareness of other beach users and also be subject to spot gear inspections to make sure they're not using old tackle that will break at the first cast, AND be made to carry self closing bins of a certain capacity so they can dispose of their rubbish effectively.
Swimmers should not be allowed into the water at any beach unless they have achieved a competent nationally recognised level of swimming skill, checkable on the spot by a current swimming certificate.
All dog owners should made to have their animals wear doggy diapers to avoid leaving their faeces & urine all over the beach.
Where do we stop? Why regulate/restrict a few when the actions of all beach users can have an effect on everyone on the beach?
My point is that we are a beach loving nation, there is always a lot of activity at our beaches by many different types of beach users, so common sense should prevail & we all need to learn to get along and work around & with each other to keep things friendly & most importantly, safe.
Without over regulation & restrictions.
Conflict like the current issue is usually caused by the actions of a few irresponsible people being complained about to local government by a small vocal minority.
So what else is the local government going to do?
They're going to apply the bureaucratic oil to the squeaky wheel in any way they can and if imposing heavy restrictions on the complainees placates & gets the complaining parties off their back, then so be it.
Situations like this are not often best resolved directly by local government, all the local government wants to do is make the noise (of complaints) go away, that way they have a measurable test of success, whether it in the best interests of everybody or not.
Being that the local government have opened up the issue for public comment shows that they are making an effort to understand the various views, although I'm not familiar with any previous step taken & restrictions already imposed, I assume that they are trying to approach this issue even handedly.
But when this type of situation flares up, people can get their backs up & take the defensive & being in a defensive position is not conducive to letting the other side's point of view get through.
Now I don't know if the people complaining are actually fronting up to any meetings that the local government are having with the various affected groups or if they are hiding behind the council; I don't even know if there are meetings being held, but frankly, I tend to believe that the complainers are hiding behind the local government & using them to attack kiters & the other affected parties, for whatever reasons they have for doing so.
Now attacks like this often come from a lack of understanding & fear; sure someone may have had a close call on the beach with a stray kite or have been buzzed in the water by a jet skier (I've been buzzed by a jet skier in the water while swimming with my kids, but I didn't instantly tar all jet ski riders with the same brush), but really the root cause of the matter is, as I see it, someone (sic) has had a bad experience, whether serious or minor with one of our ilk, possibly one of the few irresponsible ones and if that's their only memory forming experience of us, then of course they are going to see us all as evil water demons.
To resolve this properly, both sides of the dispute need to communicate better, to put aside their misconceptions & actually get together & show each other where they're coming from.
I don't know what the local kiter organisations are preparing to help our case, I can only assume they're putting in a big effort to make common sense prevail, but no one has heard anything yet from them except, 'don't worry guys, we're putting in a big effort & will stand for good reason for everyone, you'll see', I'm sure we can have faith that they are.
I don't know if anyone has thought of this, but has anyone thought of having an open day of sorts?
I envisage the local kiting organisations/groups having an informal open day/meeting down at the beach, getting the gear & relevant info out for display & inviting the complainers & the local government down for the purpose of communication & education, a forum if you will, for free communication from both sides.
We get the chance to say, hey, this is us, this is what we do, we don't mean any harm & if you have had a bad experience with someone who appears to be like us, please believe us that the majority of us do the right thing, we're not here to take your beach away & we believe that we can exist together in harmony.
And we also need to have our ears open to their concerns & fears.
The dispute is about the beach & its use, we love the beach, the people complaining obviously love the beach, so where better to meet to discuss these issues & hopefully break down some barriers?
However the only way this thing will come to a satisfactory resolution for both sides, is by both sides to get together to make themselves heard in a mature & adult fashion.
If either side closes themselves out from hearing what the other side has to say, should they really be allowed to have a say in what the outcome is?
If we had an open day for example & the people complaining do not attend, then why should they be listened to by local government?
And conversely, if we the kiters don't support our point of view in a practical way, then really we don't have a basis of complaint if things go too far against our favour.
From what I've seen on this forum, most if not all of us show a strong belief in safety & equal access to our beaches for all, I'm sure that the minority of kiters giving us a bad name don't even read this forum so probably aren't even aware of this issue.
If we all band together to make the beaches a better place for all users, surely the minority of inconsiderate kiters & even the overseas visitor kiters will see the beaches working nicely & act appropriately?
From what I've seen, the kiter community is very friendly & willing to help anyone who needs it, it's one of the many things that has me enthused about this sport, the camaraderie; surely we can band together to make the outcome favourable for everyone?
I didn't intend to make this rant so long, just wanted to have my say.
Or maybe I'm just annoyed that I got a fish hook stuck in my foot yesterday...
; I guess it was a physical metaphor 
