Just a comment on the talk of banning kiting etc.

These decisions will be made at a local level (ie, Cockburn City, Melville City etc.).

The proposals for the bans have been raised by concerned rate payers (ie The elderly lady whose dog you almost squashed with your kite, The dad whose kids you told to p o.).

Local governments give highest priority to rate payers.

So even if you're a resident and a member of WAKSA and are well behaved, to the councils if you're not a rate payer you're no one

To get your opinion heard, organise everyone who is a rate payer into a kiting special interest group (SIG). Send them a letter with all the rate payers names and then make your argument, and request that you are informed on any Council issues relating to Kitesurfing/Beach access.

In Melville the council is one meeting away from a total ban on kite surfing

The council and the SIG who wants kiting banned will present evidence of kiters continuing to ignore all rules even after markers and sign being installed. Then they will show a video highlight package featuring Melvilles finest (That guy videoing isn't doing it for fun) , boosting over the marker buoys, using the marker buoys as a turning mark, spraying their friends on the beach, and my favourite, launching from the dry sand boosting high and into the water. They will also present statistics of hospital admissions as a result of kiting mishap.

Thats what you're up against folks, don't get pi***, get organised NOW !!!!

Yes, this is all true and just as it is important for the kiters in and around the river area, it is even more important for those of us trying to run a business in this industry. For 2 years I have been teaching kitesurfing here and that area has been the most intense in terms of mishaps and plain disrespect for the site. Mates teaching mates and learners going out in onshore winds and high tides have led to this point where the council deem it an unsafe practise. It seems that they have a strong foundation for putting the ban into place and can only see a mass opposition with prominent figures in the industry with valid points of argument having any possibility of deterring them. There has to some kind of policing of that area if the ban doesn't happen, just like they have in Tarifa/Spain. I would be interested in anyone who might have some idea on how to stop this and can be contacted on my email [email protected]. This decision will change many things for us here in Perth so lets stick together and try our best to keep this area free to use.

The markers at Melville are in place but there is no signage.
The markers are compliments of DPI Marine Safety; the signage will be provided and installed by Melville City Council.
The initial plan was for WAKSA & the council to work out the signage in consultation but we have not had any contact from the council for some time. WAKSA will contact the council then announce a meeting of concerned local kiters to bolster this seasons nos. of the longstanding Melville Beach Users Group.

We would suggest you save your experiences and comments for the meeting.
For those who still do not know the markers form a line 50M from the shore inside which there should only be kites being launched & landed. All session kiting and transitions should be outside that line.