Augusta/Margaret River shire destroying a icon for Kiter's
by Paul Smyth on Friday, August 19, 2011 at 6:21pm
Augusta/Margaret River shire are at it again, this was my letter to the shire,

Mike,
Can not believe what I read in the local paper, You and Your mates are trying very hard to destroy one of the most unique spots in the world! Kite world magazine(UK) published a story written by 2 of the best kite boarders in business Sam Light and Tom Court on Augusta and how it is the best place in the world!! for kiting. I read the article and laughed that hard I wet myself, You say its good for the river, well the best thing for the river is to stop the farmers from raping the land and water ways with super phosphate and leave the dam river to go were it dam well wants to! Kite boarders are frightening the fish off, Bull****! What about the traffic from boats! And to do this with no consulting is just pure communism! I have organized once again to come down with a group to promote Augusta with the world champion and if You insist on destroying this then I will be spending my money else were! I will also publish this story on Facebook and to the kiting world and suggest that they look else were to kite! Augusta would be the mecca for every kiter in the world if You just leave dam things alone, I thought You may have had a little more common sense, clearly not!
Paul Smyth.

it would indeed be a shame to see Augusta banned, but maybe WAKSA should take care of such matter now it has been brought to public? WAKSA would probably be more listened than one person who doesn't write "politically correct" to the shire council members...

+ communism is by definition a politic decided by the people for the people (although history hasn't really proven so)... I think Paul was referring to Fascism or dictatorship...?

INTHELOOP said...

Augusta/Margaret River shire destroying a icon for Kiter's
by Paul Smyth on Friday, August 19, 2011 at 6:21pm
Augusta/Margaret River shire are at it again, this was my letter to the shire,

Mike,
Can not believe what I read in the local paper, You and Your mates are trying very hard to destroy one of the most unique spots in the world! Kite world magazine(UK) published a story written by 2 of the best kite boarders in business Sam Light and Tom Court on Augusta and how it is the best place in the world!! for kiting. I read the article and laughed that hard I wet myself, You say its good for the river, well the best thing for the river is to stop the farmers from raping the land and water ways with super phosphate and leave the dam river to go were it dam well wants to! Kite boarders are frightening the fish off, Bull****! What about the traffic from boats! And to do this with no consulting is just pure communism! I have organized once again to come down with a group to promote Augusta with the world champion and if You insist on destroying this then I will be spending my money else were! I will also publish this story on Facebook and to the kiting world and suggest that they look else were to kite! Augusta would be the mecca for every kiter in the world if You just leave dam things alone, I thought You may have had a little more common sense, clearly not!
Paul Smyth.

Do you honestly think that writing like that is helpfull.
Who cares about your money/facebook, big shot !
Leave correspondence to the groups and organisations that have tact and a brain.
Letters like that go straight in the bin, alienate local authority.
Show more common sense youself.

Letchie said...

Anger management problem much?? That'll just get peoples noses out of joint. If I read that as the recipient it'd make me stick to my guns more, not convince me to go the other way!

He'd be thinking that kiters are rude, cowboy bogans.

Who is Paul Smith and what's his interest??

Maybe he's working as a saboteur for the darkside?

Paul Smyth is the pro photographer from WA. Most of the photos in the Ozzie mags are his.

His letter is posted on one of the young blokes FB profiles:

Hahaha Marv You wouldn't believe the waves I have made in a short time, 2 replies from the couselllor that I contacted and know personally from wind will and gravity in January and 2 replies from the newspaper down there printing my article that I wrote! They say it will be a 50/50 chance of it working yet there still going to waste rate payers money on those odds. And why would someone want to take something unique as thhat away from people. Making waves brother making waves!

www.facebook.com/notes/paul-smyth/augustamargaret-river-shire-destroying-a-icon-for-kiters/274526159229936


Def means well but maybe not the best advocate. Advocacy = the art of persuasion

Remove emotion and let's see facts !

Marvin Baumeister i chucked it on seabreeze and im getting red thumbs lol. whats wrong with people. dont they read the paper and know what authorities are planning? if kiters dont care about a spot like that then kiting is dead for surelol

Marvin WA is big like Qld and augusta is 4 hours south of perth and hence we don't get their little country town rag . Paul's gibberish means nothing to us . There has been no news up in perth about this , hence why no-one has a ****ing clue what he is on about

iti said...

it was in the west australian a while back

and what is the story then ?

I googled "Augusta Marina The West" and found the west article

The marina isn't even being built in the river ?

this as the article from the AMR Mail on wednesday


Blackwood backlash
JANINE BEACHAM
17 Aug, 2011 11:53 AM
THE shire council's split decision to reopen the Blackwood River channel has infuriated some Augusta residents, calling it a “waste of money” and “ham-fisted”.
The council voted 4-3 last week to reopen the channel in a fresh attempt to flush it out to the ocean.

The controversial channel was first dug in August last year, but the attempt failed as no water made it through to the sea.

Leeuwin Ward Cr Mike Smart moved to clear sand from the channel to reopen it, saying it was time to take advantage of high river flows and tidal variations.

However, Augusta resident Ross Fimister said it was an attempt to “bulldoze” through public opinion, while resident and former fisherman Les Challis argued that the channel would only work if the real mouth was cut off (see Letters, page 6).

A budget allocation of about $20,000 is required to reopen the channel.

In council, Cr Smart said he had been monitoring the river levels and the once “very healthy and effective” river needed to be cleared.

“I guess I'm going to stick my neck on the line to get it done,” he said.

He asked that the standard two-week public notification of works be waivered, saying the Mail's front page coverage of the motion had advertised it to the public, and everyone in Augusta would know about it.

Cr Brian Middleton supported the motion, saying there was still the overriding concern of inadequate flows, algae and smell.

“It used to be a tidal river and ocean has had very little chance to do its cleansing job,” he said.

“We had one of the lowest rainfalls last year, nature conspired against it. I congratulate Cr Smart, he's been passionate and unstoppable on this project. It doesn't seem unreasonable to spend $20,000 to attempt to get it done properly.”

Cr Lyn Serventy spoke against, saying that when a cut was made in 1945 the river's situation was totally different.

She said that if the council had consulted with a coastal engineer in 2010 they might not have made the error they did.

AMR times Friday 19th august.

Augusta-Margaret River Council officers have narrowly won the chance to jump back into the Blackwood River and try to re-open last year's failed ocean cut.

The last ditch chance to flush the rivermouth area saw three councillors swim against the current on Wednesday night, with an unlikely alliance of Lyn Serventy, Jenny McGregor and John Bell against the surprise program.

A four-to-three decision gave the go-ahead to the new $20,000 engineering works, which could happen in a matter of days as long as a permit from State Government agencies was granted.

The dissenting members voiced strong reasons for opposing colleague Mike Smart's proposal.

Cr Serventy opposed last August's effort and believed the Department of Water was also against the plan.

“If we had consulted with a coastal engineer and not been in such a hurry, we might not have made such an error and have that cut fill up with sand again,” she said.

Cr McGregor criticised the decision to waive the usual two-week notice given to affected residents as well as the proposed cost.

“The ink on our Budget hasn't even dried and we are going to go in and take $20,000 from exactly where?” she asked.

“We don't even know if it's going to be $20,000. And what are we going to cut or what are staff going to miss out on to get $20,000?”

Cr Bell said the haste in going about the new cut indicated a disorganised approach that likely spelled its doom.

“The reason we are waiting for these (permits) is because we have not got ourselves organised to get ready for it,” he said.

“I'm not sure it's a good process.”

Cr Smart replied to many of the criticisms and dismissed the expertise of the Department of Water, as did supporter Ian Earl.

“Some mobs like the Department of Water, all they will ever do is sit on their hands and not do anything,” Cr Earl said.

“Nothing's changed from last year when we made the decision to open the river.

“The only thing that has changed is there is a damned sight more water flowing through there.”

Cr Smart's plan hinged on recent strong rainfall getting another boost from predicted falls this weekend, raising the river level to allow a connection with the ocean once sandbanks were removed.

However, he was mindful it “would be a waste of the shire's money and be very embarrassing” not to make the cut when it had the optimum chance for success.

No marina and no to "promotion" of a local spot..........basta, finished, get it.

awwww boooo booo. You poor little flatwater fairies. Why don't you just kite on the ocean side and powerboost off Augusta's HUGE angry kickers. Or take the surfboard out and spray ludicrous cutties on man-eating 6foot faces. Who cares, Augusta sucks.