For various reasons, a couple of months ago Kurnell kiters chose to move their launch and retrieval zone down to Bonna Point.....no houses, no residents, not many people, no power poles, no overhead power cables, etc, etc.
Well, Sutherland Council have just decided to lock the gate leading to the parking area at Bonna Point.
They did this without consultation with us or with any consideration of our needs. Local residents were advised in writing that this move was under consideration, but not that it had been decided apon.

The explanation provided by the Council Officer who came to lock the gate is that by keeping the gate locked, people will be deterred from entering the area, bringing unleashed dogs, etc. and therefore the natural habitat will be protected. This is typical of an irrational decisionmaking process by a Council, because after all, both kiters and the general public can park East of the gate and simply walk around it. But the general public won't suffer the inconvenience we will, if we can't park reasonably close to the launch site.
We need a club to urgently protest Council's action and represent our interests!

I assume the new to be founded club has over 150 members. So that should be a good start to get some support to make them reopen the gate.

Until the club is formed. You still have the NSWKBA which represents kiterboarders in the NSW region.

Feel free to vent your issues to us until this club is formed. We can and will attend to any issues that members have.

NSWKBA is there exactly for these problems and we have a great committee dedicated to helping fellow kiteboarders and there problems.

www.nswkba.com.au

Cheers,

Marcel
NSWKBA Committee

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Originally posted by eightfootplus

For that matter whats with the star pickets at Dolls, are they so anchor the kites too for self launches?

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Great idea. I haven't thought of that...

I think they are going to put some sand bags or something to avoid the sand from being dragged away...

I hope it's not going to be something too solid...

M

I think they are just trying to make all the kite spots on batany as dangerous as possible.
Look at kite beach (metal fence and rock walls every 50m), they lock the gate at kurnell (making it harder to reach the cold beers in the ute while kiting) and now we have some metal stakes in the sand at dolls so when you get rag dolled on the sand you actually get hurt.
Once theres a few injuries they can ban the sport (for our own good)and everyone is happy.