WA
4 posts
Cott rangers are now videoing any kiters who fly north of the Cott groin and will be confiscating gear.
A swimmer got a bad neck gash from a kite who then continued on his merry out of control way. The swimmer is now sueing the council. Complaints about kites coming in around the bell have also been received. Thus the whole windsports / water craft rules are all going to be updated no doubt greatly restricting our location access around cott.
Ohh and as a part of a crew of windsurfers who have been sailing around this area for years, we are now banned as well thanks to a few out of control tea baggers (no ref to all).
And we are extremely pissed!
WA
441 posts
There has always been a ban on all board water sports 300m around the cott main groyne over the summer months. You say that you have been banned as well, banned from where? this info needs to be readily available to people such that we can do a bit of self awareness and policing if necessary
Has this now been extended further north? and or south
It will be a pity if this is the case.
What authority have rangers got to confiscate gear? my understanding and it could be wrong is that the waterways are controlled by dept. of coast and harbours (or what ever it is called) from high water mark and that these are policed by the water police etc.
shane
WA
705 posts
Shane,
sounds right to me.
I have successfully argued (when faced with a dog fine) that the relevant law (Dog in National Park) only applied to the high water mark.
I therefore argued that my dog was on the beach below the high water mark.
Given Council Ranger love to police what is happening in the water on beaches over which they have control, it would be interesting to see whether they have the power to actually do this. Eg. can they:
- issue by-laws in relation to activities on the water (particularly having regard to the Council's boundary); and if so
- police those by-laws; by
- confiscating gear?
WA
4 posts
Yeah, I'm no expert on the regulations. For your info we launch from just north of North Cott surf club(spending 99% of the time well beyond the required 200m from shore).
The ranger approached us as we were rigging up early this week and said you can’t sail here then told us what happened to the swimmer and that if we did sail there he would take our gear and mentioned they would monitoring how close people came to the shore and videoing them. The ranger said it is fine south of the rocks and that he doesn’t care what we do the other side of North st because that’s out of his jurisdiction.
Yes it is a swimmers beach so all rules are fair that protect them. It’s just disappointing because we have always been careful and as a location it’s never attracted more than 4-10 mates. We have a good relationship with the club (and some of them sail there as well) and the previous ranger was ok with it. As always you can rest assured this is just the start of the restrictions …
I don’t think the council has changed any rules yet. They are just petrified of legal action. Imagine a swimmer death? Not good for them or us (or the swimmer obviously).
WA
1097 posts
I THINK MR "HUGE" 's ego posting effectively portrays the crap attitude and bantering there is at the moment held by a lot of water users....
say bye bye to a lot of spots soon i am thinking...
WA
92 posts
Most Kiting Spots in Perth have a small group of 'locals' who frequent each spot. I personally sail at 3 spots regularly. If I see someone doing something dangerous I would have no hesitation letting that person know he or she should pull their head in.
If we all do this then the increasing spiral of incidents being reported may go away and our beloved kiting spots will stay as they are.
What do others think? How do we turn this around unless we police the sport ourselves?
NSW
3904 posts
A windsurfing friend was relating a story about scarborough many years ago when windsurfing started there. This is all related third hand .. Similar issues about fear of gear being confiscated etc .. the ranger doesn't have juristiction over what happens on the water - that's the Dept. Marine as mentioned earlier.
Anyways .. windsurfing was going to be banned at scabs, they got a group together, and now have their own spot. They ended up with signs "Windsurfing Area" or something similar .. (haven't seen any recently)
WA
528 posts
its all a moot point really - juristiction below the water mark or whatever . If someone gets hurt (or worse) then we're all going to suffer. Keep out of peoples way, launch and land safely,
and be super cautious when theres non kiters any where around.
WA
114 posts
I have question and another point of view for this topic.
Last year i was told about the no windsurfing south of the bridge at Leightons, i have no problem with this and even when i go out north of the bridge i go further north of the windsurfers (trying to be polite and all) Any way on friday arvo i was out, their was only 4 of us out no biggy, lite winds but still fun.
My point is this, is north of the bridge sanctioned for windsurfer/kiter. I know its the dog beach but dog owners dont know what their doing either as a pitbull not under control of its owner pissed over my kite (yeah yeah not funny when you havent put your lines on yet!!!, stop laughing shane) anyway back to the point. Is it clearly a windsurf/kitesurf area ?, if it is then shouldnt there be signs saying swimmers beware dangerous sport being carried out in this area.
Do you see what i am getting at. People have to face up to the point they are responcible for their actions. There are so many signs stating "NO WINDSURFING AND SURFING OR DOGS, CAT, FERRETS, CARS, BOATS, JET SKIS, BLA BLA BLA BLA BLA" around so why not signs that say "NOTICE TO THE SWIMMERS THIS IS A WIND & KITE SURFING AREA PLEASE STAY OUTR OF THE WATER WHEN IN USE BY THESE WATER CRAFT".
just a thought
regards BROWNEEE
WA
649 posts
There are signs at nearly all beaches from Port through to the pedestrian bridge at North Leighton prohibiting ALL surfcraft during summer months - this includes us obviously - we are already under scruntity so let's not get any more bad publicity.
Speaking of signs, I went down to the phone box @ Cott on Saturday just in time to see a guy who had pumped up his kite on the grass then jump over the fence with a sign that clearly said "Dune preservation area - please use pathways" - at a time when Cott Rangers are already gunning for us this sort of behaviour does NOT help!!!!
Cheers,
Ian Young
www.flysurf.com.au
0414 716 812
WA
350 posts
I'm a culprit for that. Will cease immediately.
WA
267 posts
a mate of mine works for the cott concil and he stopped to have a chat at the phone box the other day and he said that they are going to put in a walkway for us to use on the south side of the steps where i and many others carry their inflated kites to and from the grassed area so when thats done no one should trash the vegetation any more. hopefully this means the council is not against us if they are going to build a path for us.
wayne
WA
188 posts
Go to OBH back bar at 7.30pm on 27th to discuss and show support to help us keep kiting at Cott. It is a WAKSA meeting
WA
814 posts
I think it's at the Cott not the OBH...
WA
10 posts
A new path would be great at Dean St (ie phone box) but every time the council put in a path they also put in railings and signs which restrict access with sails and kites. More paths need to be like the one at Dutch Inn, low copper logs and no sign posts.
WA
188 posts
Yeh, it's at the Cott Hotel.
