Read the full article here www.inmycommunity.com.au/
I thought this article would be of interest to a few of you. Article from "Inmycommunity.com.au"
SAFER beaches are flying high on the WA Kitesurfing Association agenda to address concerns the booming sport is attracting unnecessary future restrictions.
President of the eight-year-old, 700-member association, Justin O'Malley, said there were public misconceptions about how the kites were operated and kitesurfers needed government recognition before restrictions were even mooted.
Last month, he discussed general kiting safety, wearing lifejackets and a proposed kiting code of conduct with the department, but bans were not considered.
"I'm trying to get on the front foot so we are seen as stakeholders before any process starts," Mr O'Malley said.
He talked with the City of Subiaco recently about proposed foreshore plaques that could interfere with kiters and sailboarders at Abrahams Park, west of Pelican Point, the Swan River's prime kiting site.
Subiaco Mayor Heather Henderson said her staff were talking about the plaques with kitesurfers who were welcomed and with whom the council had no issues over their use of the site.
Mr O'Malley will also contact Cottesloe, Nedlands and Fremantle councils to discuss any kiting issues they may have after the City of Joondalup started investigating kiting controls on two 300m-long stretches of beach north of Hillarys Boat Harbour, public consultation from which is finalised this month.
Cottesloe limited kiting to a relatively unused beach north of the Dutch Inn groyne and north of the North Cottesloe Surf Lifesaving Club after kite lines injured several swimmers off Cottesloe Beach about four years ago.
Cottesloe senior ranger Ernie Polis said the restriction had worked because kitesurfers self-regulated their sport and the sole confiscation of a Scarborough kiter's gear had impact after he launched on the wrong Cottesloe beach and followed to his home shore.
"Word gets around the kiters pretty quickly when we do something like that," Mr Polis said.
You hear of very few incidents involving the public down that way so maybe they have a good template?
Obviously Dutchies is not a swimming area so that helps also. Seems surfers etc and kiters can get along tho?
I kite through the area but don't rig/de-rig there. Is the 'phone box' situation still a prob?
^^ Noice.
Didn't know there was a Tiger park in Chang Mai? Wifey and I were there nearly a decade ago (honeymoon). Great stop but we would have been stoked to get close to a cub.
