SUMMARY: The purpose of the petition below is to show Ben Wyatt, the WA government's Minister for Lands, massive community support for Urbnsurf's proposed wave park at Tompkins Park in Alfred Cove. Supporters would be grateful if the wider Australian community comprising surfers, SUPpers, visitors & tourists, put their vote forward. Also, any direct email to Minister.Wyatt@dpc.wa.gov.au would be very much appreciated.
[The purpose of this post is NOT TO DEBATE the merits or evils of wave-parks here. It simply is a shout-out for help to supporters, to add their voice to this specific long-running initiative for Perth.]
Details: Perth has exceptionally nice beaches, with exceptionally poor surf, due to ~35km of swell-shadow created by Garden Island, Rottnest Island, and the Five Fathom Bank running between them. The proposed wave-park would be located approximately mid-way north/south, ~7km inland in the suburb of Alfred Cove adjacent to the Swan River, providing maximum accessibility to the Perth community.
Only 10% of the required area in the Urbnsurf proposal lies on part of Crown Land Lot 9789, a narrow slice of ground bordering Tompkins Park and the river. Lot 9789 widens slightly at its very western end into a patch of sparsely grassed barren ground, where the wave-park plan overlaps it. Before the proposal can proceed, this land portion needs approval by Mr Wyatt to be purchased by the Melville City Council and included in the total area for lease by Urbnsurf. (Urbnsurf's proposal includes keeping the existing cycle path along the waterfront, and landscaping the whole public space it follows.)
For well over 2 YEARS a local minority element has run an anti-development campaign against the wave-park proposal. Initially it attempted to derail the project BEFORE it had commenced 'due process', attacking the host Melville City Council and following with a smear campaign of misinformation to the public that has continued despite wide community support. Due process has nonetheless been followed after the successful April 2017 lease agreement with Melville City Council for the location, with URBNSURF submissions gaining the required approvals from stakeholders including the Environmental Protection Authority and Main Roads Department; and even successfully beating a court challenge. But the final requirement for the Minister for Lands' approval has been met with a rejection, Mr Ben Wyatt stating ...
"While I admire the enthusiasm of the developers, we must remember that it is land owned by the community," he said. "Without local support it is impossible to justify locking future generations out of the space which was designated for public recreation and constant use."
... the absurdity being that hundreds of locals were present as supporters at official council meetings, far outnumbering those against the development... And that the petition is approaching 7,000 signatures as I write.
Please help the local and wider Perth community improve the utility of this area by maintaining strong support for the wave-park project in its proposed location at Tompkins Park, an area long zoned as 'urban' 'active recreation'. We and our children will benefit. Perth thanks you in advance.
www.change.org/p/ben-wyatt-support-the-wave-park-for-perth?recruiter=33446788&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_initial.pacific_post_sap_share_gmail_abi.gmail_abi&recruited_by_id=62a518d0-0c30-0130-612c-00221964dac8&utm_content=fht-14610357-en-gb%3Av5
