Have your say on Safety Bay Shoalwater foreshore

A plan to reinforce and protect the assets that make Shoalwater and Safety Bay a popular destination and introduce improvements to build on its appeal has been released for public comment.

The draft Safety Bay Shoal-water Foreshore Master Plan will develop a strategic vision to give direction to realising the area’s tourism potential.

This includes “marine-based tourism”, with a focus on the emerging kitesurfing and wind surfing industry, co-ordinating the existing and future commercial activity within the foreshore, maximising community use by enhancing the existing recreational experiences and protecting key environmental and built assets.

The document is set to provide direction on how the foreshore would evolve over the next 20-30 years and deliver outcomes over the short, medium and long-term.

The plan will be open for public comment for one month from Wednesday, October 9.

During this period, the City will host two public information workshops at the Safety Bay Yacht Club and the Safety Bay Library, where residents will have the opportunity to inspect the plans and ask questions of the City’s project team.

Rockingham Mayor Barry Sammels said the content contained in the draft master plan was informed by feedback received from the community earlier this year. Almost 650 stakeholders participated in a coastal values survey, sharing their thoughts about the value of the foreshore, how it is used and where improvements could be made.

“Some of the key proposals involve improvements around The Pond to support the emerging kite-surfing and wind-surfing community and more readily allow the hosting of events,” he said.

“The draft also proposes improvements to the function and amenity of Mersey Point, so that the thousands of people who visit this location each week can enjoy the ecotourism attractions on offer within the Shoalwater Marine Park,” Mr Sammels said.