QUINNS Mindarie Surf Life Saving Club has welcomed the completion of a shark protection barrier this week.
President Neil Rigby said the club, which has about 600 members, fully supported the installation at the beach it patrolled on weekends.
“We are patrolling inside the shark protection barrier and outside as well,” he said.
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“We’ve increased the patrol hours on Saturdays and Sundays due to the public attendance and we’ve increased patrolling members as well.
Mr Rigby said the club also welcomed the City’s decision to open temporary parking at the former Quinns Rocks Caravan Park site.
The City’s chief executive Daniel Simms said that overflow parking space would be open throughout summer, with the City monitoring the number of cars using it and the permanent parking bays.
Assets director Harminder Singh said it was not a bitumen car park, and they had just laid limestone on it.
Mr Simms said plans to redevelop the caravan park with holiday accommodation was still progressing.
“We are working with the WA Planning Commission to understand their expectations and restrictions on the land – that will inform the design,” he said.
At the official opening on Tuesday, club vice-president Neville Hogan said people had already started using the enclosure over the weekend.
Mr Hogan said it was long enough to accommodate the club’s nippers program, which has 250 members spread across the under-7 to under-13 age groups.
He said the club would still host carnivals outside the barrier, and Mr Rigby said it would host Surf Life Saving WA’s beach competition for the first time this Sunday.
Wanneroo Mayor Tracey Roberts, Premier Colin Barnett and politicians from Liberal, Labor and local government attended the official opening of the $450,000 barrier made by Global Marine Barriers on January 31.
Mr Barnett said the shark barrier program would see the infrastructure installed at two beaches a year.
Mrs Roberts said this was the first one within the City and there was demand for more in the growing north coastal corridor.
Mrs Roberts said the site could become popular for snorkelling as well as swimming as smaller marine life could swim through while sharks could not.
Mr Hogan said the club had discussed getting funding from both major parties for an observation post that could improve beach surveillance for the volunteer lifesavers and paid lifeguards who do weekday patrols in summer.