Six-month trial for sport

Though City administration recommended the use of its land for the WA Sky Pirates Paramotor Club not be approved ‘to minimise the risk to the general public and possible impact on the surrounding natural environment’, an alternative motion presented by Cr Mike Norman for a trial was accepted by 10 votes to three.

‘What we need is a six-month trial at Pinnaroo Point using a city approved operations manual which will show if there is any real public antipathy towards this sport and it would allow the city to properly examine the risk to other users of the site,’ he said.

‘At that point, we can make an amendment to the beach plan and go out to public advertising and if the public really don’t want this sport, we will hear it during the public consultation process.

‘There is room to show support for other, less mainstream recreational pursuits, even with low participation rates, if we have the space to do so.’

However, Cr Kerry Hollywood, who lives in the current flight path of the club, disagreed. ‘It is just too noisy and too uncomfortable with these motorised kites going over,’ she said.

‘It upsets the dogs, it upsets the people and I continually receive calls of distress from the people in the area.’

City planning and community development director Dale Page said though noise levels had not been measured, she thought the noise would not exceed the decibel level assigned for the area.