Two Rocks Beach: residents present beach access plan

THE Two Rocks Beach Action Group has called for another community meeting on beach access issues off Sovereign Drive.

At a recent meeting the City of Wanneroo and an MP Rogers and Associates engineer told residents existing beach access stairs were unsafe and should be demolished.

READ MORE: Beach access stairs should be destroyed, residents told

Responding last week, group co-founder Ali Moore said another community meeting should be held before the October council meeting.

In a letter to the City, the group said the format of a survey sheet provided at last month’s meeting was too restrictive for people to fully address the issue.

“The City’s short term solution is to provide an access track to the north of the existing unusable access about a kilometre in length. The community do not want nor accept the proposed track is an alternative solution,” the letter said.

“It is too long for young people and the older generation to negotiate.

“It will be unusable for the physically impaired and the elderly.

“It ignores the lack of mobile phone connection for emergency situations.

“It will cross an area of dugite snake habitat.

“Unless the whole track is fenced either side people will just simply peel off at any stage and cross over the dunes to their favourite spot causing further damage to the dunes.

“The track ends at a known rip area which will place people in danger.

“The track could encourage four-wheel drivers to circumvent the locked gate and drive on the track to gain access to beach areas and the closed Dewar’s Track.”

The group said its preferred long-term solution was to build a rotunda or octunda for the 2017-18 summer and it had sent designs to the City.

“We understand the cost may be a stumbling block but it would provide a long lasting solution with minimal maintenance if built in conjunction with dune protection,” it said.

The group also said changing sand and water levels would not affect the structure, which would provide access throughout the year and could become a landmark viewing platform.

“Our short term solution is to simply remove the existing structure and with minimal earthworks, cut a grade down to the beach on the existing site, to give temporary walking access for this coming summer,” the group said.

It said it would lobby the State Government for funding because erosion issues resulted from the Two Rocks Marina, built in the 1970s.

Department of Transport (DoT) coastal infrastructure executive director Steve Jenkins said the latest study commissioned by the City recommended a managed retreat strategy for the area.

“DoT is working with the City to monitor the shoreline movement in the northern foreshore area,” he said.

“Geophysical investigations have recently started from the Two Rocks Marina’s northern breakwater to about 1.6km north,” Mr Jenkins said.

He said there were three annual grant programs local governments could use for coastal management projects.

He said the City had approached the department for funding in August, but it had already allocated its 2016-17 funding to other projects and encouraged the City to apply for the 2017-18 funding.

A report on the issue on the City’s council briefing session agenda for October 4 recommends removing the existing stairs, and formalising the beach access track.

It also recommends the City spend $40,000 on a feasibility study and holds a community information session after the study is finished.