Wave park protestors at Tompkins Park
Camera IconWave park protestors at Tompkins Park Credit: Supplied/Supplied

Tompkins Park: protesters say no to wave park plan

Headshot of Josh Zimmerman
Josh ZimmermanMelville Gazette

AROUND 200 people descended on Tompkins Park on Saturday to march in protest against the proposed Wave Park Group surf facility earmarked for the area.

Organised by the Alfred Cove Action Group (ACAG), the protest was attended by Melville councillors Nicholas Pazolli and June Barton as well as Bicton MLA Lisa O’Malley.

Addressing the crowd, Mrs O’Malley said the City of Melville had not yet lodged a formal request to buy part of Crown Lot 9789 from the State Government.

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She also said Wave Park Group was yet to lodge a development application for the $25 million facility with the Department of Parks and Wildlife.

ACAG convenor David Maynier again labelled the ground lease signed between the City and Wave Park Group as one-sided and questioned the developer’s ability to deliver the project.

He also called on protesters unhappy with the granting of the lease to make sure they vote in the upcoming local government elections.

“The City can still cancel the lease,” he said.

“We need councillors with the guts and will to do this or we’ll be looking at a derelict site for many years to come and forking rates out to keep the deal alive.

“We’ll tell you which candidates we would like you to support. These will be independent citizens who we believe to be honest and energetic and who can see what has been going on, can listen and who care about it.”

Wave Park Group chairman Andrew Ross said he visited Tompkins Park on Saturday to listen in on the protesters. “On a beautiful morning with no kids sport on to occupy people, all they could muster was 192 people at this walk,” he said.

“It was also very interesting to see the age demographic – the overwhelming majority of people were 60+ which we don’t think is representative at all of the wider Melville community.”

Mr Ross also encouraged Melville residents who do want to see the wave park constructed to vote for candidates supportive of the project.

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