The report on tonight’s Wanneroo City Council meeting agenda said representatives of the landowner want the arrangement to end in April 2019, with no replacement easement.
While the report said the City was waiting to receive that advice in writing, it added landowners had indicated providing an alternative access to the popular four-wheel-drive track was ‘unacceptable’.
‘The land adjoining Breakwater Drive and leading to Dewars Beach foreshore is in private ownership,’ it said.
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READ NOW‘These landowners have been requested to provide advice on the realignment of the access track to Dewars Beach through their landholdings which could lead to the closure of the existing track from Dame Pattie Drive.
‘Preliminary advice from one of the landowners indicates that any alternate alignment is not supported.’
The report said the City contracted civil engineering firm Lycopodium in July for $34,887 to prepare design options: ‘The concept designs have also considered that the Dewars Beach access track is to remain a 4WD-only track, with improvements to be made (to minimise risk of head-on and rear-end collisions).’
The three options involve slight changes to the track, costing between $434,583 and $613,035, plus $159,428 to build an airing-down area.
The report recommended the council not make a decision on the possible upgrade until an agreement is reached with the landowners, saying it would not be cost-effective for the relatively short timeframe.
‘Until a decision on the future of the track is made, any risk to public safety and risk or potential liability to the City can be managed by the ongoing inspection and maintenance works,’ it said.
The City temporarily closed the track for safety reasons in March, prompting protests from Perth’s 4WD community and council’s decision to investigate ideas for off-road facilities.