Wanneroo City Council approved the Alkimos Beach plan on February 2, which covers about 700m of coastline in the southern part of the Lendlease and LandCorp development.
With the closest residents about 1km from the beach, the plan’s proposed facilities include pedestrian and vehicle access, parking for 30 cars, a temporary surf lifesaving facility, lookout and dual use path.
“Surf Life Saving WA (SLSWA) has completed a coastal aquatic risk assessment to determine beach safety risk along the coastline,” the council report said.
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“In advance of permanent SLSWA facilities (farther north), at the planned regional beach to the north of the area covered by this FMP, the City and SLSWA have identified the need for an interim facility for mobile beach patrols.”
“The primary purpose of this facility will be to store SLSWA equipment.
“The provision of restricted surf club vehicle access at this location will enable SLSWA to access the beach to set up patrols, without the need to construct permanent club facilities.”
A letter from SLSWA lifesaving and training general manager Chris Peck, included in the report, acknowledged a future lifesaving facility would be integrated into later plans.
“As this facility is not likely to commence construction until at least 2019, SLSWA are very much in favour of supporting the development of interim infrastructure,” he said. “The location of the beach access, carpark and interim facility is in an area that is consistent with the findings of SLSWA’s coastal aquatic risk assessment report.”
At the February 2 council meeting, Alkimos Beach Progress Association president Chris White said residents wanted to know where the future dog beach would be, as people were using the nearest beach.
Wanneroo Mayor Tracey Roberts said a dog beach was not included in the foreshore management plan for the estate.
Currently the closest designated dog beaches are in Quinns Rocks and Yanchep, with the City proposing to establish one in north Alkimos, near the Eglinton border.
The foreshore plan, prepared by RPS Group for the developers, said the City would need another 1.5km of dog beach over the next 20 years.
“Potential future uses for south Alkimos to north Jindalee include a marina, horse beach and surf lifesaving club,” it said. “The local Alkimos community has expressed a strong desire for a dog recreational area.”
The estate’s foreshore extends along 1.7km, covering about 42ha, but the current foreshore plan only covered 33.7ha.
It said it was not possible to determine long-term management actions for the northern section until the design and planning of the coastal node was done.The plan outlined the foreshore location and details the proposed development, including areas of retained or rehabilitated vegetation.
“The majority of the foreshore reserve is retained for conservation and rehabilitation,” it said.
“The only other activities proposed within the foreshore being for low level (local) beach access and maintenance or safety.
“Rehabilitation works will be focused on priority areas including the road and path batters, dune blow outs and four-wheel-drive paths.”
The report said it would be a local beach with about 140 people visiting it each day, while the Alkimos coastal village would be a district beach with about 960 visitors daily.
It said neighbouring Shorehaven estate would have both a local and a district beach with the same numbers of visitors.
Karli Spring to be protected
KARLI Spring is a small wetland about 175m east of the beach, a City of Wanneroo report on the Alkimos Beach foreshore management plan says.
“The site is of Aboriginal significance located in the southern part of the Alkimos Beach foreshore,” it said.
“The Department of Aboriginal Affairs site register identifies Karli Spring as a listed ethnographic site of cultural significance to Indigenous people.”
Ethnosciences Consulting has recommended that the developer avoid all impacts on the spring, surrounding vegetation and associated features, and that the site continue to be protected inside regional open space.
It also recommended an Aboriginal heritage management and interpretation plan be prepared to ensure the long term protection and interpretation of the spring, but development proceed.
The council report said paths and beach access would be about 100m to 130m from the spring.
Dr Mike Bamford identified three significant animal species that could occur in the area – Carnaby’s black cockatoos, quenda or bandicoots and black-striped snakes.
“(Carnaby’s cockatoos are) likely to regularly fly over the area due to the good quality foraging habitat that exists nearby, i.e. Yanchep National Park,” the report said.
“There is very limited foraging habitat available within the foreshore area however.”
“(Quenda) may potentially occur in good quality dense vegetation within the foreshore area such as around Karli Spring.”