City of Joondalup to close Hillarys Horse Beach

THE Hillarys Horse Beach will close.

At Tuesday’s Joondalup council meeting voted to amend the City’s animal local law, which was the final decision in the six-year process to permanently close the 160m stretch of beach on Whitfords Avenue to horses.

In 2010, the council resolved to phase the closure of the horse beach over four years after which the horse float carpark would be reconfigured to allow for more car bays for dog beach users.

Following public consultation in June, the council was due to consider amending the local law in September but it was deferred because not all councillors were present for the vote.

On Tuesday, councillor Christine Hamilton-Prime said it was important for the council to be consistent with its decisions.

“I believe, as I did six years ago, this is the appropriate course,” she said.

“For the status quo to remain would be bad governance on a decision that was reached many years ago.

“Being so flippant on a serious issue such as this… is bad governance.

“I strongly believe this will force the City of Wanneroo’s hand in addressing this issue.

“This council ought to not be persuaded by the inactions or unwillingness of another local authority to pander to the wishes of a group that we, in reality, have very little to do with.

“Ultimately, the City does not accept that equestrian activity belongs as a legitimate use of land within our local government boundary.”

However, fellow south-west ward councillor Mike Norman disagreed, and said revoking the council’s decision was “not poor governance”.

“We have revoked other decisions in the past when new information has come to light,” he said.

“When we decided to close the horse beach in 2010… the council assumed that our City could persuade the City of Wanneroo to open a horse beach instead.

“Six years later they have not opened a horse beach and my informal discussions… have given me no confidence that one will be opened any time soon.”

He said with 98 per cent of public submissions opposing the closure as well as a 2727-signature petition, the council was not listening to the community.

“I have not come across any resident that wants the horse beach closed,” he said.

“I have been down to the horse beach on a number of occasions and seen both dogs and horses on the horse beach and also parking bays available in the carpark, so I have come to the conclusion that kicking the horses off the beach will make very little difference to the dog congestion problem anyway.”

The amendment to the animal local law was passed 7-6.

Joondalup Mayor calls on Wanneroo to listen to the community

JOONDALUP Mayor Troy Pickard has called on the City of Wanneroo to investigate creating a horse beach.

“I call on the Wanneroo council, the so called listening council of the north, to open their ears and to listen to their community which has overwhelmingly called for the establishment of a horse beach,” he said.

“Take positive action to embrace the needs of you local community.

“Our focus should be on our ratepayers for Whitfords Nodes and I believe that’s to ensure permanent retention of the dog beach.”

The comments came just before the Joondalup council voted to permanently close its Hillarys horse beach.