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Residents claim Rockingham boat ramps are unusable

Vanessa SchmittWeekend Kwinana Courier

RESIDENTS have expressed their concern about the state of boat ramps and beach launching areas in Rockingham.

Daron Harvey said the condition of boat ramps in the Rockingham area was getting beyond a joke.

“Between Port Kennedy and Penguin Island you have two boat ramps and two beach launching areas for launching boats,” he said.

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“None of these are useable.

“Both jetties are single jetties and when they can be used are vastly inadequate.

“The Port Kennedy boat ramp is dangerous and prone to swell surges and the Bent Street ramp is unserviceable because of the blocked channel.

“The other two beach access only areas are boggy and at most times subject to weed build up.”

Mr Harvey said Rockingham was touted as the aquatic playground but there were no useable facilities for family activity.

He said the waterway near the Bent Street jetty needed to be dredged because boats were getting stuck.

City of Rockingham Mayor Barry Sammels said council regularly reviews the condition of the infrastructure and undertakes maintenance as required.

“Due to the dynamic and constantly evolving nature of our coastline the maintenance period can change from time to time,” he said.

“Since the end of winter sand inundation has been a problem for the majority of the City’s boat launching facilities.”

Cr Sammels said during winter, natural coastal processes had transported large volumes of sediment into the Bent Street navigation channel, reducing its depth and width.

“Bent Street is the City’s second most popular boat launching location after the Point Peron Boat Launching Facility,” he said.

“The City is preparing to do maintenance excavation to provide safe navigation for recreational boaters using the ramp and holding jetty.”

Cr Sammels said council was not aware of any boats running aground at the navigation channel.

He said the Department of Transport regularly monitors depth and accessibility of the navigation channel, and recently reduced the width of the channel by moving the nearshore port side navigation aid due to the buildup of sand.