By David Kavanagh | posted on October 31, 2019
AN ARTIFICIAL surf reef at Middleton Beach is one step closer to reality after the City of Albany launched a tender process to design the project last week.
The hunt for a Coastal Engineering Team to coordinate the design comes months after the WA Environment Protection Authority ruled the reef was unlikely to have significant environmental impacts.
City Chief Executive Officer Andrew Sharpe said the project would deliver numerous benefits for the township.
“A surf reef at Middleton Beach would deliver economic, social, health, and ecological benefits by creating an attraction that brings visitors to Albany,” he said.
“[It] can support a whole range of community and high profile events, contributes to our city’s liveability, helps retain our younger generation, creates jobs during and after construction, and provides a habitat for marine flora and fauna.”
Plans for a manmade reef catering to beginner and intermediate surfers at the popular beach have been on the table for at least two decades.
A community survey in February 2015 attracted more respondents than ever before and found 90 per cent of residents supported the creation of a reef.
Mr Sharpe said he expected the design process to be completed by May 2020 and construction to begin within the next two years if the roughly $9 million project can be fully funded.
“At the last election, the State Government committed $5 million towards the project and as of June this year had assigned a portion of this amount to the City to fund the detailed design process,” he said.
“Once detailed design is complete, the next stage will be to seek further funding so that the surf reef can be constructed.”
If plans go ahead, the reef will likely be built on the southern end of the beach about 300 metres offshore.
The tender process is set to close on November 7 at 2pm.
