Letter to the Editor: Blatant disregard for uniquely beautiful Nanarup Beach must be stopped

I have just returned home from a visit to Nanarup visiting family.

There were four adults and two toddlers in our party, and I want to voice our shared concern over the state of Nanarup Beach.

We have been visiting Nanarup all our lives.

For my husband, that’s more than 60 years.

In short, we were shocked at the state of the beach, and the blatant disregard for what is otherwise a uniquely beautiful environment.

While we were there, we observed jet skis on the inlet, in fact speeding around fishers and children playing.

We witnessed dozens of vehicles racing along the beach to the steps by the lagoon, doing donuts and circling back, chasing their dogs down the beach.

We watched as people drove to the lagoon, jumped out, and chased their dogs up the dunes clearing wide areas of vulnerable vegetation.

We stumbled along the length of the beach that was completely rutted by tyre tracks, avoiding dog droppings and discarded litter (most of which we collected for the overfull bins).

We have come away very concerned for the coastal erosion of the dunes, the threat to native habitat and bird life, including the hooded plover, and the threat to other users, through speed and lack of care.

It appears that Nanarup Beach has been surrendered to those who choose speed and vehicles, rendering the beach risky and unpleasant for other users, and threatening this vulnerable ecosystem.

We are aware that Nanarup has for many years permitted four-wheel-drives east of the lagoon, leaving the beach to the west safe for walking, swimming, surfing and fishing … less intrusive human activity.

While we may even question the wisdom of allowing vehicles on the beach at all, and our concern for the natural habitat extends all along the coast, at least children and families could enjoy safety as they walk along the beach if vehicles were restricted to one zone, and they were monitored.

Even then vehicles race around the fragile dunes to the east, on private and public land, which is really troubling.

I notice the council has a number of environmental policies, including a study on the vulnerability of the coast between Emu Point and Middleton Beach, which was found to be very significant.

I would like to think the citizens of Albany value their beautiful environment and act to ensure its protection for generations to come.

This includes the magic of Nanarup.

Dr Anne Mallaby, Nanarup

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