Augusta/Margaret River shire destroying a icon for Kiter's
by Paul Smyth on Friday, August 19, 2011 at 6:21pm
Augusta/Margaret River shire are at it again, this was my letter to the shire,
Mike,
Can not believe what I read in the local paper, You and Your mates are trying very hard to destroy one of the most unique spots in the world! Kite world magazine(UK) published a story written by 2 of the best kite boarders in business Sam Light and Tom Court on Augusta and how it is the best place in the world!! for kiting. I read the article and laughed that hard I wet myself, You say its good for the river, well the best thing for the river is to stop the farmers from raping the land and water ways with super phosphate and leave the dam river to go were it dam well wants to! Kite boarders are frightening the fish off, Bull****! What about the traffic from boats! And to do this with no consulting is just pure communism! I have organized once again to come down with a group to promote Augusta with the world champion and if You insist on destroying this then I will be spending my money else were! I will also publish this story on Facebook and to the kiting world and suggest that they look else were to kite! Augusta would be the mecca for every kiter in the world if You just leave dam things alone, I thought You may have had a little more common sense, clearly not!
Paul Smyth.
it would indeed be a shame to see Augusta banned, but maybe WAKSA should take care of such matter now it has been brought to public? WAKSA would probably be more listened than one person who doesn't write "politically correct" to the shire council members...
+ communism is by definition a politic decided by the people for the people (although history hasn't really proven so)... I think Paul was referring to Fascism or dictatorship...?
^^^ +1
Reasoned balanced arguments tend to get more notice than badly spelt sweary f@#$in' rants 
, this kind of "big teddy gets thrown out the pram" behaviour paints us all as spoilt children, especially threats of "bringing our mates down"!!
Anger management problem much?? That'll just get peoples noses out of joint. If I read that as the recipient it'd make me stick to my guns more, not convince me to go the other way!
He'd be thinking that kiters are rude, cowboy bogans.
Who is Paul Smith and what's his interest??
Maybe he's working as a saboteur for the darkside?
Can someone actually post the article that inspired Paul's rant? Nobody can question Paul's passion but he's probably not the best advocate. I would like to know what's going on in Augusta though.
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/regional/southwest/a/-/business/9104128/marina-is-hope-for-town/
Golden rays of sunshine have not risen far above Flinders Bay and already Augusta's morning swimmers are preparing to hit the water.
It is the start of another spectacular day in a town which awaits an announcement many believe could signal a new dawn for the place tagged last year as the town tourism forgot.
What they are after is the go-ahead for a proposed marina about 5km to the south.
Jan Innis, 77, summed it up: "Hopefully it would bring in people who don't come here now."
Lorraine Monahan, 62, said the marina would take boats out of Flinders Bay and make the area safer for swimmers.
Others talk of the help it would give the growing whale watching businesses which put to sea from the town.
Augusta-Margaret River Shire president Ray Colyer said the marina would cost an estimated $25 million and provide about 35 pens.
"People would be able to sail down to Augusta and moor in a safe marina," he said.
"It would be a significant bit of infrastructure and an economic driver for the town."
Locals say there are other signs the town is fighting back: the arrival of two new small businesses.
Doug and Marija Thompson opened lolly shop Augusta Delights last month and Darren Scott and his wife Uthit have opened the Two Oceans Thai Restaurant.
Hey guys, this has nothing to do with the marina. Its about the 'Cut' that has been made at the Colourpatch to 'flush' out the toxins in the river and make a new river mouth. Last years cut failed misrably and was a complete waste of money. this years attempt to reopen the cut will also probably fail as the water levels in the river are very low. How does this affect the Kitesurfing? it restricts access to the spit as you either have to walk around the cut or swim/wade through it. Also it will force kiters to launch and land on the very small grassed picnic area which could get very messy as its extreemly gusty and very busy with kids, dogs, grannies, fisherman etc... For more info check out last weeks Augusta margaret river times and Augusta margaret river mail
this as the article from the AMR Mail on wednesday
Blackwood backlash
JANINE BEACHAM
17 Aug, 2011 11:53 AM
THE shire council's split decision to reopen the Blackwood River channel has infuriated some Augusta residents, calling it a “waste of money” and “ham-fisted”.
The council voted 4-3 last week to reopen the channel in a fresh attempt to flush it out to the ocean.
The controversial channel was first dug in August last year, but the attempt failed as no water made it through to the sea.
Leeuwin Ward Cr Mike Smart moved to clear sand from the channel to reopen it, saying it was time to take advantage of high river flows and tidal variations.
However, Augusta resident Ross Fimister said it was an attempt to “bulldoze” through public opinion, while resident and former fisherman Les Challis argued that the channel would only work if the real mouth was cut off (see Letters, page 6).
A budget allocation of about $20,000 is required to reopen the channel.
In council, Cr Smart said he had been monitoring the river levels and the once “very healthy and effective” river needed to be cleared.
“I guess I'm going to stick my neck on the line to get it done,” he said.
He asked that the standard two-week public notification of works be waivered, saying the Mail's front page coverage of the motion had advertised it to the public, and everyone in Augusta would know about it.
Cr Brian Middleton supported the motion, saying there was still the overriding concern of inadequate flows, algae and smell.
“It used to be a tidal river and ocean has had very little chance to do its cleansing job,” he said.
“We had one of the lowest rainfalls last year, nature conspired against it. I congratulate Cr Smart, he's been passionate and unstoppable on this project. It doesn't seem unreasonable to spend $20,000 to attempt to get it done properly.”
Cr Lyn Serventy spoke against, saying that when a cut was made in 1945 the river's situation was totally different.
She said that if the council had consulted with a coastal engineer in 2010 they might not have made the error they did.
People launched near the grass well before the cut was made. Hardly
a high concentration of kiters down there anyway. If you want to run another event this year then hire a support boat to drop people up near the river mouth. This would also allow them
To rescue their guys who end up on the other side of the river rather than relying
On others to do this
Bit of an over reaction
AMR times Friday 19th august.
Augusta-Margaret River Council officers have narrowly won the chance to jump back into the Blackwood River and try to re-open last year's failed ocean cut.
The last ditch chance to flush the rivermouth area saw three councillors swim against the current on Wednesday night, with an unlikely alliance of Lyn Serventy, Jenny McGregor and John Bell against the surprise program.
A four-to-three decision gave the go-ahead to the new $20,000 engineering works, which could happen in a matter of days as long as a permit from State Government agencies was granted.
The dissenting members voiced strong reasons for opposing colleague Mike Smart's proposal.
Cr Serventy opposed last August's effort and believed the Department of Water was also against the plan.
“If we had consulted with a coastal engineer and not been in such a hurry, we might not have made such an error and have that cut fill up with sand again,” she said.
Cr McGregor criticised the decision to waive the usual two-week notice given to affected residents as well as the proposed cost.
“The ink on our Budget hasn't even dried and we are going to go in and take $20,000 from exactly where?” she asked.
“We don't even know if it's going to be $20,000. And what are we going to cut or what are staff going to miss out on to get $20,000?”
Cr Bell said the haste in going about the new cut indicated a disorganised approach that likely spelled its doom.
“The reason we are waiting for these (permits) is because we have not got ourselves organised to get ready for it,” he said.
“I'm not sure it's a good process.”
Cr Smart replied to many of the criticisms and dismissed the expertise of the Department of Water, as did supporter Ian Earl.
“Some mobs like the Department of Water, all they will ever do is sit on their hands and not do anything,” Cr Earl said.
“Nothing's changed from last year when we made the decision to open the river.
“The only thing that has changed is there is a damned sight more water flowing through there.”
Cr Smart's plan hinged on recent strong rainfall getting another boost from predicted falls this weekend, raising the river level to allow a connection with the ocean once sandbanks were removed.
However, he was mindful it “would be a waste of the shire's money and be very embarrassing” not to make the cut when it had the optimum chance for success.
Anyone is free to do what they want of course but I dislike pimping of sensitive spots for publicity, tourism & rider exposure, and considering it selling out and putting spots at risk of overexposure. Not happy - previously in history riders have had the sense to use limiting techniques ie not naming, only certain angle shots etc. Poor taste publicity in my view, what happened - show respect.
As for a marina, that is the most crazy thing ever, unspoiled natural coastlines like this are like rockinghorse ****. I would consider it rape. Making a cut at west end does not bother me - that is how it used to be.
No marina and no to "promotion" of a local spot..........basta, finished, get it.
I thought this was going to be the real issue, the cut !!
I love Augusta... I've been windsurfing there since the early nineties and kiting it in the last 5 years. The Cut was always near the colour patch but slowly moved down the dead water over the last 25 years, I agree the cut needs to be re-opened the river needs flushing, don't worry there will always be a spot to kite, the dead water will still be there!! As for the marina.... well that's progression! Augusta was always going to be discovered! It's strangely ironic that it's actually the sport that has done some of that, Something like 60% of Augusta rate payers don't actually live in Augusta, the town deserves to be discovered as do the people and the youth.
Kite safe! and enjoy the heavenly glory that is Australia....
awwww boooo booo. You poor little flatwater fairies. Why don't you just kite on the ocean side and powerboost off Augusta's HUGE angry kickers. Or take the surfboard out and spray ludicrous cutties on man-eating 6foot faces. Who cares, Augusta sucks.
