BEACH ACCESS —
HOOLEY ROAD, BORANUP
46. Hon Dr STEVE THOMAS to the minister representing the
Minister for Environment:
I refer to the closure of beach
access on Hooley Road at Boranup.
(1) Why has beach access been
blocked at the end of Hooley Road?
(2) How many vehicles have been stranded on the beach
serviced by Hooley Road in each of the last five years?
(3) Has the
department or the government charged vehicle owners for retrieval of vehicles
on this beach in each of the last five years; and, if so, how many and at what
cost?
(4) Has the
government had to retrieve vehicles from this beach at its own cost; and, if
so, how many and at what cost?
Hon
STEPHEN DAWSON replied:
I thank the Leader of the Opposition
for some notice of the question.
(1) The beach access has been closed at Hooley Road in
accordance with the Leeuwin–Naturaliste capes area
parks and reserves management plan of 2015. The management plan stipulates
that vehicle access to the Leeuwin–Naturaliste coastline will be
maintained, but rationalised in accordance with the plan's vehicle
access strategy. The access strategy considers factors including the protection
of environmental values, visitor safety and amenity.
The management plan provides for
beach access on Boranup Beach, Deepdene Beach, Kilcarnup Beach and Joey's Nose, which equates to 15
kilometres of beach access for motorised vehicles in the Leeuwin–Naturaliste
National Park.
(2) In each of
the last five years the following vehicles have been stranded: 2016–17,
one; 2017–18, zero; 2018–19, zero; 2019–20, two; 2020–21
to date, zero.
(3) No. The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation
and Attractions arranged for the vehicles to be recovered by external
contractors and arranged for these costs to be paid by the vehicle owners. DBCA
does not have a record of the costs to the vehicle owners.
(4) DBCA costs
for ranger assistance and vehicle running associated with the recovery of
vehicles from the Ngari Capes Marine Park
and the adjoining Leeuwin–Naturaliste National Park are not uniquely
identified within the recurrent budget.