Question On Notice No. 3298 asked in the Legislative Council on 8 October 2020 by Hon Robin Chapple
Question Directed to the: Minister for Environment representing the Minister for Transport; Planning
Parliament: 40 Session: 1
Question
I refer to the car park and enhanced boat launching facilities proposed for Entrance Point in Broome, and I ask:
(a) what is the estimated cost for this facility;
(b) how much rock would be required to build it, as well as the sea wall in front of the boat ramps:
(i) where would this rock be sourced from;
(c) what would be the dimensions of the standalone breakwall in front of the boat ramps;
(d) what is the estimated annual maintenance costs;
(e) who would be responsible for the infrastructure and maintenance costs;
(f) is the Minister aware that more local people are against this facility than support it;
(g) has the Department of Transport or Shire of Broome made any attempt to educate the community on the following:
(i) the risk of launching and retrieving boats in and around Broome given the 10 metre plus tides and changeable weather conditions; and
(ii) the risk of getting bogged when launching or retrieving boats;
(h) if no to (g)(i) and/or (g)(ii), does the Minister think that this should be a priority before spending tens of millions of dollars on a boat ramp;
(i) if no to (h), why not;
(j) is the Minister aware that a significant number of Broome people have been launching boats without incident for generations because they respect and understand the risk and work with the conditions to ensure safety, for example they accept that it is not possible to launch in all tidal conditions and are flexible in retrieving boats by choosing less risky boat ramps if conditions require it;
(k) has the Department of Transport completed a coastal processes study on the proposal:
(i) if yes to (k), who did the modelling; and
(ii) if yes to (k), will the Minister table the report;
(l) what other reports have been commissioned for the proposal;
(m) what level of sea level rise has been factored into the development;
(n) is there any risk of the annual movement of sand along Broome beaches being impeded by the proposed groynes particularly in relation to Cable Beach; and
(o) has the coastal modelling report been peer reviewed?
Answered on 10 November 2020
a. The business case, including associated options and costs is not yet finalised.
b. Approximately 242,400 tonnes of rock is estimated to be required for the coastal protection structures, based on the current proposed design.
i. The rock would be sourced from established quarries as close as practically possible to Broome.
c. Approximately 110 metres long at the crest, 6.5 metres wide at the crest, 40 metres wide at the base, and 9 metres high, based on the current proposed design.
d. Annual maintenance costs are yet to be determined and will in part be subject to the landscape design with options around fishing platforms, artwork and interpretive elements, as well as public facilities and amenities.
e. This will be determined as part of the process for considering the proposal for investment approval.
f. Formal community consultation to date has indicated around 74 per cent support for the project.
g-i. The community in Broome is acutely aware of the risks described, which are mostly unavoidable and largely due to the poor standard of boating facilities in Broome which are below current standards and that of nearly all other coastal towns in Western Australia.
j. No. Almost all of the experienced members of the boating community in Broome consulted through this project described incidents and concerns attributable to launching and retrieving vessels including injuries to people and damage to boats and vehicles.
k. Yes
i. Baird Coastal Engineers performed several coastal process assessments in the development of a number of design options for the boating facility. The latest design option (September 2020) has been the subject of a detailed coastal process assessment which is currently being finalised.
ii. The report is not yet finalised.
l. Environmental studies, cultural heritage studies, engineering design, and dinosaurian trackways.
m. The facility design has made allowance for future sea level rise of 0.4 metres (50 years).
n. The coastal processes study confirms that there will be no impact to sand on Cable Beach which is approximately 12 kilometres up the coast from the site with multiple natural headlands in between. Localised changes in sand accumulation patterns at Entrance Point will occur around the facility.
o. The modelling results have been reviewed by the Department of Transport’s coastal engineers and environmental consultants.