PRESERVING GNARABUP
Protecting our precious headland from inappropriate development.
PRESERVING GNARABUP
Continuing the 30 year battle to protect our precious headland.
PRESERVING GNARABUP
Continuing the 30 year battle to protect our precious headland.
WE ARE A COMMUNITY FIGHTING AN INAPPROPRIATE LUXURY HOUSING AND HOTEL DEVELOPMENT ON MARGARET RIVER’S ONLY PROTECTED SWIMMING BEACH ON THE PRISTINE SOUTH-WEST WA COASTLINE.
FIGHTING FOR HERITAGE, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT AND SENSE OF PLACE.
Founding members
on Gnarabup headland.
Photo Russell Ord.
SURFRIDER MISSION
Surfrider Foundation Australia is a registered not for profit sea-roots organisation dedicated to the protection of Australia’s waves and beaches through Conservation, Activism, Research and Education or C.A.R.E.
Our Purpose is to protect oceans, waves and beaches through C.A.R.E.
Our Mission & Vision is to inspire an engaged surfing and coastal community who are passionate about protecting oceans, waves and beaches.
A little over 30 years ago, three passionate surfers in Malibu, California, found out that their favorite wave was about to be destroyed. Those three people worked with their local community and Government until they were satisfied that their iconic wave would be preserved. This was the genesis of Surfrider Foundation USA, which sparked a global movement of surfers and ocean enthusiasts to stand up for their coasts and local marine environments.
Today, the Surfrider Foundation movement has grown to 18 countries around the world.
Surfrider Foundation Australia (SFA) was founded in 1991, largely in response to poor water quality issues along Australia’s east coast. Local surfers, being at the forefront of water quality, began recruiting volunteers for a series of demonstrations and actions to persuade decision makers to take action on this ongoing issue. The group has been working hard to protect Australia’s coastlines ever since.
Since its humble beginnings and as we approach our 29th year of operation, SFA has grown to over 18 volunteer branches and many more volunteer beach representatives tackling local and national coastal environmental issues at a sea-roots level around Australia.
With times of uncertainty, it hasn’t been easy. There’s still a lot of work to be done. Our work is critical. And our long-term success and growth is a tribute to our founders’ vision: that taking on an environmental battle may not be easy, but with constant pressure, endlessly applied, it can, and will, be won. The key to this is what makes our organisation unique.
Surfrider Foundation Principals
The Surfrider Foundation has adopted the following principles to guide and govern the activities of the organisation.
- SURFRIDER recognises the biodiversity and ecological integrity of the planet’s coasts are necessary and irreplaceable. SURFRIDER is committed to preserving natural living and non-living diversity and ecological integrity of the coastal environment.
- SURFRIDER promotes the right of low-impact, free and open access to the world’s waves and beaches for all people. SURFRIDER acts to preserve this right of access.
- SURFRIDER is dedicated to enhancing wave-riding opportunities in ways which will not adversely impact nearshore ecosystems.
- SURFRIDER believes environmental education is essential to the future health and well- being of the planet. SURFRIDER seeks to develop and utilise educational materials that are informative, factual, proactive, synergistic and fun.
- SURFRIDER strives to be accurate and nonpartisan in its communications with its members and the general public. In addition, SURFRIDER will express the unique values inherent in wave-riding — individualism, camaraderie, non materialism, and an appreciation for human kind’s historic relations with the Ocean.
- SURFRIDER is a grassroots organisation, effective through the participation of its members. SURFRIDER activities emphasise the value of an involved membership.
- SURFRIDER encourages all commercial enterprises to adopt the Ceres Principles. Their determination to do so will favorably influence SURFRIDER’s willingness to provide support. SURFRIDER will not permit sponsors to divert the Foundation from its mission or projects undertaken.
- SURFRIDER does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, sex, or national origin for any reason. SURFRIDER promotes the healthy enjoyment of the coastal environment for all people.
- SURFRIDER and its representatives, affiliations and chapters agree to abide by these principles and all rules and regulations governing non-profit organisations.
“Construction of this large and imposing resort goes against the wishes of many people in the community. It will erode our sense of place, our community identity.”
A five-star 120 room resort and a housing estate is planned to be built on the fragile southern limestone headland of Gnarabup Beach, Margaret River, Western Australia.
The large-scale development is in contravention of 40 -years of careful planning work by the State and Local Government for this sensitive coastal area.
THE HISTORY
An account of the controversial development proposals at Gnarabup by Lyn Serventy.
When the suburb of Gnarabup was created in the 1990s, the intention was to essentially duplicate nearby Prevelly Park. That is, to create the same or a similar number of residential lots and tourism opportunities as existed in Prevelly Park at that time. Various carefully developed planning policies and other documents limited the number of tourism and residential lots. These considered limitations were exceeded many years ago.
When the suburb of Gnarabup was created in the 1990s, the intention was to essentially duplicate nearby Prevelly Park. That is, to create the same or a similar number of residential lots and tourism opportunities as existed in Prevelly Park at that time. Various carefully developed planning policies and other documents limited the number of tourism and residential lots. These considered limitations were exceeded many years ago.
The original ‘promise’ or commitment by the developer in the early 1990s was that there would be one 50-room lodge. This was increased to a 120-room lodge by the early 2000s. Then the land was divided from one lot into five separate lots each with their own development capacity including the introduction of commercial uses and extremely limited residential uses.
The original ‘promise’ or commitment by the developer in the early 1990s was that there would be one 50-room lodge. This was increased to a 120-room lodge by the early 2000s. Then the land was divided from one lot into five separate lots each with their own development capacity including the introduction of commercial uses and extremely limited residential uses.
In 2019 a Perth-based development company purchased the lots for a combined price of $5.5 million and in 2020 foreshadowed the current development proposal.
Over the last 30 plus years, the original developer and subsequent owners of the Subject Lots have slowly increased political pressure on the Shire of Augusta-Margaret River and the State Government, and have gained incremental increases in the development capacity of the Subject Lots.
Much of this increase in capacity has happened in spite of opposition by the Shire of Augusta- Margaret River, State Government departments and the local and Western Australian community.
In 2019 a Perth-based development company purchased the lots for a combined price of $5.5 million and in 2020 foreshadowed the current development proposal.
Over the last 30 plus years, the original developer and subsequent owners of the Subject Lots have slowly increased political pressure on the Shire of Augusta-Margaret River and the State Government, and have gained incremental increases in the development capacity of the Subject Lots.
Much of this increase in capacity has happened in spite of opposition by the Shire of Augusta- Margaret River, State Government departments and the local and Western Australian community.
