A new project led by The University of Western Australia’s Dr Ana Manero aims to understand the value of surfing resources in Western Australia and develop Australia’s first state-level surf management guidelines.
Dr Manero, from UWA’s Centre for Environmental Economics and Policy at the School of Agriculture and Environment and Oceans Institute, said despite recreational surfing contributing $2.7 billion a year to Australia’s economy, boosting the wellbeing of participants and surf breaks playing an important role in protecting the environment, the natural resource lacked management guidelines.
“Despite having so many benefits, surf breaks and the surrounding environments are increasingly threatened by changes to the coastline, such as erosion, sediment movement and infrastructure developments,” Dr Manero said.
“Australia has more than 1,000 surf breaks but most have no formal protection or active management. In WA, surf breaks remain largely absent from coastal planning, with no consistent policy framework for their valuation, management or protection.”
Over the next week, Dr Manero is hosting Associate Professor Leon Mach, an international expert in surf science and surf tourism from the Tropical Island Biodiversity Studies in Bocas del Toro, Panama, to build an understanding of surfing values through a series of community and policy-maker engagement initiatives.
They are gathering insights from WA’s local surfing communities including Geraldton, Perth, Margaret River and Albany to understand the significance of surf environments, perceived threats and proposed changes to management systems.
“With growing coastal pressures and the revision of key management guidelines, WA is now in a unique position to lead the way in the recognition and protection of surfing resources ,” Dr Manero said.
“In Aotearoa New Zealand nationally important surf areas have direct statutory protection and on the Gold Coast a surf management plan ensures wave quality is maintained through active sand nourishment.
“We aim to build similar guidelines for WA based on our assessments of the significance of surf breaks and the threats they face so communities and decision-makers can make sure WA’s unique locations are protected.”
Funded by the Australian Research Council, the project is a partnership between Surfing Western Australia and UWA.