Barter Road Beach gets a fresh start for autumn

17th April, 2019

Staff from the proAlliance, a joint initiative between the Water Corporation and Suez (operators of the Perth Seawater Desalination Plant at Kwinana), have adopted their local beach and undertake regular beach clean-up events

in association with Perth NRM’s Coastal and Marine Program.

On one of the first drizzly days of Autumn, proAlliance staff donned gloves and bags to clean up the beach and dune areas, removing up to 70kgs of rubbish from the site, with volunteers surprised by the volume and type of debris collected.

Rope, buoys, fishing line and tackle and bait bags were numerous in the rubbish, prompting a call out to fisherman and harbour users to clean up their act. It is much easier to prevent the rubbish than to remove it from the dunes.

Items of clothing and shoes were also prevalent, along with some debris from previous rehabilitation works including plastic sleeves and jute matting. Perth NRM has been experimenting with alternates to the commonly used plastic sleeves for use in the coming year’s plantings.

Staff also inspected their previous dune plantings and were surprised to find that approximately 50% of plants had survived.

Perth NRM’s Coastal and Marine Program Manager, Kath Broderick, said, “While we hope for greater survival rates from plantings, sometimes this is the best outcome we can achieve.

“A dry year, storm events, and high temperatures all play a part in plant survival. The coast is a dynamic environment and this is why coastal areas require ongoing attention and effort. Having proAlliance support and staff interest in this site means we can continue to build on previous efforts.”

 

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