Shark barrier considered for Bathers Beach

Fremantle Council has thrown its support behind the installation of an enclosed swimming area at Bathers Beach in the city centre.

The beach was deemed the preferred location for a physical shark barrier after an independent study of almost a dozen coastal and river beaches in the City of Fremantle and Town of East Fremantle areas.

Fremantle Mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge said Bathers Beach had lots of things going for it.

"Technically, it’s possible, with groynes on either side. But also, this is an opportunity to attract people to a beautiful beach that is underutilised and therefore has the capacity to support more beachgoers. There is good access to public transport and parking and it’s easy to go for lunch or do some shopping afterwards.

"There are many people who are not going to the beach since the recent tragedies, which is sad, given where we live. This would give them an option and some peace of mind."

Mayor Fitzhardinge explained that if an enclosed swimming area was created at one of the more popular beaches, and hesitant swimmers returned, beach access would become increasingly difficult.

"South Beach, Port Beach and Leighton Beach are already under a lot of pressure from existing users, with parking and amenities at busy times."

Councillors also requested that a detailed site assessment of Harvey Beach, on the Swan River in North Fremantle, be undertaken for a potential barrier in the future.

Stantec Australia was engaged by the City of Fremantle and Town of East Fremantle after two fatal shark attacks in the area in the past two years.

The Stantec report looked at the types of mitigation options, the potential locations for physical barriers and the costs involved with installing and maintaining barriers.

Fremantle Council will now seek community feedback and apply for state government funding from a program that has already financed five other barrier systems in WA.