Dr Garry Middle1
1Curtin University , Bentley , Australia
Abstract
The WA Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries (DLGSC) has funded Curtin University to carryout a study called the Perth Coastal Recreational Usage study, due for completion in November 2017.
The purpose of this study is to enable better understanding of usage of the Perth coastline and, in a broad sense, how it functions and how it is valued. The study will identify the existing broad functions, values and recreational usage of the Perth coastline through a review of the existing information regarding coastal planning and management held by the key coastal planners and managers. This information includes management plans and associated studies carried out in support of these plans. As well, relevant beach users survey data held by the Curtin from the on-going Coastal Values and Character study will be reviewed.
The key output will be a report and a series of hard copy maps that will show an ‘snapshot’ of the recreational usage, functions and values of the Perth coastline. This report will contain information and findings that would be valuable to planners and managers in their decision making, in particular, local government.
The geographic extent of the study – the study area – is the coast and near shore marine areas within the Perth metropolitan region as defined in the Metropolitan Region Scheme.
This presentation will provide a summary of the key findings of this study.
Biography
Dr Garry Middle is an adjunct senior research fellow at Curtin University, and an independent member of the board of the Western Australian Planning Commission as an expert in coastal and environmental planning.