Words from Griffith Uni

Former world surfing champion Wayne 'Rabbit' Bartholomew and former world longboard champion Wayne Dean will speak next week at a community forum to discuss the decline in quality of the famed Kirra Point surf break at Coolangatta on the Gold Coast and suggest ways to restore the wave to its former glory.

Mr Bartholomew, Mr Dean, Gold Coast City Councilor Chris Robbins and Griffith Centre for Coastal Management Director Professor Roger Tomlinson will discuss the issue of declining surf quality with local surfers, businesses, researchers and members of the public.

The sand bypass project at Coolangatta and a lack of significant storms to push the surplus sand at Kirra northwards has led to the decline in quality of the wave. These changes have affected the surfing amenity of the area and surf safety as well as impacting on the wider community and the broader economic benefits that surfing provides.

The meeting is a part of a Griffith Centre for Coastal Management (GCCM) study to look at options for improving surfing amenity at Kirra and surrounding surf breaks without increasing the vulnerability of the adjacent coastline.

GCCM Project Manager Neil Lazarow said the six month study is examining how to maintain coastal security while making the best use of the engineering solutions operating in the region to improve surfing, including the sand bypass system, dredging, rock groynes and river walls.

"The issue of surfing amenity is crucial to surfers the world over and international attention is focused on the Gold Coast experience," Mr Lazarow said. "For over 40 years, Kirra Point has been the bastion of surfing on the Gold Coast. The wave at Kirra, both before the groyne was built in the early 1970's and subsequently, has regularly been rated as being some of the best surfing waves in the world.

"We've only recently started identifying the links between concepts such as healthy minds and bodies and the greater community costs of losing places to play.

"With surfing becoming a major recreational and commercial activity in South-East Queensland, it's important we look for ways to ensure further generations will be able to learn to surf at great locations like this."

The study has examined physical coastal processes that affect wave quality and frequency as well as amenity issues such as crowding and surfer safety. It has the support of the local council, local and state government authorities, Surfing Queensland, Surfing Australia, the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP), Coastal Alliance, Surfrider Foundation and most importantly, the local surfing community.

Griffith University will host a free public forum on Monday, July 3, at 7pm at Coolangatta Bowls Club (11 Warner St, Coolangatta).