What the Gold Coast World Surfing Reserve is all about
Happy New Year to everybody! We’ve had pumping waves to round off 2015 and continuing good waves to issue in the New Year. A great start for 2016 that promises to be another exciting year of surfing activities coming up on the Goldy.
Big Groyne Kirra back in action for the end of the year 2015 swell and more to come for 2016. Photo: GCWSR
The Gold Coast World Surfing Reserve (Burleigh Point to Snapper Rocks) was approved as the 8th WSR on the 15th of October, 2015 by the World Governing Body, Save the Waves Coalition as the latest yearly nomination.
WSR's are a relatively new concept, established in 2008 with the famous Malibu Point, California as the first World Class break to be designated.
Manly Beach to Freshwater, Sydney was Australia's first World Surfing Reserve in 2012. WSR's are about preserving and protecting beach and surf amenity and the legacy for future generations.
Like Manly, the Gold Coast was endorsed as a National Surfing Reserve in 2012. In fact both the Gold Coast and Manly are the only two dual endorsed WSR/NSR designations in the World.
If you believe that things happen in three, the evolution of the Gold Coast World Surfing Reserve is the culmination of the three significant events that paved the way.
- 2009 Australia Day Paddle out to bring Back Kirra. 1500 paddled out in the shape of Australia to lament the loss of Kirra Point. Afterwards both sides of the Qld State Government offered $1.5 million to restore Kirra.
- 2014 North Kirra Rally to oppose the 4 billion dollar Ocean Terminal, 4000 marked WSR in the sand to establish the case for a Gold Coast World Surfing Reserve.
- Two years later after support from both the Qld State Government and Gold Coast City Council, Save the Waves coalition (World Governing Body of World Surfing Reserves) approved the Gold Coast from Burleigh Point to Snapper Rocks as the 8th WSR in October 2015. The next official step is the Dedication Ceremony at Point Danger on top of Dbah Hill on the Qld side on Tuesday 8th March 2016.
100 invited guests will be invited to attend the Gold Coast World Surfing Reserve Dedication Ceremony including World Champs like Stephanie Gilmore, Mick Fanning and Joel Parkinson including boardriding club reps amongst a diverse list of beach, surf and ocean users.
The Premier of Qld Annastacia Palaszczuk and the Qld Governor Paul de Jersey have confirmed as has Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate. Gold Coast WSR Patron and Ambassador Wayne "Rabbit" Bartholomew will be the MC for the historic ceremony that will be attended by the Executive of Save the Waves Nik Strong-Cvetich and Nick Mucha of California.
A Peruvian Delegation from Huanchaco which is the 5th WSR will be represented by Felipe Pomar 1965 World Champion and Huanchaco WSR ambassadors Carlos Antonio Ferrer and Carlos Ucanan Huevito. 2015 WSL World Longboard champion Piccolo Clemente and former Peruvian National Champion Roberto Muelas Meza are the latest pro surfers to join the Peruvian Huanchaco WSR committee to attend.
The City of Gold Coast's Surf Management Plan will be released in January. It will underpin the GCWSR as the authoritative document that aligns the World Surfing Reserve with Councils Ocean Beaches Strategy and will be overseen by a Local Stewardship Committee (LSC).
One idea is to impress the surf safety message as part of the World Surfing Reserve not just simply promoting WSR location for Global recognition. SMP will help deal with the overcrowding issue without hard and fast regulation. Other ideas such as creating added surfing amenity with construction of artificial reefs and breaks have been raised via the Surf Management Plan advisory committee.
The Tweed Daily News will be producing a 40 page special one-off edition booklet on the Gold Coast World Surfing Reserve which will be released before the WSR Dedication Ceremony in March.
Simon 'Swilly' Williams will be showcasing 10 life-size surfing prints in the Coolangatta Strand shopping Centre during February that will be auctioned off as a fundraiser during the Quiksilver Pro on Thursday night 17th of March at the Rainbow Bay Surf Club. A party not to be missed!
NY resolution - Don’t forget to have fun, share the waves, avoid surf rage and hoot your mates. The best surfer is the one who’s having the most amount of fun! //Andy Mac
GCWSR supporters celebrating 8th WSR. Photo: Peter Sturm/My Perspectives
Comments
Does becoming a world surfing reserve actually do anything to protect the break or is it just a symbolic ? I mean does the World Governing Body have any bite ? Also who funds the world governing body and a party of 100 invited guests ?
Hasn't Bell's Beach been a surfing reserve for years ? I assume they are not paying up to the World Governing Body. What about the three new reserves at Phillip Island or is this under another banner.
I'm not anti surfing reserves just keen to understand what they really achieve and where the money is going.
Hi knB,
Yes a WSR is a very meaningful way of protecting beach and surf amenity.
The World Governing Body Save the Waves have assisted greatly in providing protection for both Huanchaco, Peru the 5th WSR and Punta de Lobos, Chile 7th WSR.
The World Governing Body Save the Waves Coalition is an amalgation of many groups and associations that see to protect surfing amenity. Have a look at their site to see what they have done Worldwide.
Re your question re 100 guests that has been funded by the City of Gold Coast who like the Qld State Government approved Burleigh to Snapper as the 8th WSR. The City of Gold Coast Council will release a Surf Management Plan that underpins the WSR and aligns with Councils Ocean Beaches Strategy as referred in my release.
Yes Bells Beach is actually the first Surfing Reserve that was sanctioned by Victorian Government and managed by Surf Coast Council in association with Surfing Victoria in the early 1970s. World Surfing Reserves was established in 2008. The Surfing Reserves at Phillip Island come under the National Surfing Reserves NSRs of which there are 40 and only in Australia and administered by local Councils and NSR.
WSRS are approved by Save the Waves Coalition and their Vision Council made up of an International panel. Manly and Gold Coast as stated in the story are the only two dual WSR/NSR in the World.
It took two years to process the Gold Coast World Surfing Reserve with a lot of love, passion, blood, sweat and tears thanks to those who volunteered their services and contributions for free.
The ultimate love job for global recognition which in turn will help maintain and protect the Southern Gold Coast Points and central breaks in between.
The fight to save Kirra in inherent in this story and the motivation to keep it and the other points and breaks protected for the future.
Hope this explains what its all about. I think the overall message is pretty clear ie look after our natural assets and a WSR will achieve that!
Andy, isn't Kirra and Snapper and greenmount , manmade points and groins? Which means they are not Natural assets?
Bells is not a Surfing reserve , and does not have any real protection , speaking to guys from Vic, who have been fighting for Bells to have formal legislative protection, actually just got more contests there , Bus licenses issued , and the Surf Coast shire categorically refused to consider legislative protection after their failed bid to build a tourist hub at Bells.
It seems to me that the only protection is just hoping that Councils/Govts will listen to the WSR/NSR as lobby groups?
Are these groups actually trying to get real protection?
Sharkman,I like your passion but don't let cynicism eat into your conservation.
No - Kirra, Snapper and Greenmount are naturally evolved, you had to be here in the sixties to see that. They are part of the Gold Coast Points and as such are proudly referred as natural coastal assets.
The placement of Groynes ala 1972 Big Groyne KIrra and Tweed sandpumping 2001 was ostensibly used for beach erosion but in a stroke of engineering luck created a Superbank but sand swamped Kirra.
That is why we lobbied State and Local Government to get the balance right in 2009 to bring back Kirra but to maintain Superbank.
Gold Coast does have a lot of coastal infrastructure which makes you wonder, what if you could actually build surf amenity such has been created by accident.
Well last time I was at Bells for the 50th anniversary in 2011, it said Bells Beach Surfing Reserve est 1970.
Yes legislation to protect is political dynamite for conservative Governments.
That was made very apparent to us in Qld from the previous regime and infact even without legislation to protect, the WSR was an uphill battle until the State Gov changed.
As one legendary surfing friend of mine with much experience on international boards and dealing with the establishment has said, " it is easy to shoot arrows from the outside but much harder to achieve consensus from the inside. "- but thats where it happens. Read Peter Garretts book an incredible insight into being in the system and what it takes to effect change.
The NSR's National Surfing Reserves has helped promoted the respect and conservation value of our breaks, this is where it starts.
WSRs work in with State and Local governments in coastal planning to ultimately protect breaks where detrimental development can have a negative effect.
I guess when I first started on this campaign, I was a bit like you, ready to challenge and take them on, no prisoners, no comprises, demand action from one end of the Coast to the other with legislation to protect but its not that easy - whats Paul Kellys song from little things Big things grow.
You have to start from somewhere and the crew at Bells did that in 1970 in their wisdom to create the first surfing reserve. It is up to the local Community, Council & State Gov reps to follow through in their obligations.
If you feel so strong about it, join a group, lobby State Gov and Local Council reps cause in the end it won't happen without their support.
Protesting is easy, compared to working in with the powerbrokers, achieving the goals takes time, but in this day and age the community wants a more sustainable planet and look after our public amenity including beach and foreshore.
Setting an example is the first step, WSR's & NSR's are a great reminder of what its all about it. Our motto is Preserve, Respect and Celebrate, the rest will follow in its wake!
Andy don't confuse cynicism with reality , I remember seeing a photo on the wall of the Coolongatta pub where the river used to flow out at Greenmount and the council of the day changed it to go out at Tweed.
So the super bank is man made which affected Kirra ,is there a movement in brining back Kirra and removing the Groyne of 72?
I know for a fact that the Bells Surfing Reserve is a recreational reserve and surfing is only a name.
The groups that have been fighting for Bells being Surfrider, Surfers Appreciating a Natural Enviroment and the Bells Beach Preservation Society , stopped a massive Tourist Hub being built , but found out that there is no real protection from 1970.
Doesn't seem to matter what Government is in Labor or Liberal , no-one seems to want to legislate real protection for our surf beaches , that s why I asked are you guys or the NSR/WSR really pushing for legislation and real protection ?
The Surf Coast Shire and the current labor Government were not interested to really protect Bells , but there seems to be a lot of empty rhetoric and back slapping on just recognition, there seems to be a very long way to go!
Would be great to hear that NSR/WSR are really working on legislation as a real example of something concrete being achieved , now that's something to celebrate!
Sharkman re the photo of the Tweed river - Ebay seller ,Relics2u has a pic for sale that shows low lying coolie beach area and river route could have been changed.
Sharkman,
Gold Coast has a long history of surf evolution and continues to evolve.
Whats the old saying,"Rome wasn't built in a day!"
We can only try to get the best result possible in light of all the obstacles.
Its better to try and work in than just be a critic shooting arrows.
NSR's have opened up that dialogue to create respect for the beach and surf environment.
Gold Coast World Surfing Reserve has taken it a step further by working in with City of Gold Coasts Surf Management Plan and a Local Stewardship Committee to oversee.
As I mentioned Councils and Governments don't have a political appetite for legislation to protect but they will work together to protect beach and surf amenity from detrimental development.
NSR's and WSR's have opened up that dialogue to discuss these issues and to work in with State and Local Planning departments to ultimately protect our coastal assets.
Sharkman, it has to start from somewhere it doesn't happen over night.
12 months ago It was seemingly impossible to get support for a WSR, a lot has changed since. You have to crawl before you learn to work.
And be grateful for the blessings, all things considered GCWSR has a lot to celebrate!
Only those with an intimate knowledge of the 2 year roller coaster ride involved can appreciate the machinations of what it took to gain approval for the GCWSR.
This will be the last public post on this issue as I would prefer to talk one on one with you or any others rather than engage in a social media blog.
my email is [email protected]
Good Luck with your conservation cheers AM.
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Bit sad Andy that you won't engage in a public forum , as a lot of people would be interested to ask questions and I think its great that there is a GCWSR , I was just trying to understand what it all means and that the GC points seem to be man made .
Good luck
Sharkman, the southern Gold Coast points are not really man made. I started surfing them in the early 70’s. Snapper, Greenmount and Kirra produced great point waves regularly. Then they were largely ruined for board riding by the unintended and eventual effects of the Tweed River breakwalls. The sand pumping didn't create the southern GC points, it restored them.
hey wally , yeah I surfed Snapper and greenmount in the early 70's , and they were separate breaks , and I used to watch with fascination MP surfing behind the rock at Snapper which still happens today.
My point , pardon the pun, was that at the turn of the century the Tweed river flowed out at Grenmount , so I was wondering when they moved the rivermouth to where it is today , did that then create the points , and D-Bah?
I am not sure there was ever a superbank like now before they started the pumping from Tweed , so my questions remain unanswered about the GC points being a natural phenomenon or man made.
Don't get me wrong I think the GC management plan is great for surfing , but question the fact when there is no legislation , and why Govts will not even consider legislation , just in case they need to develop the "protected surf beaches later."
With Bells there is still real protection , Council and Govt rejected proposals for legislative protection , just after they had tried to develop Bells into a Tourist Hub with 40% less parking for surfers , 5 large coach bays , 20 minbus bays , a huge toilet block , statues of dolphins and albatross's for photos ,and an information center for the tourists.
Bells still has no real protection , even though most surfers see it as the Worlds first Surfing Reserve is actually legally just a recreation reserve like a foot ground!
Its a bummer that Andy would not back up his article with an open dialogue on the NSR/WSR 's political goals and he real fight in getting legislation in place to protect ?
The Tweed River mouth has been in the same spot for as long as whitefellas have known about it.
Thanks Sharkman.