Southern Ocean Surf Reef at Middleton Beach officially going ahead, as City of Albany council awards tender

Keen surfers packed into the City of Albany council chambers on Tuesday night to voice their support for a decisive vote in favour of the $13 million artificial surf reef — a project almost 30 years in the making. Councillors voted to award the tender for the construction of the Southern Ocean Surf Reef at their July 23 meeting, marking a “point of no return” in the process of the Middleton Beach project. The vote also included increasing budget expenditure by $2m as a contingency for potential industry cost increases. Plans indicate the reef will be built from granite about 120m from the shore of Surfers Beach in Middleton. Four members of Albany Boardriders spoke in favour of the project, fondly dubbed “Midds Reef”, including Peter Bolt, who has been advocating for the project since the 1990s. “For many generations, the reef will shape and form the ocean swells into surfable waves that will lift the spirits and energy of those that ride them,” he said. “It will be an asset that uses only energy from the ocean and requires no other power source. “There are no staff to employ, no services to connect and maintain, no cleaning or painting, no entry fees, making it highly accessible to everyone. “It will provide the foundation for its own marine ecosystem and provide an additional benefit of coastal protection in an age when effective protection of coastal assets is on the minds of many decision makers. “The ducks are aligned, the opportunity is now — don’t let it slip from your grasp.” The speech of 16-year-old surfer Zephyr Simmons, who said having a consistent wave close to town would be “sick”, was met with applause. “I’m lucky I have parents who surf, who know where the breaks are, but my friends and I being able to surf before and after school and on the weekends would be sick,” he said. “It would make me and my mates feel safer knowing there’s help nearby. “I’ve been hearing about this my whole life — please vote yes.” Other speakers, including Albany Boardriders president Anthony Moir and founding member of Surf Mums Narelle Wakefield, cited studies noting the mental and physical health benefits of surfing. Long-time advocate for the reef Cr Robert Sutton urged councillors’ support, calling the project “almost generational”. “Hearing young people like Zephyr speak out speaks more volume than anything else,” he said. “It’s been a hell of a job, but I see it as not just a win-win, but a win-win-win. “This is a financial win, an environmental win, and a community win — the last two being the most important.” In addressing the additional cost, deputy mayor Paul Terry referenced the reef’s 2020 business case, which said the net value of the project would be $58 million. “I know we were all a bit nervous about how much this was going to cost,” he said. “The tenderer needed an extra one to $2m for contingency — this is not at a cost to ratepayers. “But for that extra $1m spent, we will get $58m of value. “We’d be foolish not to accept this when the stars are aligning.” Cr Thomas Brough voted against the reef on the basis of the ongoing cost of living crisis, saying the project was ultimately a “luxury”. Cr Lynn MacLaren disputed his reasoning, claiming it was a “killjoy comment”, and the reef was an investment in the community and its wellbeing. Cr Mario Lionetti also voted against the item, saying though he himself was not against the project, his electors were. The motion was carried 9-2 and was met by cheers from the gallery. Construction of the reef could begin in February, with waves starting to swell about six weeks after that.