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27/08/16 08:00am EMAIL THIS TO A FRIENDSURFS UP ON THE SWAN RIVER Surf's up on the Swan! A proposal to develop Australia's third surf park - URBNSURF Perth - was announced today with confirmation that Wave Park Group has presented a formal proposal to the City of Melville to redevelop a 4.4ha site located at Tompkins Park, Alfred Cove into a world-class surfing destination. Located just 9 km south of the Perth CBD, and situated on the banks of the Swan River, the proposed site is situated in a 22 hectare sports and recreation precinct that currently caters to multiple field sports.  "Perth is blessed with a number of idyllic beaches, but the surf quality at those beaches is often poor, with overcrowding in the line-up also becoming an increasing issue," said Wave Park Group Executive Chairman, Andrew Ross. "URBNSURF Perth will bring the beach to our backyards, by unlocking the geographic limitations of ocean based surfing. "Surf park technology has progressed so quickly in recent years, and we are excited to be delivering the next generation of Wavegarden technology here in Perth - our home town". The development of URBNSURF Perth will generate over 300 jobs during the construction phase, and another 45 full time positions will be created in the surf park and its additional facilities. "URBNSURF Perth will inject more than $250 million in gross economic contribution to the Perth region over the project life, and we have well-progressed plans for additional URBNSURF facilities around Australia, having announced developments earlier this year at Melbourne Airport and Sydney Olympic Park", added Mr Ross. "Surfing is enjoyed by millions of Australians for its excitement, lifestyle and recognised health benefits, and is second only to AFL in terms of national sports participation, so it seems fitting that Tompkins Park, a hugely popular regional sporting hub, could now include a surf sports facility," he said. ABS data reveals that Perth's surfing community, estimated to consist of over 100,000 persons, represent a greater number of participants than those that play cricket, both indoor and outdoor combined. "Incredibly, there are over 300 AFL and cricket ovals in Perth, but not one dedicated facility for Perth's thousands of wave starved surfers, with many beaches also closed to surfers for long periods of the year." This announcement is the realisation of a three-year dream for Mr Ross, having surfed the original Wavegarden surf lagoon in Spain in late 2012. And like many Perth based surfers, Mr Ross spends much of his time wishing he were more conveniently located to better surf. "With a busy job, and as a father of young kids, I can't always get to the beach at the right time to catch decent waves, and when the swell is up, the breaks are full with others trying to do the same thing," he said. "URBNSURF Perth will provide greater opportunities for those that love surfing to engage with their sport, and for non-surfers to learn how to surf. The safety and convenience of URBNSURF Perth will make it an ideal venue to pick up the sport and to rapidly improve. "With surfing now confirmed as an Olympic medal sport for the 2020 Tokyo Games, we think this facility will play an important part in the future of the sport of surfing in WA." The surfing lagoon will feature world-leading, Wavegarden® wave generating technology which delivers waves catering to a broad range of surfing abilities - from those just learning, right through to elite athletes, catering to their high performance training needs. Waves will range from up to 1.7m high, pitching waves, that are designed for the highest levels of performance surfing, down to 0.6m high, rolling white-water waves, which are ideal for beginner surfers. Waves will form cleanly and break with constant power and shape throughout the ride, which will be the equivalent to riding high-quality, ocean-based waves of similar sizes. "Through the development of urban surfing environments, we are providing the opportunity for surfers to engage with their sport more frequently, more conveniently, and more safely - allowing them to simply 'surf more'," added Mr Ross. As well as having amenities like a pro store, surf training academy, a licensed café and a function centre, URBNSURF Perth will also be home to a climbing wall, parkour trail, skate course and other lifestyle sport opportunities. URBNSURF Perth has been orientated to suit the prevailing south-westerly sea breeze, optimising the potential for offshore conditions during most of the year. Advanced LED lagoon lighting systems will illuminate waves from under water making night surfing available. The facility will also feature sustainable design, renewable energy, and water saving systems, in keeping with Wave Park Group's strong environmental sustainability ethos. Preliminary technical, environmental, and commercial feasibility studies for the proposed development have been completed, with a detailed business case to be delivered to the City of Melville in the coming week for its consideration. To advance the development, the proposal will first be subject to a public notice period allowing for community feedback, prior to a decision being made by the City of Melville to enter into leasing arrangements. If a lease for the site is awarded by the City of Melville, it is anticipated that a development application would be lodged in Q1, 2017, and that development activity could commence in late 2017, with the first riders taking to the waves at URBNSURF Perth in late 2018. _ URBNSURF Perth at Tompkins Park will be accessible to over 1.2 million Perth residents in under 30 _minutes. _ _ The site is well serviced by public transport, with multiple bus routes along Canning Highway connecting to the Mandurah Train line. _ _ The URBNSURF lagoon is just larger than an AFL football oval at approximately 2.4 hectares in area (~5.7 acres). _ _ The maximum lagoon capacity is approximately 84 participants per hour, comprising 36 intermediate/advanced level surfers in the Peak zone, and 48 beginner/novice level surfers in the Bays. _ _ All forms of surf craft are able to be accommodated, from body boards, to shortboards, mals, surf skis, surf kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, and even body surfers. _ _ Entry will be flexible: one-off use, multi-pass and membership, with costs per session varying depending upon the zone within the lagoon surfed, and the time of use. _ _ The facility is forecast to attract approximately 300,000 guests in total per annum. _ _ The facility requires 20 million litres of water per annum to replenish the lagoon due to evaporation (this is equivalent to the annual irrigation needs of a turf sports pitch of a similar size, and is 10% of the annual water requirements of a golf course). _ _ It is proposed that water be renewably sourced from an existing groundwater allocation at Tompkins Park that would otherwise have been used for irrigation of the site, or would have been lost as a resource through migration to the Swan River. _ _ Water will be pre-treated to near potable water quality standards before entering the surf park's ultrafiltration systems. _ _ URBNSURF Perth intends to source a proportion of its power requirements from renewable sources by generating solar PV power on site. _ _ Wave Park Group is committed to incorporating best practice Ecologically Sustainable Design principles into the design of the facility. _ _ Surf sports have a higher participation rate in WA than cricket (both indoor and outdoor combined) (Source: ABS, 2014). _ _ Over 50,000 surf lessons are delivered on the Perth coast annually, with more than half of those participating being young women (Source: Surfing WA). _ _ Similar to dedicated snow and skate parks, Wave Park Group believe facilities like these will undoubtedly progress the sport to a new level of performance. _ _ The proposal anticipates the retaining of the Tompkins Park playing fields with no net loss of playing fields _ _ The City of Melville is proposing to relocate the existing Melville Bowls Club to a brand new, state- of-the-art facility situated 300 metres further east from its current location at Tompkins Park. _ _ Wavegarden wave generating technology has been in development for over 12 years, created and perfected by a team of 28 engineers based in Europe. _ _ Technical information on the Wavegarden wave generating technology can be found at www.urbnsurf.co/FAQ.html _ _ The first commercial surf park facility featuring Wavegarden technology opened in Wales in mid- 2015 (www.surfsnowdonia.co.uk), and another is due to open shortly in Austin, Texas (www.nlandsurfpark.com). Both are already drawing keen tourism interest and investment to their regions. _ _ URBNSURF Perth will provide a range of aquatic and non-aquatic based activities, services and amenities including: - A quality licensed café _ - Roof top bar and beach club _ - Function centre _ - Beach cabanas _ - Retail store _ - Pro and demo services _ - Regular amateur league and elite level surfing events _ - A surf academy with programs for beginners, intermediates and elite surfers _ - Cutting edge RFID guest management and video tracking technology _ - Group and personal surf-fitness classes _ - Climbing wall _ - Parkour trail _ - Zero depth splash pad for children and those with disability _ - Children's playground _ - Skate course _ - Child minding _ - Perth's first non-coastal, surf life-saving club _ - Art, music and film festivals _ - High quality landscaping _ _ The project recognises the environmental and cultural values of the nearby Swan River. To this end, a variety of water sensitive urban design upgrades to an adjacent storm water drain, and the rehabilitation of wetland vegetation is proposed as part of the development. _ _ The project also plans to deliver significant upgrades to nearby park facilities, with a mountain bike pump track, outdoor adventure and fitness equipment, and additional car parking to service existing river front amenities. _ _ This world-class facility will become a valuable community asset, for both the residents within the City of Melville and the wider Perth population - with no expenditure required from ratepayers. _ _ Features for the entire family will ensure that URBNSURF Perth becomes a highly utilised cultural and recreation facility with Perth locals and tourists alike. |