Sorrento Beach eco shark barrier to be removed as soon as next week after City of Joondalup vote

Sorrento Beach will be without a shark barrier this summer, with the damaged net set to be removed as soon as next week. After almost four years in the water, Joondalup Council unanimously voted on Tuesday night to remove the enclosure because its integrity had been compromised — despite it having a projected lifespan of a decade. In a statement, the City said damage to the enclosure from Kingsley-based Eco Shark Barrier meant the end of its life was now imminent — despite the City and contractor endeavouring to return it to a fully operational condition. With damage too severe to allow it to be repaired or managed through to the end of the 2020-21 summer period, it will be removed as soon as practical, and signs will be installed to inform the public. Mayor Albert Jacob said though the beach enclosure had provided a separation from marine life for swimmers, failures with the barrier matrix meant its integrity could no longer be guaranteed. “While monitoring and ad hoc repairs have been routinely carried out over the life of the structure by the contractor in an effort to maintain the structure, there is now an unacceptable risk that at any time existing holes could increase in size or new holes could form,” Mr Jacob said. “The degradation in the enclosure matrix has been the focus of recent media attention, with some debris washing up on the foreshore. The removal of the barrier will also prevent further debris and a clean-up of the area will be undertaken at the same time.” Eco Shark Barrier director Craig Moss said the enclosure at Sorrento was the first of its kind. “To survive four years from the original prototype has been a good effort, but it’s also been a learning curve,” he said. “It has helped to shape other barriers like Cottesloe which was hailed a success after its first season.” Mr Moss said he was still happy with the performance of the barrier. “When something moves 24/7, it’s hard not to have some damage,” he said. “When you think about a storm, they can rip roofs off and in the ocean you can get swell of up to 5m, so to have come this far, I’m quite happy.” Mr Jacob said lessons learned from this enclosure would help the City “adequately investigate and plan appropriately to implement a new enclosure”, with the council also voting to investigate options for a replacement. “The Sorrento Beach enclosure became a popular asset enjoyed by many residents and other visitors to the area, and the importance of an accessible and safe beach to the community cannot be underestimated,” he said. “The City is exploring its options in relation to the future of a new enclosure at the site and in doing so will engage with the relevant community and State Government stakeholders.” Mr Jacob confirmed since the enclosure was installed there had been “no known entry of any large predatory animals”. The enclosure was installed in December 2016 at a cost of $845,000, with the City receiving $400,000 from the State Government. The tender covered the supply, installation and maintenance of the enclosure and was for an initial three years. At the end of the three years, the City undertook an independent assessment of the enclosure and found it had significant damage and structural faults. Signage was then installed at Sorrento Beach to notify visitors there was damage to the barrier and swimmers should exercise caution while inside the enclosure.