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SAVE KIRRA
Over a thousand turn out on Australia Day Paddle Out to rally for Gold Coast's most iconic surf spot
Photos: Photos: Simon "Swilly" Williams; Video: Lachlan Mckinnon
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January 30, 2009
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Up until six years ago, Kirra Point was arguably Australia's best wave.
The bulbous, superfast, sand-sucking right pointbreak offered some of the longest tubes on the planet for generations of Aussies, from guys like Michael Peterson and Rabbit Bartholomew to today's Coolie Kids Fanning, Parko and Dingo.
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Last weekend, on Australia Day, over 1500 paddlers took to the surf off Kirra Beach and formed a map of Australia in the water. Gold Coast surf activist Andrew McKinnon explains: "There's no doubt that the unprecedented surfing show of strength and the community concern of the loss of Kirra Point has highlighted a distinct message to the powers-that-be and the reaction has drawn a quick response, with discussions set in place with QLD and NSW State Governments Ministers ready to deal with the problem." "Both the NSW and QLD State Labor Governments are facing the polls this year and the political heat is on. The surfing community representing a decent slice of the electoral pie will be able to push their vote in no uncertain terms. "A proper review and assessment of the sand problem is long overdue and the 25-year State Government contract needs to renegotiate, so in the end we can have it all -- if the engineering is right and the sand spread proportionately rather than backlogging it at Coolangatta and Kirra. "It's time that the State Governments put some money back into the surfing amenity like other mainstream sports like Footy, Cricket, Tennis, Basketball, Swimming and Track events. Surfing is a poor cousin when compared to the State and Federal assistance that other sports receive, yet here on the Coast there are at least 60,000 people who surf and at least 3.5 million Australians who surf. In terms of votes, surfing has never had a bigger clout, and after the Australia Day Paddle Out, the message is loud and clear in the corridors of power. It's time that the State Governments pulled their collective heads out of the sand and work together to restore the greatness of Kirra. The KirraPoint.org group, which is now a sub committee of the GC/Tweed Surfrider Foundation, is armed to the teeth and will take this campaign forward with recommendations and solutions. Stay tuned for updates. MORE SURF NEWS SURFLINE HOME PAGE |