NBY has released a media statement regarding the excavation of dune areas by the Cable Beach Polo event organisers.
MEDIA RELEASE response to beach polo dune damage 21052019
Nyamba Buru Yawuru has been working with the Shire of Broome and Cable Beach Polo Event organisers to plan for the remediation of the Cable Beach dune area following unauthorised excavation on Friday 17 May.
Cable Beach Polo event producer Marilynne Paspaley acknowledges the breach of the Shire of Broome event permit and agrees to remediate the area that has been damaged. Damage was done by excavating an area that is 1 metre deep and 50 metres long to accommodate temporary event infrastructure.
On Monday 20 May Nyamba Buru Yawuru’s Environmental Services team and The Shire of Broome met with representatives from Cable Beach Polo who demonstrated their proposed remediation plans. A remediation process was agreed to and a Yawuru cultural monitor onsite during the commencement period. The Shire and NBY will attend for a final viewing on completion. NBY also proposed a collaborative planning process for future Polo events so all risks and concerns and appropriate timing can be identified in advance of the permit application. Involvement of Yawuru at the early stages of planning for events such as this will ensure successful outcomes that meet all requirements.
Peter Yu said “While Yawuru welcomes tourism investment and events that showcase our amazing country, protection of this sensitive environment and the significant cultural values of the dune system is the most important consideration. We appreciate the prompt response from the Cable Beach Polo organisers and the Shire on working with NBY to manage the breach of the permit.”
The delicate dune system that stretches along Cable Beach borders the Minyirr Buru Yawuru Conservation Estate and is a highly environmentally and culturally significant area. The Department of Biodiversity, Conservations and Attractions administers the Cable Beach Volunteer Turtle Program along Cable Beach, which involves over 70 volunteers monitoring turtle activity on Cable Beach. This year there was the highest number of turtles, nests and hatched nest since the conception of the program in 2013-14.
Peter Yu said “The strong response by the public to this issue has been very heartening as it indicates a great appreciation by the broader community of the cultural and environmental values of our town. We look forward to working with the Cable Beach Polo Event organisers and other events in the future to ensure we can both support events and protect and preserve our most important assets – our rich cultural and ecological environment”.