Summer swimming at Cottesloe Beach is back on the calendar after stormy weather caused delays to the annual shark barrier’s installation.
Works to install the barrier began on Monday and were completed on Wednesday. The barrier is 170-metres long and extends 140-metres out from the shoreline along the groyne, and will remain until the end of April.
Increased shark activity around Perth beaches and the recent attack at Sorrento Beach that took the life of beloved father Greg O’Neill mean Cottesloe’s barrier has returned at a pressing time.
It was due to be installed last week, but a powerful swell forecast to peak on the coast would reportedly have made the work unsafe for contractors.
The Town of Cottesloe invests $120,000 a year to install the barrier, which mayor Melissa Harkins said was part of its ongoing commitment to community safety.
“Cottesloe Beach is a world-class, iconic beach, and it is also one of Perth’s safest thanks to the town’s commitment to the shark barrier every year,” she said.
The barrier at Quinns Beach is anticipated to be up by October 16.
The City of Fremantle expects to install the Bathers Beach swimming enclosure later this month, depending on weather conditions.
The City of Cockburn maintains the Coogee Beach shark barrier for the entire year.