Photo Southern-Sound Telegraph
"What’s the point of preserving our natural environment if people can’t get out and enjoy it? And why should we spend millions of taxpayer dollars — money from your pocket, and from mine — if there are viable, and indeed attractive, alternatives on offer?" Mr Stonheouse told the Southern-Sound Telegraph.
"Those are just two of the questions I’ve been pondering in recent months in regard to Point Peron. Now that the Government has bowed to public pressure, and taken the exclusive marina proposal off the table, what is the best way to ensure the largest number of people get to enjoy a sustainable environmental asset at the lowest reasonable cost?
"A network of walkways and trails running from Lake Richmond out to the tip of Point Peron, taking in the World War II bunkers and defensive batteries, while focusing on the natural beauty of the coastline has the potential to act as a real drawcard for Rockingham. A visitor centre could sit at the entrance to the park, at the junction of Hymus Street and Point Peron Road, on land which is already owned by the City of Rockingham, and would serve as an educational and community link between the Esplanade, the City foreshore, and the Grade A reserve adjacent to it.
"Moreover, the establishment of a combination of static and mobile caravan park on the land that was cleared to make way for the now-defunct marina would allow the park to generate a steady stream of income on which to base these and future facilities."
While agreeing a that iconic Point Peron Site has exciting possibilities as a tourism and recreational venue, Brighthouse is cautious, considering the history of another supposedly game-changing development at Port Kennedy.