A wake park for Perth
A wake park for Perth is in the works!
Those with a love of water-skiing, wake boarding or any other aquatic adrenaline-pumping activity will soon have an opportunity to give it a go using electrically-driven overhead cables. The wake park is to be located on the corner of St Albans Rd and Mundijong Rd in Baldivis.
Essential Environmental has been involved in the wake park development application process through preparation of a Water Management Plan (WMP), as required by the Department of Water. In addition to water requirements for operation of the lakes, the location of the site required further consideration of groundwater and stormwater management, servicing and flood risk. Water quality management, the management of mosquitos and other nuisance insects, and the management of water during construction works were also addressed as part of the WMP. Specific water balance models were developed to assess lake seepage, evaporation and top-up requirements, as well as water supply and wastewater management options. Results from the detailed modelling of the three lakes were included in the WMP together with results from a site investigation into water quality.
Essential Environmental – Perth Wake Park lake water balance: options analysis
As part of the development of the proposed approach to water related issues and identification of ongoing actions to implement the proposal, Essential Environmental also undertook negotiations with the Department of Water and the Water Corporation to identify key issues and constraints to the development, regarding water requirements and licence applications.
3D render of the future Perth Wake Park
The City of Rockingham unanimously voted in favour of the park at the end of January this year and the next stage for the Perth Wake Park crew, brothers and wakeboard enthusiasts Simon and Ben Hurrey, involves waiting for the Western Australian Planning Commission to sign off on their development application.
The main cable will run clockwise around a purpose-built lake and participants are very simply hooked up to the cable on the move. It is powered by a variable speed electric motor that can maintain speeds between 20 – 58 km/hr. Participants are not restricted to wakeboarding and waterskiing and people of all ages and abilities can slalom ski, trick ski, kneeboard, or even surf without a wave. If you’re only a beginner, a separate training lake using a cable running at slower speeds will be the place to start. A pro lake for advanced riders wanting to practice their tricks will also be included at the park, in addition to the main lake. Up to 10 skiers or wakeboarders can participate at the same time on one cableway.
One of the main advantages of using a cable skiing systems is that participants don’t need to pay for a noisy boat. They can also enjoy themselves under much safer conditions rather than competing with other boats and skiers in Perth’s sometimes much-crowded waterways, where cumulative boat wake can also cause significant foreshore degradation in rivers. In addition, it doesn’t take much power to run the cable, with average estimates of 10 kW per operation hour to drive the motor.
Cables typically used at cable ski park
Follow Perth Wake Park on facebook and twitter to find out when you can get your skis/boards on and make a splash trying out your own tricks in one of the park’s three lakes!
