Minister Don Punch visits Port of Albany as first rocks for Southern Ocean Surf Reef at Middleton Beach arrive

The first rocks for Albany’s long awaited surf reef arrived at the port this week, with Minister For Regional Development Don Punch narrowing down the project’s 2025 completion date. Mr Punch and Member for Albany Rebecca Stephens visited the Port of Albany on Tuesday with city officials and members of Albany Boardriders and Albany Surf Life Saving Club for the milestone. The arrival of the rocks, mined from local quarries, heralds the start of the build for the Southern Ocean Surf Reef, which is expected to be complete by March and — all going well — ready to surf by May. The rocks will be loaded on to barges and placed on the seabed floor about 140m from the Middleton Beach shoreline to create a layered granite rock structure that will provide rideable left-hand waves up to 100m for 41 per cent of the year, suitable for beginner to intermediate surfers. The project, which the surfing community has been pushing for almost two decades, is expected to become a significant drawcard to the Great Southern for surfers and tourists. It will also provide residents with a surf spot closer to town than the nearest breaks at Sandpatch and Muttonbird beaches, which are about a 20-minute drive from the city centre. “It’s really exciting, I’m looking forward to getting my board shorts on and getting out there,” Mr Punch said. The $13 million project has been made possible by funding from multiple sources: $5m from the Federal Government; $4.75m from the Cook Government; $1.995m from the City of Albany; $5000 from Albany Boardriders; and an extra $2m in contingency money from the State and the city. “This is an example of a great partnership between the Federal Government, the State Government, the local government, and community,” Mr Punch said. “That’s how you advance regional development, and that’s how you get great outcomes.” Ms Stephens, who has worked closely with the City of Albany, Albany Boardriders Club and Surfing WA to realise the project, was grateful to the region’s surfing community for their part in it. “The Albany Boardriders and Surfing WA have already committed to holding surf competitions at the site, which is set to become a unique and accessible tourism drawcard for the Great Southern region,” she said.