Media Statements - Department provides improved coastal data for Great Southern

30/08/05

Commercial and recreational fishermen and charter operators along our southern coast can now access real time information about sea and swell conditions in the area - significantly improving their safety.

The new service follows the Department for Planning and Infrastructure’s recent deployment of a wave buoy, eight nautical miles West-South-West of Eclipse Island off Albany, as part of its ongoing work to improve the collection of wave and tide information along the Western Australian coastline.

Planning and Infrastructure Minister Alannah MacTiernan said the new Albany wave buoy increased to five the number of buoys providing real time wave information for the most populated areas of the State.

“Strategically positioned at Jurien, Cottesloe, Rottnest, Cape Naturaliste and now Albany, the expanded wave buoy network provides current data for a range of activities off our coast including shipping movements, commercial and recreational maritime activities and emergency response operations,” Ms MacTiernan said.

“Importantly, the data collected can also be applied to benefit coastal planning, design and development and scientific research projects such as climate change studies.”

The information is also used by the Bureau of Meteorology as part of daily weather forecasting.

The department provides the comprehensive information through its popular Coastal Data Centre website, which is one of the most frequently accessed online services provided by Government in WA.

The department’s Tides and Waves Co-ordinator, Tony Lamberto, said current wave buoy information was supported by data from a network of 28 tide gauges located along the coast from Wyndham to Esperance.

Mr Lamberto said the deployment of the Albany wave buoy was a further improvement on wave information provided by the department.

“In September, the department’s first permanent ‘directional’ wave buoy was positioned off Rottnest, providing comprehensive information about the direction of waves, as well as the height,” he said.

“The initiative not only introduced another dimension to the collection of wave data off WA, it allowed us to relocate the Rottnest wave buoy to Albany - significantly extending the area of coast under this type of surveillance.”

People wanting to access the full range of coastal data for WA, including real time wave information for Albany and the southern coast, can do so by visiting the department's website at http://www.dpi.wa.gov.au/coastaldata

Minister's office: 9213 6400