A 30-metre concrete wall blocking harbour views has united residents of a small West Coast town in frustration.
The structure appeared last year as part of the West Coast Council’s $3.3 million redevelopment of the Strahan waterfront.
Locals say they either never expected a wall at all or believed it would be far smaller.
More than 300 people have signed a petition demanding answers about the structure, which runs along the Strahan Esplanade.
The council held a public meeting last week as a result, which was attended by more than 100 residents.
General manager Scott Riley told 7XS the council accepted it had fallen short on community consultation.
“Significant concerns were removal or significant modification of the wall, obstruction of the waterfront views, project aesthetics, wharf access for heavy vehicles, particularly fishermen,” he said.
Riley said safety conflicts between different users, fuel tank relocation and construction delays were also raised during the meeting.
As part of the project, one vehicle entrance has been removed, forcing port traffic – including trucks – to share the area with tourists.
“The community really came back to council and said we haven’t done a good enough job and I accept that,” he said.
“We’ll certainly be putting things in place around that.”
Residents, on social media, have compared the structure to the Berlin Wall and described it as a waste of money.
The council’s website describes the structure as a ‘shelter wall’, built as part of the waterfront upgrade that has been in planning since 2015 and has attracted significant state and federal funding.
The council said the wall was constructed on expert advice from engineers and architects and options – including potentially reducing its height – will be explored.
A report addressing community concerns will go before councillors on January 27.
