Erosion of cliffs a safety issue

Fears for the safety of people who enjoy Town Beach have prompted the shire to look into finding funding and a solution to the rapid erosion of the pindan cliffs.

Broome Historical Society volunteer Clive Johnson said he had been looking for bits and pieces of tramway as part of a new project when he noticed the cliffs, from the popular local spot around to Catalinas, had suffered substantial erosion.

“Last September there were two large pieces of old railway which were one metre away from the cliff edge, now one of those is on the beach below,” he said.

Having been alarmed by the prospect of someone falling down, Mr Johnson raised the issue with council.

“At Town Beach for the last Stairway to the Moon, there were hundreds of people standing on that cliff,” he said. Broome Shire director of engineering Neville Lavey said another concern was the Pioneer Cemetery, where there were graves just metres from the cliff.

Mr Lavey said the high cultural significance of the area may complicate the situation.

He said the shire was investigating solutions to prevent further erosion, and was also planning to apply for a Coastwest grant.