Popular Yallingup boat ramp pack in business

Urgent upgrades to the Canal Rocks boat ramp 4km south of Yallingup were finally finished at the weekend with fishermen, divers and tour operators given the green light to resume their activities from the popular site. In a statement the McGowan Government announced the facility was ready after a seven-month closure while construction was undertaken by Perth-based company Advanteering Civil Engineers. The $1.6 million project followed months of lobbying by Capes residents last year with a petition, two rallies, and many meetings and resulted in the State Government “backflipping” on its original decision to close the ramp altogether. Intended to increase safety at the site, the newly aligned boat ramp and almost 2m-wide wheelchair-accessible jetty have improved access for people launching and retrieving vessels. Vasse MLA Libby Mettam thanked the community for banding together to achieve the “sensible outcome”. “It is fantastic to the see Canal Rocks Boat Ramp open after short-sighted efforts by the McGowan Government to shut down this important facility,” she said. Environment Minister Jade Sanderson said Canal Rocks was an important facility to upgrade for both recreational users and tourism operators in the region. “These upgrades address safety concerns previously raised by emergency services and other users of the old facility,” Ms Sanderson said.