Congratulations to nominees Boat exclusion areas needed at Stockton

WITH the horrors of the Gold Coast helicopter crash and the more recent Mandurah estuary boating tragedy still fresh in our minds, we recently ventured to Stockton Lake.

We watched family members enjoy cliff jumping and swimming in a delightful water paradise.

Listening to the roaring boat and jetski motors dampened the enjoyment considerably, but the sight of boats roaring within metres of stranded skiers, paddlers and some of the more adventurous swimmers, frankly filled us with dread.

Surely the prospect of human error and/or a moment’s distraction by a boat skipper is an obvious recipe for another water disaster.

If Lake Kepwari and Glen Mervyn Dam are insufficient to cater for those with the need for speed, the minimum requirement at Stockton Lake must surely be for a clearly defined exclusion zone for swimmers and paddlers to use, similar to Lake Kepwari.

Otherwise, we won’t be encouraging our nine-year-old grandson back there.

Rob Walton Collie