Kingston District Council, South Australia, has used a military-style ‘boat-ramp-on-a-roll’ to improve boat launching and general beach access.
Faun Trackway Limited, based on the Isle of Anglesey, North Wales, design and manufacture a range of high-quality portable access systems for use in military and civilian disaster and emergency relief operations at its internationally accredited production facilities in the United Kingdom.
The product is distributed in Australia by Forward Defence. Project Manager, Rohan James, said, “‘The beach starts here’ is the Kingston Council’s marketing motto, and they actually mean it. With the use of a unique portable boat-ramp-in-a-roll they have opened the access to the beach for easy safe entry of all vehicle types without the hazards of driving through a sand-pit.”
Mayor, Kay Rasheed, said, “Crucial to making this bold decision, was the assessment of various temporary boat ramp options by our Maria Creek Community Focus Group, in conjunction with advice from coastal engineers Wavelength.
“Our research concluded that Faun Trackway was the preferred option, being robust and tested heavy duty aluminium, suitable for coastal environments and doesn’t interfere with the
natural coastal processes”.
Chief Executive Officer, Nat Traeger, said, “There is always trepidation when you dip your toe in the water and try something different, and we seem to be doing that an awful lot at the moment.
“We also know that a lot of other coastal councils are watching us with interest, to see how this literally un-folds, and we are delighted to confirm that the old adage of ‘fortune favours the brave’ absolutely stands up with this project.”
Installation was simple and minimal maintenance will be required to maintain the trackway in its current condition, however, by far the most satisfying outcome has been that popular beaches are now accessible to conventional vehicles as a 4WD isn’t required to use the trackway.
*Copy supplied by Forward Defence
