On 20th June 2023, Mr David Scaife MLA made a speech to parliament on the Marine Safety Bill. In his speech, he made mention of the Cockburn Power Boats Club. You can find the full speech mentioning the Club below.

“The second organisation that I want to speak about for its commitment to marine safety is the Cockburn Power Boats Club, which was one of the first community groups to reach out to me after I was elected as member for Cockburn. It is a not-for-profit organisation that encourages recreational boating in Cockburn. It is a very old organisation founded in 1961.

In 1981, it moved to its current site at the Jervoise Bay marina. It offers members a variety of different supports and activities, including fishing, cruising, sailing and social events. 

Members of the Club have access to club launching ramps, secure parking, dedicated boat-washing facilities, a fish cleaning station and annual or temporary boat pens. The Club also aims to ensure its members understand and comply with regulations and laws for boating safety. I know that this bill will be of interest to the Club, given the role it plays in that respect. Interestingly enough, the club also participates in something I am told is called a “Pirate Raid”. Maybe this is relevant to safety on water. I am not sure that we should be encouraging pirate raids in our near shore waters, but it is a social tradition within the club, in which they dress up as pirates and storm other clubs to steal a treasure chest. It sounds like big kids’ activity to me, and it sounds like a lot of fun. 

The Club has been very proactive in the space of regulations of our maritime recreational activities and safety. It is always proactive in educating its members about the latest regulations, whether those are boating or fishing regulations. I was very pleased to host the Minister for Fisheries with the club’s executive to discuss the government’s consultation about the commercial fishing ban. I also hosted the Club’s executive to discuss with the Minister for Fisheries the development over time of Westport and how to make sure that we minimise impacts on the social and environmental values of Cockburn Sound. 

This is a great Club with a strong membership base, and it has always taken a keen interest in the local community, whether that is providing recreational opportunities, educating people about safety or preserving our precious Cockburn Sound. I acknowledge the Club’s executive— Stephen Knight, the Commodore; the Vice-Commodore, Brent Fletcher; First Rear Commodore, Don Beisley; the Second Rear Commodore, Tim Carson; and Treasurer Rhyss Whittred.  

I also acknowledge committee members Peter Montague, Malcolm Tull, Paul Chatterley and Mark Glew. 

Finally, I acknowledge the general manager and Yangebup local, John Tissott. Thank you very much to the Club and the Club’s executive for the work that they do.”