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5 SEPTEMBER 2026 | VOL .01 NO.05
Local surf legend inspires Australia-wide paddle-outs By BEN DICKINSON Hundreds of surfers took to the waves at Scarborough last weekend in a poignant tribute to one of their own, surfing legend Mark Lane.
Photo: Adam Crane @saltdiaries Salt and flowers…surfers pay tribute to Mark Lane at Scarborough. A lookout at Trigg has been named Laney’s Lookout in his honour.
Boardwalk battle rises over dunes By BEN DICKINSON
A tourist magnet. A white elephant. A sensitive interface with nature. An environmental disaster. An economic boon. A money pit.
Rival groups of locals are battling for control
of the narrative about the proposed ScarboroughTrigg boardwalk as a critical decision looms for Stirling council. The 850m-long walkway – which could cost as little as $13million or more than $25million, depending on who you believe – would
Littoral meaning... Stirling says this boardwalk will “connect people to culture and nature.”
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traverse the dune system between carparks in north Scarborough and south Trigg, offering walkers an alternative to the shared path along busy West Coast Highway. The idea was twice rejected by Stirling in 2005 and 2012 but resurrected in 2024 after a survey run by a community group found overwhelming support for the project. “It’s going to be immersive,” said Deane Pieters, a Trigg resident, former West Coast executive, ex-Olympic swimmer and administrator of the 2200-strong pro-boardwalk group. “It allows people to enjoy the environment and to learn more about the environment without inhaling exhaust. • Please turn to page 3
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The armada of paddlers, some clutching flowers, gathered in a ring offshore to commemorate “Laney” Lane, the longtime Surfing WA boss and titan of the sport who lost a long battle with skin cancer last month, aged 62. Matt Wilson, Surfing WA’s acting chief executive, said the huge turnout was a powerful reflection of the impact Lane had on the surfing community. “There were people there from all parts of his life, from family and close friends to colleagues and people whose lives he had touched through the sport,” he said. “Laney gave so much of himself to surfing and to the people within it, and I think the response since his passing shows just how widely that was felt. “To see coordinated paddle-outs take place at the same time across WA, from Exmouth to Albany, was incredibly special. “That was echoed nationally at the Australian Shortboard Titles in Wollongong and internationally as tributes flowed from the World Surf League’s Fiji Pro, demonstrating just how far Laney’s impact reached.” • Please turn to page 29
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