Coastwest grants worth $639,164 have been awarded to 26 projects, which will rehabilitate and rejuvenate Western Australian beaches and dunes.

Planning Minister John Day said the grants were for projects designed to improve the condition and amenity of the WA coast.

“The grants will assist to ensure that Western Australia maintains some of the most beautiful and pristine stretches of coastline which attracts thousands of visitors every year,” Mr Day said.

“Without these grants many worthy coastal rehabilitation projects may never have been possible.

“The grants ranged between $4,800 and $100,000 for projects on metropolitan and regional beaches.

“The grants were awarded to those projects which would substantially contribute to improved amenity and condition of our coast line.

“The biggest grant will fund the protection of the Leschenault Peninsula Conservation Park and see the revegetation and dune stabilisation of a regional park in close proximity to a growing urban population.

“Other projects include works to protect the fragile dune environment at Torbay Inlet, near Albany, a seagrass monitoring program at Roebuck Bay, and a project to address and mitigate the threats caused by marine debris to the South-West coastline.”

The 2009 Coastwest grants attracted 51 applications, requesting $2,251,357 in funding.

A complete list of projects is detailed below and is also available online with project descriptions at http://www.planning.wa.gov.au/Plans+and+policies/Statewide+planning/Coastwest/1890.aspx