Bells support grows

Erin Pearson
AUSTRALIA’S surfing youth have jumped onboard a push from local surfing legend Maurice Cole to clean up Bells Beach.
Pro surfers Jack Perry, Nic Muscroft and Adam Robertson surf at the iconic beach regularly and said they hoped the area’s stormwater and sewerage problems could be fixed.
Jan Juc surfer Robertson finished second in the 2009 Bells Beach Rip Curl Pro and said the beach had “special” significance in his life.
“I got second in the Rip Curl Pro there so it’s always going to be a special place to me and if something was potentially going to degrade it in any way I think it would be a shame,” he said.
“For me, I travel all over the world to surf and if people ask me where I live I say Bells Beach because that’s where they know.”
World Championship Tour surfer Muscroft said he was in “complete shock” after touring damage from leaking sewerage and stormwater to Bells Beach.
“It’s such an iconic area and management have done well to keep it the way it is so far, now they just have to keep it clean.
“Because we travel a lot and see lots of beaches we’re pretty lucky to come back to Bells as our home beach,” he said.
The Independent previously reported Mr Cole, a shire appointed member of the Bells Beach Advisory Committee, was fighting to clear his name after undertaking “in-house” repairs to a Bells Beach drainage pipe.
The Surf Coast Shire and Bells Beach Advisory Committee will meet again over the Bells Beach plan in October.
The Surf Coast Shire failed to respond to the Independent’s request for comment.