Turn Royal Perth Yacht Club into the new Matilda Bay Ferry Terminal

13/10/2026

ANOTHER 8-KNOT RULE CONCERN IN MATILDA BAY

The Royal Perth Yacht Club has raised concerns that the proposed ferry could pose a safety risk to its members.

Yet here is another vessel associated with RPYC, filmed travelling at speed in the 8-knot zone.

If ferry safety is a concern, shouldn’t compliance with existing speed limits be a priority too?

Rules should apply equally to everyone, not just to the vessels someone objects to.

Why not locate the ferry terminal at the existing RPYC site and apply consistent safety standards to all users of Matilda Bay?

What do you think?

23/09/2026

So where is the consistency?

This is the kind of large commercial vessel already operating from the waterfront.

Yet a proposed electric ferry of up to 25 metres is being presented as a safety concern for Matilda Bay.

If safety is the concern, shouldn’t the same standard apply to every vessel?

There is already an established waterfront facility at Royal Perth Yacht Club.

Why not put the ferry terminal there instead? # Rita Saffioti MLA Roger Cook

05/09/2026

$29.9 million for a new Matilda Bay terminal — while Jetty A at RPYC already exists.

Why destroy 39 trees and disturb Matilda Bay when Jetty A could be assessed as an alternative?

RPYC has already benefited from taxpayer-funded marina infrastructure in Fremantle. Surely the public deserves to see whether existing infrastructure can be used before another $29.9 million is spent.

Use Jetty A. Run a trial. Protect Matilda Bay.

Two new ferry terminals will be built at Matilda Bay and Applecross.
Read more: https://buff.ly/2HJAspC

04/09/2026

The costs could be cut in half if they used Terminal A at RPYC and bought second-hand ferries to run a proper trial first.

Why spend millions on infrastructure before we even know whether it works?

Use existing infrastructure. Use affordable, proven vessels. Run a sensible trial.

And most importantly — let’s prove the ferry service can work without destroying Matilda Bay.

Surely that’s worth considering before irreversibly destroying Matilda bay.

The proposed new Swan River ferry service would lose $2.75million a year, say critics who have scrutinised the state government business plan.

They also predict the plan could become a half-billion- dollar white elephant.

The critics say that the state government, to achieve its business plan estimate that the Swan River ferry service would raise $11million a year, would need 3,942,000 passengers.

That meant every ferry would have to be filled to capacity 18 hours a day, every day of the year.

Story on page 1 of this week’s POST: postnewspapers.com.au

31/08/2026

THE RIVER SAFETY HYPOCRISY JUST GOT A LOT HARDER TO EXPLAIN

We now have video footage showing what appears to be Brendan Clark riding a JetSki at high speed through the Elizabeth Quay 5-knot area, amongst anchored boats and other river users.

Think about that for a moment.

This is the same Brendan Clark at the centre of the controversy surrounding the 72-foot Sunseeker and the serious speeding incident recorded in the Supreme Court proceedings.

And yet we’re supposed to believe that the real threat to the Swan River is a small, professionally operated electric ferry?

Royal Perth Yacht Club has spent considerable effort arguing that increased commercial ferry activity could threaten safety, sailing and the club’s future at Matilda Bay.

But where is that same outrage when one of its members is filmed apparently doing exactly the sort of thing that river-safety advocates should be concerned about?

A 5-knot zone is a 5-knot zone.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re driving a ferry, a kayak, a JetSki or a 72-foot Sunseeker.

It doesn’t matter how much money the boat cost.

And it certainly shouldn’t matter how influential the owner is.

If RPYC genuinely believes river safety is important enough to oppose a ferry terminal, then it should be important enough to hold its own members to the highest standard.

This page has previously been threatened with legal action over reporting on Mr Clark. That’s fine. But legal threats don’t change what the public can see for themselves.

Watch the footage.

Then ask yourself why a small electric ferry is being portrayed as an existential threat to sailing, while the behaviour of an individual club member appears to receive a very different level of scrutiny.

If Royal Perth Yacht Club is serious about river safety, it needs to explain what action it is taking.

And if Mr Clark’s behaviour is incompatible with the standards RPYC expects from its members, then the club should have the courage to enforce those standards — including expulsion if warranted.

You cannot demand one standard for everyone else and another for your own members.

RPYC: is river safety really the priority, or only when it gives you an argument against the ferry?

Watch. Share. Ask the question.

Safety WA

https://ecourts.justice.wa.gov.au/ecourtsportal/home/acknowledgetandc?ReturnUrl=/eCourtsPortal/Decisions/DownloadDecision?id%3D1e8d466c-ff6e-4a9d-b779-9b2ccda840c4%26fbclid%3DIwcGRvZgFmZGlkFlDYTIkXFJtjdp7rVp9hevu5Ovw7o_JleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeT1h6taerpDz69l_gtpoNVgNkqpQNI6QFDNq5g5InUA9w_ZsDU1Ci-ubFzPs_aem_W2IUj-_TVGxOszs434RjlA&fbclid=IwVERDUAUCaPRwZG9mAWZkaWQWUNhMiRcUm2N2nutWn2F6-7k6_Duj8mV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR5PWHq1p6ukPPr2X-C2mg1WA2SqlA0jpAUM2rmDkidQD3D9mwNTUKL65sXM-w_aem_W2IUj-_TVGxOszs434RjlA

30/08/2026

ROYAL PERTH YACHT CLUB: IF YOU’RE SERIOUS ABOUT RIVER SAFETY, START WITH BRENDAN CLARK

Royal Perth Yacht Club wants the public to believe that a small electric ferry operating on the Swan River could threaten the club, disrupt sailing and somehow undermine the future of Matilda Bay.

But what about the conduct of its own members?

Brendan Clark, CEO of Victory Metals, has been at the centre of a Supreme Court dispute following the revocation of his yacht-club membership at Perth Flying Squadron Yacht Club Inc after a serious speeding incident involving his 72-foot Sunseeker. The incident resulted in significant and widespread damage on the river, with Mr Clark stating if people couldn’t afford a yacht club with a sea wall then too bad.

These aren’t internet rumours. These matters are recorded in the Supreme Court proceedings.

Mr Clark was then welcomed with open arms by Royal Perth Yacht Club with a membership and pen for his yacht - despite being aware of the incident.

If Royal Perth Yacht Club genuinely puts river safety first, why is the presence of a ferry considered such a threat while conduct like this is tolerated?

Mr Clark has also threatened this page with legal action multiple times over our coverage of these matters.

But threats don’t answer the questions.

Who was at the helm of the Sunseeker “Enigma” when the damage occurred?

Why hasn’t that question been properly answered?

And perhaps most importantly, what standard does Royal Perth Yacht Club actually expect from its members?

Because you cannot credibly argue that a professionally operated ferry will destroy sailing on the Swan River while simultaneously failing to demonstrate the same level of concern about dangerous conduct involving a 72-foot private yacht.

If the club’s position is genuinely about river safety, then the principle should be simple:

The rules apply to everyone.

Ferries.
Sailboats.
Kayaks.
Jet skis.
And 72-foot luxury yachts.

If Royal Perth Yacht Club believes safety on the Swan River is important enough to oppose a ferry terminal, then it should be important enough to hold its own members to the highest possible standard.

If Mr Clark’s conduct is incompatible with the club’s claimed commitment to river safety, then Royal Perth Yacht Club should have the courage to act — including expelling him if appropriate.

You can’t demand one standard for the public and another for your own members.

So, RPYC — what’s it going to be?

Protect sailing from a small electric ferry, or protect the safety of everyone actually using the river?

The public deserves consistency, not double standards.

https://ecourts.justice.wa.gov.au/eCourtsPortal/Decisions/DownloadDecision?id=1e8d466c-ff6e-4a9d-b779-9b2ccda840c4

27/08/2026

SUPREME COURT JUDGMENT: WHAT THE COURT ACTUALLY FOUND

A Supreme Court of Western Australia judgment delivered today, 27 August 2026, has put the dispute surrounding the 9 February Swan River incident firmly on the record.

The case concerned allegations that the 72-foot Sunseeker Enigma was speeding past Swan Yacht Club, Aquarama and East Fremantle Yacht Club, allegedly creating large swells that damaged boats, jetties and snapped piles.

The judgment confirms that the Perth Flying Squadron Yacht Club, its Committee and Commodore had received what the Club described as “a lot of complaints” about the incident.

The Club subsequently contacted Brendan Clark and asked him to attend a Committee meeting to give his version of events.

But there is another part of this judgment that deserves attention.

FOOTAGE EXISTS.

The judgment specifically deals with CCTV footage showing Enigma leaving its pen at the yacht club on the morning of 9 February and returning later that day.

The Court found that the alleged footage had not been disclosed by the Club to East Fremantle Yacht Club, Swan Yacht Club, Aquarama or their members, and that EFYC had not received CCTV footage of that kind.

So let’s be absolutely clear about what this judgment does and doesn’t say.

The Court found that there was not enough objective evidence connecting the Club to potentially defamatory publications to justify ordering the broad pre-action discovery that had been requested.

And importantly, the Court also rejected the suggestion that Brendan’s angry Facebook comments were enough to justify dismissing the application on discretionary grounds.

There is a lot in this judgment that people will interpret differently.

There were complaints.

There was an investigation.

There is footage.

There were disputes about what information was circulating and where it came from.

And there has now been a Supreme Court judgment setting out exactly what was and wasn’t established on the evidence before the Court.

Read the judgment.

Read the findings.

Then ask yourself:

If footage exists, why hasn’t the public seen it?

What actually happened on the Swan River that afternoon?

And why has this incident generated so much controversy in Perth’s boating community?

The judgment is now part of the public record.

What do you think?

Source: Supreme Court of Western Australia, Clark v Perth Flying Squadron Yacht Club (Inc) [2026] WASC 358, delivered 27 August 2026.

https://ecourts.justice.wa.gov.au/eCourtsPortal/Decisions/DownloadDecision?id=1e8d466c-ff6e-4a9d-b779-9b2ccda840c4

16/08/2026

“Other plans include turning underutilised public space into "America's Cup Park", reclaiming land to achieve water depths and build infrastructure for berthing superyachts of up to 48.5m and increasing parking by convincing Royal Perth Yacht Club to release a small northern area of its lease.”

The long-term master plan for redeveloping the iconic Fremantle waterfront has been unveiled, promising new pubs and restaurants, enhanced streetscapes, superyacht berths and high-rise accommodation.

24/06/2026

Brendan Clark of Victory Metals is losing it again. We posted clear video of his boat speeding
recklessly through the river in that massive boat of his — and now he’s ringing up a friend of the page, wrongly accusing them of being an admin and posting the footage.

According to the person he called, Brendan was dishing out serious legal threats, bragging that he ‘knows bad people’ and warning he’s ‘not someone to be messed with.’ The friend recorded the phone calls for their own legal protection.

Mate, all we want to know is simple: who was actually skippering that huge vessel? You won’t answer a single question about who was driving while you were tearing up the river.
As always, this page and its admins fully welcome any legal action Mr Clark cares to bring.

We actually welcome it.

19/02/2026

While Matilda bay is better then Jojos - we can’t ignore the fact that a Terminal on Jetty A at Royal Perth Yacht Club makes much more sense. Huge watercraft already use the jetty, traffic would barely be noticeable and there’s no need for dredging!

Move the Terminal to Jetty A