RESIDENTS in North Fremantle have officially petitioned Fremantle council to get a shark net installed at Harvey Beach.

Real Estate agent Brad Raynor presented the petittion at the recent full council meeting, saying that after the nearby fatal attack on teenage Stella Berry last month, they were thinking about “the safety of our community and our children”.

“We feel it’s necessary, but also it will have the added benefit of the issue of the boats that tend to come into that swimming area constantly during Christmas Day, Boxing Day, Australia Day; everyone drops their friends off there and the water police do not have the resources to man that and look after that,” Mr Raynor said.

The father of three, who said all his children had learned to swim off the Harvey Beach jetty, went doorknocking and reckons it didn’t take long to gather more than 100 signatures from locals eager for a bit of protection when they go down for a dip.

Fremantle mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge has told the Herald that it would be difficult to justify installing a net because it might attract hordes to a small beach where there was very little parking, but Mr Raynor said that shouldn’t be an issue.

“Parking is self-limiting down there,” he said.

“You come down there this weekend, it’s the Rottnest Swim; there’s going to be 10 to 15 boat trailers down there – a few tickets, people stop doing it.

“It really is more for the community.

“This is our beach; I’ve been here 10 years. All we want to be able to do is enjoy the safety of our area.”