The Swan River around the Matagarup pedestrian bridge will be closed to boats from today for the next six to eight weeks, but Boating WA says the communication about the closure was “fairly scant” and some small businesses want compensation.

“We’re the capital of boating in Australia so I think there is a need to help people out and give them some relief,” Colin Lockley the Boating WA President told 6PR Breakfast.

“I think if you’re going to stop somebody using their pen, yeah, you should look at giving them some sort of recompense or some sort of support in being able to utilise their boats,” Mr Lockley told Steve and Baz.

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