HomeCouncilFour-wheel-drive beach access survey launched

Four-wheel-drive beach access survey launched

Moore Park Beach four-wheel-drive survey
Community feedback is being sought on four-wheel-drive beach access at night in Moore Park Beach during turtle season.

Community feedback is being sought on four-wheel-drive beach access at night in Moore Park Beach during turtle season.

The consultation process has been launched after Bundaberg Regional Council received requests from locals asking that the beach be closed to vehicles at night during turtle season.

Divisional representative Cr Jason Bartels said Council had no formal position on the proposal as yet and was first seeking community feedback.

“We have been presented with a request to restrict vehicle access on Moore Park Beach during turtle season and we acknowledge the validity of the concerns raised,” Cr Bartels said.

“Before determining our position and making a plan moving forward, we would love to hear from all interested parties.

“As a result, we’re conducting a survey to ascertain vehicle usage, particularly during turtle season, general beach usage and the community’s views on whether four-wheel-drive beach access should be restricted to daylight hours during turtle season.”

In the request to restrict four-wheel-drive beach access along the Moore Park Beach shoreline during turtle season, residents detailed the following:

Safety

  • Improve the safety of people accessing the beach at night
  • Reduce risk of marine turtle volunteers, who monitor nesting turtles, nests and hatchlings under the authorisation of Department of Environment and Science (DES), being impacted by vehicles

Environment

  • Nesting turtles and hatchlings
  • Protection of nesting turtles along this section of coastline
  • Reduce risk of adult turtles and hatchlings being hit by vehicles
  • Reduce situations where hatchlings become stuck in tyre ruts and cannot reach the ocean
  • Remove impact of lights from vehicles that can disturb nesting turtles and disorient hatchlings
  • Reduce noise, light and flash photography disturbance from people seeking out turtles
  • Reduce impact from vehicles that crush nests and hatchlings

Dunes

  • Reduce impact on dunes from vehicles that drive along dunes at high tide

Turtle nesting season is regarded as 1 November to 31 March, which includes nesting and hatching.

Any closure would not limit pedestrian access to the beach or Emergency Services access.

To find out more and to complete the Moore Park Beach four-wheel-drive beach access survey, head to the project page.

The survey closes on January 15.

12 COMMENTS

12 COMMENTS

  1. The logical thing to do, a ‘no brainer’, closing the beach during the Turtle nesting season, day and night. Essential Give the turtles a break, PLEASE! The beach is NOT an essential thoroughfare for people but it is for the turtles!!!!!

  2. Closing the beach to all vehicles during turtle nesting season, day and/or night is a MUST!

    It should be put in force asap and policed to ensure the turtles, dunes and the natural beauty of our beach is maintained and not destroyed.

    There are plenty of other 4×4 adventures in the region that do not destroy, damage and endanger Moore Park Beach.

  3. I agree with keeping vehicles off the beach at night for all the above reasons. I can’t see any legitimate reasons for vehicles to be on the beaches at night.

  4. any person old enough that can recall the name of the North Coast would tell you that to see turtles at night, we had to use two things we possess called LEGS. There were often groups of adults and children who would walk this beach at night-time. this was the case around 1960. have people become that lazy these days?

  5. As usual those who play by the rules and keep a look out for turtle activity are going g to be penalised for the few who have no regard. Have lived here over 25 years and have seen generations of families take their young ones up the beach at night, especially over Christmas when families get together, And what will be next? Cutting out access all together? Please don’t change the life style of those who respect and treasure what we have

  6. Why anyone would want to disturb the turtle season just to go hooning s as along the beach is beyond comprehension. The turtle season is about 3months give or take so close the beach access during this time.

  7. The lifestyle of 4 x 4 drives will not be drastically changed if they can’t access the beavh for a few months! Get out of your car and walk your families up the beach if you have to go down there. For heavens sake, be thankful they’re not stopping access altogether. People who believe they should be able to just because they want to, regardless of what it is, are arrogant in the extreme.

  8. My wife and I have lived here27 years this time of year it’s flathead mangrove jack and whiting season we drive up the beach at low tide to fish ànd high tide between5.00 and 7..00 of an evening and morning and come back at low tide . We strongly appose closing the beach as it will end up being closed completely

  9. only 27 years? there are people here whose fathers and grandfathers would walk the beach and sleep overnight in a hole dug into the sand. i know, i done that as a kid. we also camped at that infant caravan park. only one streetlight then. daybreak, i personally collected a number of hatchlings headed for that light. a full bucket at that. they were released to the ocean. the event was in the paper at that time, so perhaps the library staff might locate that story. but look at the dune track, disgraceful. was always a problem, people ripping up the sand grass. intervention occurred at times and people always screamed they were disadvantaged. as kids, with the strong winds, we would have grass races. never let your beach ball go, never get the dammed thing again. then at night where the shore wash was, the fire that was in the water. a wonderful site. you can’t see that from a 4WD. how many young people never ever get to see that event. Just to get water for your tent was a daily occurrence to the one water tap. that was our job each day.

  10. I believe access to the beach should be stopped altogether. This has been done elsewhere so it is not something new. Why do people think they need to drive on the beach anyway?

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