A trial to restrict vehicle access to the Moore Park Beach shoreline during turtle season will be undertaken in the next nesting season following overwhelming community support.
Following a request from residents, the community was invited to provide its feedback on the proposed between October 2022 and January 2023.
More than three quarters of the 775 submissions were in favour of a night-time closure to vehicle access on Moore Park Beach during the turtle nesting season.
As a result, Council has agreed to trial a voluntary seasonal closure of night-time beach vehicle access from 1 November 2023 to 31 March 2024.
The night-time closure would apply to all vehicles including, four-wheel-drives, motorbikes and ATVs, from dusk to dawn.
The trail aims to reduce the potential impacts of vehicles on marine turtles, public safety and environmental values during the next turtle nesting season.
It will be voluntary in nature as, without making changes to its local laws, Council currently has no regulatory mechanism to restrict the hours of vehicle access on the currently permitted beach driving areas of Moore Park Beach.
Divisional representative Cr Jason Bartels said many Moore Park Beach residents would welcome the news of the restricted beach access trial.
“We were presented with a request to restrict vehicle access on Moore Park Beach during turtle season by locals and undertook the survey because we acknowledged the validity of the concerns raised,” Cr Bartels said.
“The submitters felt that safety and environmental concerns would be resolved simply by asking vehicles to stay off the beach at night.
“The majority of survey respondents agreed that this was the best course of action and it certainly created a lot of interest in the local area with more than half of the surveys received completed by residents of Moore Park Beach.
“The trial closure period is an opportunity for Council and the community to develop a better understanding of the usage, impacts and issues.”
During the trial closure period Council will monitor beach driving activity and continue to liaise with relevant community groups.
It’s important to remember that when driving on the beach, all relevant Queensland road rules apply. The community should report any unlawful behaviour to the Queensland Police Service.
Council will provide updates related to the implementation of the trial closure on its project page.
