Four wheel drive vehicles, quad bikes and trail bikes are causing irreparable damage to our coastal foreshore.
On a daily basis, even during the winter season, horrific damage is being caused by the senseless and thoughtless people who think it’s a thrill to see how much of the fragile dunal systems along our coast they can tear-up.
Anyone who has been watching these beach vandals wreck a restored major dune on Two Rocks Road, it’s only taken a few weeks and some strong sea breezes to decimate this dune.
Over the last one hundred years, 70 percent of the world’s beaches are retreating due to erosion. Beach and dune erosion occurs on much of Australia’s sandy coast and some beaches are disappearing at a rate of about two metres a year.
Irresponsible 4WD owners are accelerating the natural processes that cause erosion of sand dunes.
Four wheel drives, trail bikes, horses and uncontrolled access is disturbing a strip of sand dune vegetation, so wind blown sand can no longer be trapped by plants.
Local residents along our coastline are concerned about the damage four wheel drive vehicles cause to the sand dunes.
Local councils attempt to monitor and patrol these areas, but there continues to be an increased prevalence of 4WD drivers flouting council’s regulations.
If you trek any of our beaches from Quinns Rocks up to Lancelin, 4WD bush bashing on the coastal strip has caused massive damage.
On several occasions, whenever a responsible resident has approached these drivers, they usually get abused. The Sun City News is aware of a council ranger being assaulted on one occasion.
Local councils and the state government need to get serious about this growing problem.
Some of the antics these 4WD drivers get up to are extremely dangerous and it’s only a matter of time before another fatality occurs. Speeding along the beach, endangering swimmers, fisher people and beachgoers can be witnessed often.
Only last summer, the Sun City News was made aware of two local residents who where sun-bathing at Two Rocks and were nearly run over by a 4WD in one incident and a quad bike in another incident.
In the small coastal strip between Wilbinga National Park and the north Two Rocks area, there have been four deaths on the beach or in the dunes. Countless 4WD vehicles have been bogged in the same area, some vehicles being totally immersed by the incoming tide.
While all these incidents are going on in front of us, the authorities don’t seem to be capable of controlling this problem.
Ideally, rangers continually patrolling our beaches would reduce the problems, but whenever this is put to a council, the cry is it’s not possible, it’s too expensive or some other reason.
Equally, if nothing is going to be done, our beaches will become disaster areas, and developers will not be able to offer new residents pristine beaches and safe swimming areas.
The problem will not go away. It will only get worse until some changes are made.
In the meantime, our beaches and the dunal systems are being wrecked, more people are feeling less safe on our beaches and no doubt more deaths will occur.
What do you think should be done about these irresponsible beach users?
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