Is it time to restrict 4WD access to Ocean Beach Woorim?

By Alistair Gray 

A loggerhead turtle heading to the sea. Image supplied by Diane Oxenford. 

The following is not a political piece, but intended to create community discussion and constructive feedback about how we will protect our Bribie wildlife, particularly the south pacific loggerhead turtles who nest along Ocean Beach.  

Loggerhead turtles 

The loggerhead turtles are endangered and considered on the verge of extinction, requiring us to make a conscious effort to protect them. The state government regarded the loggerhead population as small and insignificant due to a distinct lack of information about the actual size of their population. However, the dedication and hard work of the Bribie Turtle Trackers and the Sunshine Coast Turtle Carers has proven that the Ocean Beach rockery is ‘significant’ as classified by the Department of Environment and Science, with more than 100 nests discovered this season. Loggerhead turtles lay between 90 and 180 eggs in a nest with the average nest size being about 125 eggs. However, this can vary depending upon the age and health of the turtle who can lay multiple clutches during the nesting season, which is between November and April. Loggerheads lay their eggs at the top of the beach in the dunes. Sixty days later hatchlings fight across the beach to the water. Studies show only one in 10,000 loggerhead hatchlings survive, returning to the same beach 30 years later to lay their egg clutches. 

4WD’s on the beach 

Why is it then with an endangered loggerhead turtle population, that 4-wheel drive (4WD) vehicles have virtually unfettered access to the beach 24 hours per day, requiring only a beach permit? On peak days it’s like the wild west with hundreds of cars on the beach travelling above high tide levels with little monitoring. Consultants to the Department of Environment estimate that 2023 saw more than 85,000 4WD vehicles drive on the beach. Whilst it is not law, permits issued ‘encourage’ vehicles to only travel between high tide and low tide marks, yet have been seen entering the beach at high tide and as such are travelling on the dunes to keep out of the water.  With the recent erosion along the beach, water levels are changing and cars are being pushed onto the dunes at lower tide levels, resulting in even more damage. We need to balance beach enjoyment with environmental protection. There appears to be no completed management plan for Bribie Island’s National Park that addresses these issues.  

Petition to Parliament 

In August 2021, Ali King, the then Member for Pumicestone, was asked to table a petition (with more than 28,000 signatures) and speak to it in the State Parliament, calling for restrictions on recreational 4WD driving on Bribie beaches. Ms King refused to do this. Instead the Member for Maiwar tabled the petition. Incredibly no response was ever received nor was any action taken. The petition was seeking (summarised)- 

• No beach driving at night between 6pm and 6am. 

• Driving should only be permitted on hard sand areas below high tide – no soft sand driving above high tide. 

• No driving on Bribie beaches in places and at times where driving will irreversibly impact the habitat of rare and/or endangered species. 

In a very brief discussion with Ariana Doolan, the new Member for Pumicestone said there would be no beach access restriction for 4WDs as long as the LNP Government was in power.  

Turtle protection in Broome 

On Cable Beach in Broome, the local council has access restrictions for vehicles during the month of November, including no night access and no access at all when there is a high tide due to turtle breeding. Between December and February, access is completely closed except for essential vehicles to protect turtle hatchlings. The restrictions are flexible and may change depending on what is happening with the turtle breeding season. 

What do you think we as a community should do to balance the needs of the 4WD owners and the protection of the turtles and other wildlife on Bribie? 

Is a Broome-type solution tailored to our situation the way forward? I am sure many other options are available and it would be great to hear what you in the community think. Let us know so we can get the conversation going. 

To respond, please email belinda@islandandsurrounds.com. Please limit your responses to less than 200 words. We can always follow up if you have more to share.