Manly BlogMay 7, 2025

Australia where the beach is just another road -
dangerous driving on beaches.

"Operation Sandstorm, police issued 272 infringements for speeding, drink and drug driving and defective vehicles over an eight-day period." >>
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05-07/driving-fines-noosa-beaches-queensland-police-sunshine-coast/105263496
#CarsOnBeaches #beach #SUVs #drivers #traffic #harm #biodiversity #wildlife

Police issue almost 300 fines on Noosa beaches over two long weekends

Police say they are concerned by motorists' behaviour on Sunshine Coast beaches after issuing more than 270 people with fines as part of a crackdown on dangerous driving.

ABC News
Manly BlogMay 6, 2025

Coastal erosion and human intervention
A rapidly escalating volume of traffic on ocean beaches

"In the absence of the Bribie buffer and without the dune system on the surf coast, they would suddenly be exposed to storm surge and inundation."

"Morton says the previous government long ignored the erosion under the assumption this was “mother nature” at work. But the new MP says the review will consider the impacts of human intervention, from dredging and wake from the offshore shipping channel to widespread coastal development."

"Bribie Island resident, retired engineer and environmental volunteer John Oxenford agrees human intervention has fuelled the erosion – but he points to the 2007 opening of the beach to four-wheel drives as “opening a real Pandora’s box”."

"The pressure of tens of thousands of vehicles and associated foot traffic since had prevented the natural regrowth of dunes during the winter period, and further exposed them to erosion during the summer months, he says.“Year over year over year, we’ve seen rapidly escalating volume of traffic on the ocean beach,” he says. “The end result of that is erosion.” "
>>
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/may/07/sunshine-coast-residents-fear-storm-surges-bribie-island-buffer
#erosion #coast #beach #CoastalDevelopment #traffic #DIY #GoldCoast #wildlife #SUVs #cars #FossilFuels #CarsOnBeaches #sprawl #Caloundra #BribieIsland

‘It’s pretty scary’: Sunshine Coast residents fear storm surges as Bribie Island buffer erodes away

Successive cyclones have gradually worn away the northern tip of the Queensland barrier island, which shields coastal residents on the mainland

The Guardian
BellingenNSWMay 8, 2023
#SawtellBeach is a very nice beach to swim, surf or watch wildlife. White-bellied sea eagles can be seen patrolling the surf close to shore. Little terns can be viewed south of Sawtell Headland. Wallabies and turkeys patrol the coastal bush and dunes. Local swimmers swim along the horizon like dolphins. Surfers enjoy a good surf.
Often but especially in the holiday season vehicles feel free to drive on the beach from the southern end at the Bonville Headland. They do a few rapid loops and chase off toddlers and wildlife. Finally a sign has been erected to stop cars from racing along the main beach. Still one is not safe on this part of the beach.
Today, #ebikes with fat tyres ploughed along the beach. It is turning a unique beach to become another vehicular thoroughfare. Wildlife disappear and #pedestrians have to jump out of the way.
Let's keep #Sawtell #beach free of #vehicles - #fossilfuel or battery.
#CarsOnBeaches #Cars #Wildlife
BellingenNSWJan 14, 2023
#Hooning behaviour on the beaches, a free-for-all. There are more than 20,000 vehicles estimated to visit the Cooloola Coast across the school holiday period from December to the end of January.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-15/dangerous-beach-driving-sunshine-coast-collaboration/101842142
south-east Queensland #beaches #ecology #hoon-driving #fossilfuel #culture #CarsOnBeaches #NSW #cars
Dangerous beach drivers on notice in University of the Sunshine Coast collaboration

A researcher working to stop people driving dangerously on Queensland's beaches says it is "like a switch" is flicked when some people drive on sand.

ABC News