Push For 4WD Beach Ban
During the recent Cyclone Alfred swell in Queensland, a friend of Swellnet drove into Double Island Point to escape the Noosa crowds. Unlike Noosa, he managed to get a carpark within walking distance of the waves, yet so did 200 other cars.
Shocked by how many 4WDs were on the beach, he was told that during summer holidays the numbers can be double that. At the beaches closer to Brisbane it's even worse: Reports from Bribie Island say that up to 1,200 4WDs hit the beach per day.
Double Island Point
On a sparsely populated island nation, beach access is a weighty issue. It's being driven - excuse the pun - towards a crisis point by both population rise and technological change. A generation ago, 4WDs made up between 15%-20% of the new car market. Now, however, once-popular models such as the Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon have given way to Toyota Landcruisers and Ford Rangers, plus a raft of 4WDs. The market has shifted with 4WDs now 46% of new cars (as of 2024), expected to top 50% in the next few years.
Though a large number of those cars will never go off road, the change is significant enough to effect what were once difficult-to-access areas, overloading limited services and damaging fragile landscapes. If a driver wants to test their sports car they're shunted onto a race track, yet 4WD enthusiasts who want to test their cars have very few limits on where they can go - except if they live in Victoria, see below.
The southern states have had a reckoning on beach driving with laws either changed or being looked at. Victoria, for instance, has outlawed beach driving except for a dedicated area at Discovery Bay near Portland, while South Australia is looking at new laws after recent incidents at both Yorke and Eyre Peninsulas. They may soon also restrict beach driving.
Now the conversation has arisen in Queensland, where beach driving, particularly in the populated south-east corner is immensely popular. With so much hard-to-access coastline, much of it with great surf spots, the popularity of beach driving in Queensland is no suprise.
(University of the Sunshine Coast)
A recent study, global in reach but led by the University of the Sunshine Coast, found 4WDs were causing "unequivocal serious and widespread damage" to coastal dune ecosystems.
The research looked at 253 dune species, including vegetation, bird life, and marine creatures, across twenty international studies. Lead author Thomas Schlacher told the ABC all of the species had suffered negative effects caused by off-road vehicles. He said while much of the focus in the past had been on protecting sand dunes, the hard sand also had an ecosystem under threat.
"The hard sand has invertebrates buried in it, things like pipis and crabs, which are important fish foods when the fish come in at high tide, particularly at night," Professor Schlacher said. "The four-by-fours running over them basically crush them to death."
Turtle hatching can also be disturbed in a number of ways. Nesting turtles can be disrupted, at worst killed when run over, while hatchlings, which measure 5cm or less, get trapped in typre ruts worn into beaches from heavy traffic and are unable to return to the sea.
A convoy of 4WDs head north from Double Island Point towards Rainbow Beach
Professor Schlacher also notes that sand dunes are mobile environments, yet when 4WD tracks are formed it locks a dune system into place, making it unable to shift as it otherwise would.
Darren Jew from the Bribie Island National Park conservation team, has been pushing to ban 4WDs from a five-kilometre stretch of sand at the northern end of the island.
"Bribie has hardly any beach at high tide. It's chaos. It's the wild west up there at times," Mr Jew told the ABC. "There can be 1,200 vehicles on the beach in one day, and that's ridiculous. It's just like a Woolies car park."
Bribie Island traffic congestion (Darren Jew)
However, 4WD advocates oppose restrictions. They point to compromises such as seasonal night bans as a potential middle ground. Queensland's Environment Minister Andrew Powell acknowledged the concerns but stressed the need for a balance between conservation and public access.
"My job is to make sure we find the balance between conserving and protecting the environment and allowing people to get out there and enjoy it," said Powell. "I appreciate for many, they would love to see four-wheel drives off the beaches, but I for one can't see that as an outcome that would be acceptable."
Professor Schlacher refutes the claim that regulation - restricting the number of drivers - will help the problem. "It only takes one vehicle to cause very severe impacts," said Schlacher. Instead he argues that "sizeable proportions" of the Queensland coast should be off limits.
"At least half," said Professor Schlacher. "That's a good starting point."
Comments
It's incredible how much it's grown.
Growing up on Bribie, we'd ride our bikes up the beach to surf and fish up the tip of the Island- it was a very rare, rare day you would see a 4WD on the beach.
Absolutely mental now.
Took the FIL to K'gari last year- off season.
It was staggering the number of 4WD's on the Island and using the beach.
It felt completely overrun.
defiantly changed , aint no way theres 1200 4wds hitting bribie in a day ,
the turtle lady here is like the gustapo, wants them banned but is happy enough to run her little can-am up and down the beach ,
done work for the parks with your b/inlaw and his, the old harvey wallbanger!!
i think those numbers for here are flawed,
"Bogans Run" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logan%27s_Run_(film)
Anyone running over the dunes with endangered loggerhead turtles & Little tern eggs, could sell their 4WD and camp at Boganville..... . ....& get a tat with the "message" above.... a preposterous, superfluous concept, after millions of years of evolution.
https://7news.com.au/video/news/central-queensland/bribie-island-turtle-...
They all need to go, the beach is the economy we need to keep stable for future generations. Seriously what are they thinking that looks crazy.
Hard to believe that I used to hunt for someone to go to D.I with me for a surf so I wouldn’t be alone but went anyway if I couldn’t get anyone when I lived around Noosa. ….I surfed alone regularly on both sides.
It shouldn’t be banned but may come to the point when all coastal regions only allow local residents and ratepayers to access the local beaches in 4wds.
City people can buy a Ferrari instead……
I’d like a Ferrari……nothing wrong with a Ferrari…..or a Maserati….which is a cheap Ferrari.
Wicked problem. We get slammed down at Goolwa Beach in summer and holidays, and the they can be completely empty during the winter. That stretch to the Murray mouth is about 7km long and on busy days there can be cars parked side by side the entire length, which is entirely crazy and turns the beach into a parking lot. People looking both ways to get to the water....crazy. In fact, the whole beach was classified as a road with an open speed limit until a change in legislation last year which we all petitioned for. Prior to that the speed limit was 100km/h!!! and some people were close to that with others on the beach. Banning that sort of stuff needs to be outlawed and enforced.
I hate the idea of banning everyone though but if its seriously ruining the beach ecology and morphology then it might be the only answer. Pretty tragic its come to that....but on the flip side, empty beaches are pretty nice.
I wonder if there will be a run on jet skis as a result?
Just because you can , doesn't mean you should.
Disgusting photos.
We’re disgusted with the way the carve Italian beaches into private beach clubs but that third picture of Bribie not to mention the DI parking lot is just as disgusting. It’s destroyed what 4WD was about anyway, which was getting away from it all.
Go west (inland)!!
Aint too kind to one's vehicle either, learnt that lesson.
Wow looking at pics even with no swell it looks busy now.
The busiest I have ever seen DI was during a big swell maybe 2016 that was maxing out GC points, so straight after work on Fri I and a couple of mates made a beeline for DI, camping at Teewah on the way.
We rolled in at dawn to be greeted by the 40,000 or so other people who had precisely the same idea and...1-2' of swell at best. Checked our phones when we could get a signal and Kirra was going off its chops. We completely stuffed it and could only laugh. Tested the theory of whether misery truly does love company because we had plenty of it.
So I am not surprised when I see a beach that looks like a carpark but with no waves breaking. I look for my mate's X-Trail.
Insane. Has to be a quota or permit system introduced, this is 100% not sustainable. Most are bogan dickheads not there to actually enjoy the beach anyway...
Most going up aren’t surfers except when there’s a whiff of a cyclone swell. I only go in middle of winter. Still a few around but few surfers.
There’s a big difference between surfers owning a 4Wd to access surf and recreational 4wd’ers. Many a track that we accessed in 2wd’s as Groms have been fucked by jacked up cockheads with mud tyres.
Unfortunately we all lose, only the bogans will blame the greenies for being “woke” and take little to no responsibility for the situation themselves.
Que Quadzilla
They are banned from going on the beach where i am and am glad they are, so many idiots before and half of em pissed thinking the beach is a race track........dumb cnts
Lanno back beach is now a Toyota-sponsored circus on a weekend. Look both ways, in front of the vehicle and behind it into the foredune! Of interest: never seen the banks so bad there, either; straight, brutal closeouts. I mean they are average most of the time, but this was something new, late summer and all.
Rellies inform me Southgates at Gero has now largely been mined and spread over crops. It apparently isn't the place they played, sandboarded and biked when they were young.
Also: that's a sweet HJ61 leading in 3rd pic - got the Sahara roof.
Drastically reduce permits. Drastically increase price. Lottery system during peak demand. Twice a day, capped numbers, beach bus to camp grounds for the poor. Done. Or just ban it.
Only permit vehicles of alloy construction that do not rust. So that's Land Rover Defenders, their panels anyway. They are a minute % of all 4x4s here. And the meek shall inherit the earth.
Land Drovers, very upper crust VJ. Until they’re a pile of smouldering molten Ali on the side of the road :)
I was hoping someone would make an oil spill/oil leak joke...
can confirm chassis aren't aly and do rust ,
owned a landy troopy with a few mates , watched my mate masking tape rust holes and the spray body deadener paint over so she would pass the dodgy roady :)
Qld national parks must be making a killing on permit fees.
They can start by banning anyone with large 'Shed Life' stickers plastered on their windscreens.
WOW. Some regulation is definitely required.
If you have a YouTube channel and you name the places that you visit then you should be ashamed of yourself Your handy work is not only about to affect yourself but every one that have enjoyed these beaches for generations.
Why are they like this?
https://m.
Always got to ban things in this country
No surprises to see Victoria got in first with the bans. We love nothing more.
That said on this occasion, supportive. Those photos above of the sand car parks are fucked.
Sell the bogan 4WDs & send the rebels to work for Bougainville mines
"The Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) has faced ongoing problems with some supporters of the late Francis Ona in the no-go zone near the Panguna mine, who have refused to accept the peace process. "
Reference https://minorityrights.org/communities/bougainvilleans/
Muddy mixed messages
My memory might be failing me but I'm surprised that this hasn't been brought up before as an article on Swellnet.
Gotta start by saying that I loved exploring places by 4WD from the early 80s into the 90's, back when pretty much no-one had them.
I've got great memories of going on many expeditions in a Landcruiser FJ55 through North Stradbroke Island's old sand mining tracks before they closed them all off - pretty exciting stuff when you could drive straight down a steep, rutted sand track into the valley but you weren't sure if there was a viable way out.
But as pointed out, population, purchasing habits and environmental awareness have changed in a big way, and the free-for-all of the past is either done, on the way out or under intense scrutiny.
For a start, my fundamental recommendation would be to ban 4WDs from beaches that are reasonably accessible by foot or bike (e-bikes prohibited).
This would include 7 Mile Beach at Lennox, and north-facing beaches on North Stradbroke Island (Flinders Beach), Moreton Island (west of the beach access to get to North Point) and at Double Island Point between Rainbow Beach and DI itself.
Also, on Fraser, access north of Ngkala would be restricted and that north end would be a wilderness area. And no beach driving allowed to the east of the access onto the beach at Waddy Point and maybe Indian Head.
So essentially the relatively small sheltered beaches in the lee of those epic headlands would be vehicle-free while still allowing general access to remote areas.
(I'm not sure about Bribie, I've never been on the beach there.)
It's far from perfect but I see it as a compromise.
I mean, Fraser is a huge cash cow, there's no way they're going to close it down completely, as much as some might like.
It really is a disgrace when people are way too scared to let their kids cross the beach to go for a paddle or a fish on Fraser, but it's big business up there.
Hey Andy long time no getting stuck into SR. Restricting areas doesn’t solve the overcrowding just makes it worse elsewhere id say. The restrictions need to be at the door. How that happens and if I get restricted would be a bitter pill to swallow.
I already restrict myself to the quiet cold months at DI for self benefit and have exclusively gone north of Waddy for a decade. But it’s not so good anymore especially on Fraser with all the nice warm accommodations
I agree the Jas and Simons and similar are making it all too popular.
ps. Simon gets around here having a coffee or whatnot just like on the show. Barefoot and a muscles singlet that couldn’t hold up to some ArmorAll. I like the authenticity of their show compared to say Pat Callinan’s going up tracks your old Nan’s Corolla could get up with a bit of rear seat bouncing for a bit of traction.
And yeah, 4WD 24/7 and All For Adventure and all those crew have a lot to answer for.
look at 'em go! turning your favourite little isolated beach into a Big4 Caravan Park.
why do they all go to the same spot? isn't the point of having a mobile "ah, look at the serenity" machine that you can get away from the crowd?
I know a whole lot of epic camping spots inland from here, some of which might not see anyone for weeks at a time.
Long walk out if you have mechanical trouble though.
And fucked if I'm going to tell anyone where they are :)
"4WD enthusiasts who want to test their cars have very few limits on where they can go"
I have to disagree with that comment, at least as it pertains to anywhere remotely near this coast. Back in the day it used to be quite easy to get off the beaten track and do some exploring, especially in state forests and national parks with their delightful networks of fire trails offering beauty and adventure each time you turned in, changed the hubs and saw where the track took you.
But have a look around today and they are all closed. Gates everywhere. Public once-designated 4wd tracks are likewise all closing. Places like Nth Straddie, as AndyM mentioned, you used to be able to sensibly explore much of the island's internals but now those tracks are all closed with 4WDing limited to the beach (with an expensive permit). My guess is insurance is a big part of the why.
Likewise there are far more beaches being closed off to 4WDs than are new ones coming online welcoming them.
Yes there has been a surge in 4WD ownership, but I daresay one of the reasons the beaches in this article are so overrun is there are bugger-all proximate alternatives. Demand for forbeys has soared while supply of public terrain has fallen off a cliff. So as unpalatable as it may be to some, (part of) the answer might actually be opening up more areas, not closing off the ones we still have.
The other point I would quickly make is the pictures above are really showing the worst of the worst. Of course sizey, telegraphed swell events are going to attract a tonne of punters to DI. But it is also quite possible still to drive to DI and share the beach with only a handful of others. Likewise I have had some really lovely experiences camping in northern NSW in recent years where I have parked up on a secluded beach with the family and not seen or heard another 4WD within cooee. Zero concerns letting my 18 month old son frolic on the sand. Same experience on Moreton. The beaches are not all as wildly overrun as those pictures suggest.
First went "Up the beach" in 1974 from Noosa.
Insane fishing and on a weekday not a soul from the ferry to the top of Teewah.
That same area now has problems every busy period. Specifically dodging human shit that pigs don't feel inclined to remove.
I wonder how many of these fuckwits have checked the insurance policy?
Whenever I see a $60000 vehicle up to the roof in saltwater, I wonder if they are covered when off sealed roads?
https://www.suncorp.com.au/learn-about/my-car/are-you-covered-for-offroa...
Just one example of the fine print.
Bogans on poverty pack compulsory third party could be in for a shock.
Another example.
https://www.canstar.com.au/car-insurance/car-insurance-4wd/