Published on Wednesday, 22 December 2021 at 12:13:50 PM
A more balanced approach to protecting and managing the environment while still providing vehicle access to Point Moore beaches has been adopted by Council.
The approach involves meeting the needs of all users by restricting vehicle access to the beaches when the conditions are unsuitable or unsafe and repairing the degraded sand dunes.
The decision was informed by feedback the City received from nearly 800 community members in the Point Moore Beach Usage Survey and Information Session held in September 2021 where the vast majority of respondents said protecting the environment was important and that visitors to the area need to look out for and respect one another in a space shared by pedestrians and motorists.
City of Greater Geraldton Mayor Shane Van Styn said Council listened to the community and have found a balance that allows the shared use of Point Moore beaches while addressing safety and environmental concerns.
“The beaches at Point Moore are changing all the time and this past winter clearly demonstrated we need a much more manageable and effective way of keeping the community safe while protecting the dunes when beaches are not suitable to access” he said.
“Restricting access when beaches are too narrow to drive on so people don’t hurt themselves, endanger pedestrians or damage the sensitive coastal dune system is a good compromise considering the only alternative is banning vehicles from the beach altogether.
“Restricting vehicle access to beaches when conditions are unsuitable is not a new idea as the Seacrest Way track in Drummond Cove has been managed by a boom gate at the since 2019.
“We have also decided to reopen the 150m long section of beach just west of Pages Beach that was closed to vehicles in 2018 due to erosion as the sand has since returned.
“Hopefully drivers who chose to ignore this closure and drove through the dunes to get access will improve their behaviour before they spoil it for everyone else,” he added.
A $76,000 Coastwest grant the City has received will help fund the installation of boom gates at the three access points to Point Moore beaches and advisory speed and safety signage for drivers.
The grant will also fund works to repair the damaged dunes by installing sand trap fencing and brushing in the areas to the north and south of the Geraldton Volunteer Marine Rescue building.
Picture Caption: Point Moore in September 2021
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