Opinion: Don’t blame local council for banning 4x4 vehicles

Over the recent holiday break I was reading a report about Ballina Council, on the New South Wales far north coast, planning to restrict the use of 4x4 vehicles on its spectacular beaches … and I can’t blame them, either!

While the beaches south of Ballina have had their problems with 4x4 drivers not doing the right thing, driving on vegetated dunes and having little consideration for wildlife such as nesting seabirds, this was not the primary reason for putting restrictions in place and considering bans altogether.

The main reason comes down to number crunching: the sheer amount of vehicles using the beaches has become a danger to both wildlife and other beach users, and having so many vehicles running up and down the beach, and not always doing the right thing, has become too much to handle.

We’ve become a victim of our own popularity. With the take up of new 4x4 vehicles, including the Ranger and HiLux, now being the best-selling vehicles in the country, plus a new generation of enthusiasts discovering the joys of getting off the beaten track, there are just too many vehicles on beaches where families are trying to relax and swim.

3

Sunset clouds on Ballina beach

Not only are there more 4x4s on the tracks than ever but there are more people on the beaches too. The general migration away from the capital cities has seen many folks move to the coast and come holiday season, people flock there in droves. Having all these people on the beach, with moving vehicles about, is bound to end in tragedy.

With a strong population of fishermen, Ballina and its surrounds have always been considerate of four-wheel drivers. Many locals have been throwing the rods into the back of the fourby to hit their favourite fishing spots for decades, and most of the time they’ve done the right thing when using the beaches.

Understandably, these folks have been the most vocal against any talk of regulating or banning 4x4s on the beaches. Some of them are old, and walking down the beach carrying all their fishing gear wouldn’t be an option for them.

3

We’ve become a victim of our own popularity

The council has recognised this and the last thing I read about the plans to restrict access stated that one- and three-day beach driving permits would no longer be issued and instead only six- and 12-month permits would be available. The more expensive, longer-duration permits should be enough to put off the weekend warriors and blow-ins that come to town, while the locals could still buy their annual passes for regular access.

Regulation or banning? I know what I prefer out of those two options, and it’s good to hear about some sensible compromises being made to ensure the beaches are still open to those who use them.

The remaining problem is enforcing the permits and it will be interesting to see how the council goes about this.