Mackay: Motorists permanently banned from turtle habitat Harbour Beach and foreshore
A Queensland mayor is prepared to “wear” the backlash from permanently closing a popular beach to motorists.
Harbour Beach, a major turtle nesting area in Mackay, and its foreshore have long been well-used thoroughfares for recreational four-wheel-drivers and motorcyclists.
But Mackay Regional Council has voted to close access to vehicles after what mayor Greg Williamson described as “significant damage to the foredune, impacting on the coastal flora and fauna, and turtle and shorebird nesting sites”.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.“We’re prepared to wear the public backlash because now the environmental damage has got to the point where it is unsustainable,” Williamson told 7NEWS.
Community group Mackay and District Turtle Watch welcomed the decision, saying it was “looking forward to seeing the increased dune vegetation cover along Harbour Beach”.
The ban will encompass the beach and foreshore of East Point, at the southern tip of the beach and foreshore.
Council officers and police will patrol the beach in a bid to stop motorists flouting the ban, Williamson said.
Vehicle access to the Pioneer River, inland of the beach, at East Point will remain.
Originally published on 7NEWS
