Sharing our local beaches - help develop a plan
I'm looking for locals to be involved in developing a plan to deal with conflicts between different groups using the beachfront.
Our local beaches are really popular, especially with the weather warming up. And in recent years, locals have noticed it becoming more and more busy on the beachfront.
Locals and visitors come down to enjoy the fresh sea air and the local sandflats. With the waterfront area so shallow, people love to get out and enjoy the sandflats at low tide.
And there are all sorts of activities that people like to come to the beachfront to enjoy.
People come to fish, walk the dog, go kitesurfing, ride their bikes, go birdwatching, and enjoy a BBQ with friends and family.
Race horses are trained on the sandflats, and loads of families come down with their children to come and explore the special environment.
Around this time of year, migratory wader birds also make their way from the northern hemisphere and spend their time on the local sandflats resting and building up their strength after the long flight.
So there are a lot of different activities and interests - and with more people using the beaches it's time to come up with a plan so everyone can enjoy and share the local beach areas and the sandflats.
At the moment, dogs are required to be kept on the leash unless they are in a designated off-leash area. Council is currently conducting patrols of the beaches to enforce this Local Law as the weather is warming up.
I've been getting some great feedback from dog owners in the past twelve months, who are keen to see Council make it possible for dogs to have areas where they can go for a run and a swim on the beachfront.
Also, families would like the chance to be able to access the beach without worrying about dogs being off the leash.
I know the kiteboarding groups have long been keen to work with Council about a 'users plan' for the beachfront.
I'm confident we can get some great feedback from the different groups using the beachfront so we can get an agreed plan for our area. I'm keen to work with locals who have these different interests so work on a plan we can then take to the community for discussion.
This way we can all enjoy and share this very special place.
Some work had already been done to gather information and experiences of other Councils which have faced similar issues with busy beach areas. Indeed I went for a beach walk with Council officers and representatives of the Wader Study Group from Birds Queensland to identify the areas popular with the birds and observe the different uses of the sandflats.
Work is also being done to map out how the different areas are currently being used.
If you'd like to be involved with developing a Sharing our Beaches Plan, contact me on 07 3667 6011 or click here to send me an email.
