Calls for total 4WD ban on Australian beaches over 'serious and widespread damage'

Yahoo

23-03-2025

Four-wheel-driving on beaches is a beloved pastime for many all around the country, particularly those living in coastal regions. But according to the results of a damning new Australian study, it's causing catastrophic damage to numerous forms of life.
Research conducted by Queensland's University of the Sunshine Coast examined over 250 dune-dwelling species, including vegetation, birds and sea creatures, across 20 international studies. The findings revealed that 4WD activity is causing "unequivocal, serious and widespread damage" to coastal dune ecosystems.
Lead author Thomas Schlacher said every dune species had suffered serious negative effects as a result of vehicles on the sand — particularly in hugely popular regions like Noosa, Rainbow Beach, K'gari and Bribie Island. Schlacher explained that invertebrates like pipis and crabs, which serve as key food sources for fish at high tide, are buried in the hard sand. However, 4WDs often fatally crush them.
He said that turtle hatchlings are becoming trapped and disorientated in the grooves left by tyres, where eventually many die. It's something Jan Waters from Cooloola Coast Turtle Care recently spoke to Yahoo about. Based on the Sunshine Coast, she warned Aussies of the serious consequences of beach driving.
"The hatchlings have to cross the deep 4WD tracks to reach the ocean [and] the tracks, created ... on the beach close to the dunes at high tide, are 25cm deep and 25cm wide," Waters told Yahoo.
"The small hatchlings are only five centimetres, and once they're caught in the tracks, they will most likely perish." Waters encouraged drivers to travel on the hard, wet sand to ensure they leave behind no ruts. But according to the study, there's no "safe level" of beach driving.
Schlacher said Queensland's southeast is among the worst affected areas when it comes to 4WD damage, with numerous species effectively being "pumelled" and "crushed to death". He said in Victoria, cars are already banned from beaches, and in NSW, authorities are currently having a "strong debate".
In South Australia, access to some spots is becoming limited, which is something Queensland should consider, Schlacher argued. "The four-by-fours running over [marine species are] basically crush them to death. It only takes one vehicle to cause very, very severe impacts," he told the ABC.
"That's a bit of a surprise because people often argue, 'Oh, all we have to do is regulate the volume of the traffic and we will be right.' The only thing which works is to get the cars off for sizeable proportions of the beach … at least half — that's a good starting point."
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Conservationists on Bribie Island are calling for a ban on 4WDs along a five-kilometre stretch of beach and the installation of gates to prevent access at high tide.
With up to 1,200 vehicles on the sand in a single day, volunteers working to protect endangered loggerhead turtle nests say illegal dune driving is destroying their efforts. However, 4WD advocates oppose restrictions, highlighting their role in beach clean-ups and responsible driving initiatives.
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," he said. "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."
But Schlacher warned that urgent action is desperately needed, as delaying further will only exacerbate the damage. "South-east Queensland has probably the world's single strongest evidence base for serious harm caused by four-by-fours," he said."So we are basically in the driver's seat, here to make sensible decisions."
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