Alexandrina Council successfully appeals for 40km/h speed limit on Goolwa Beach

A council is cracking down on one of the state’s most iconic recreational strips, with a new limit imposed to stop reckless drivers.

The Alexandrina Council is cracking down on reckless drivers on Goolwa Beach ahead of a busy summer season.

A south coast council will slam the brakes on Goolwa Beach hoon drivers, closing a loophole that allowed for speeds of up to 100km/h on the popular stretch.

The Alexandrina Council successfully appealed to the state government to reduce the speed limit to 40km/h, after years of ongoing concerns about reckless vehicles travelling at speed alongside people and wildlife.

The council approached the Transport Department about the issue in 2021, which said that where no speed limit was specified, a default of 100km/h existed in areas not “built up”, including most beaches.

It lobbied for that decision to be overturned amid safety fears, saying it was only a matter of time before someone was injured or killed on the 12km stretch of beach.

Council CEO Nigel Morris said the reduced speed limit was welcome news for the local community and was an “important change” to improve safety.

“Local government does not have the power to set or alter speed limits and requires the responsible state government minister to approve any alternations,” Mr Morris said.

“The change in speed limit on Goolwa Beach is something that our community have been passionate about for some time and the outcome is a great result.

Signage for the 40km/h limit will be installed in coming weeks as part of a major overhaul of the beach’s entryway.

A slip lane will also be installed in the Goolwa Beach carpark to improve traffic flow in the lead-up to the busy summer period.