Capricorn Coast beach drivers hit with $63k plus in fines

A Central Queensland council has filled its coffers with more than $63,000 in nine months thanks to drivers breaking the rules on local beaches.

Livingstone Shire Council has dished out more than $63,000 in fines to Capricorn Coast beach drivers in just nine months. Generic image.

Capricorn Coast beach drivers have been hit with an astonishing $63,000 in fines in nine months, as the local council cracks down on those breaking the rules.

Under Livingstone Shire Council’s local laws, driving on any beach - other than Farnborough Beach north of Hinz Avenue - is restricted.

Certain beaches permit access for the purpose of launching and retrieving a boat.

“There is no reason to drive on a beach other than that stated in Subordinate Local Law No 4 (Local Government Controlled Area, Facilities and Road) 2011,” a council spokeswoman said.

The current fine for a breach of the local law is $287.

Council’s figures show that during the past nine months of 2022, fines issued for beach driving infringements rose each quarter.

From April to June, Livingstone dished out 55 beach driving fines.

Then from July to September, 75 fines were issued.

In the past three months of the year, 92 infringement notices were handed out.

That’s a total of 222 fines totalling $63,714.

At the council’s January meeting, Councillor Andrea Friend noted the beach driving infringements had “increased exponentially” and she asked if that was because both Bangalee and Sandy Point beach accesses to Farnborough Beach had been closed to all vehicular traffic at night for a three-month trial (started November 1 last year).

“Or is this the continuation of beach driving located at Ritamada?” Ms Friend asked.

The response from council officer level was those questions could “not be answered definitively”.

“You’re looking at around about, of those different infringements, about 1 per cent at Tanby Point, 5 to 6 per cent of those are turn right at Farnborough Beach... the remaining percentage is broken up fairly evenly between Ritamada and Mulambin,” councillors were told.