Deputy Mayor Adam Belot says council should not be scared to resume land from Iwasaki Sangyo Company

The Farnborough Beach 4WD safety issue has more twists and turns than a game of Twister.

Clair Fitzpatrick with Cr Adam Belot at the Bangalee access to Farnborough Beach. File photo.

Livingstone Deputy Mayor Adam Belot says the shire should take action to resume land from Iwasaki Sangyo Company if the council believes it will facilitate a solution to the Farnborough Beach 4WD safety saga.

Mr Belot firmly believes that with the growth the region is experiencing, the solution to Livingstone’s ongoing migraine is a new or alternate beach access north of the current Bangalee ramp.

The challenge for Livingstone is, most of the land in that area north of the Bangalee ramp is owned by Iwasaki Sangyo Company, which has told the council that it would not support any land acquisition.

“I know that the landholder (Iwasaki Sangyo Company) respectfully has said ‘no we’re not interested’,” Mr Belot said at the recent ordinary council meeting.

“I believe that they need to be part of the solution as well.

“They’re a huge part of the footprint of our coast up there.

“They were able to achieve that land politically, probably 40-odd years ago, for a very low cost - good luck to them.

“But I think our community’s at a point where the growth is of such magnitude, that they (Iwasaki Sangyo Company) need to sit down with us and be part of the solution.

“And I hope that they will.

“In the event that they don’t, then I believe we still need to have the fortitude to say, ‘well we are going to move on behalf of our community to find a better solution’.

“If that means putting in to the courts, acquiring a portion of your land, well that’s what we’ll do.

“That’s what I hope that this council will do.

“I respect it (council) if it doesn’t, but that’s what I believe is the best way forward, so that in 10 years’ time when there’s significantly more users there, we don’t end up with the situation where the (council) officers are saying ‘we’re going to have to close the beach because it’s too problematic’.

“That won’t be a good day for Central Queensland.”

In December 2019, Mr Belot said traffic counts had recorded as many as 800-plus vehicle movements in one day ­traversing the existing Bangalee access to Farnborough Beach.

Livingstone Deputy Mayor Adam Belot.

Calls for a safety upgrade at the access ramp to Farnborough Beach were also renewed in 2019 when Yeppoon woman Clair Fitzpatrick spoke out after losing her partner Chris Poulsen in a freak accident at the site.

His accident occurred while trying to help another driver, his friend, get off the beach north of Yeppoon when the tow strap snapped back through his windscreen, hitting and killing him.

At the July council meeting this year, it appeared that a permit system for motorists using Farnborough Beach has been all but thrown on the scrap heap by Livingstone as it continues to figure out what to do about safety concerns.

Councillor Pat Eastwood weighed into the debate on the issue by calling on the community to “dob in a donut.”

Also at the meeting, Mayor Andy Ireland revealed who authorities said was responsible for causing four-wheel-drive destruction in the dunes at Farnborough Beach.

Cr Adam Belot (right) and Clair Fitzpatrick walk the Bangalee access to Farnborough Beach. File photo.

WHAT COUNCILLORS DECIDED IN JULY, 2021

Councillors ultimately decided Livingstone would only expend necessary funds to maintain Bangalee ramps to allow them to function.

They also stood strong on a commitment to investigate an alternate/additional Farnborough Beach/Big Dune Beach vehicle access, north of Bangalee, in order to address current and future growth.

Councillors also voted for a report to come back to the October meeting in relation to the development of a traffic management strategy.

Councillors further decided that a public meeting would be held with the Bangalee community and interested stakeholders.

The purpose of that meeting would be to get more input from the public in relation to a potential new or alternate access to Farnborough Beach.