Livingstone to continue hunt for alternate Farnborough Beach access
It is a long-running issue for the Bangalee community and Livingstone councillors and council officers have not seen eye-to-eye on possible solutions.
Rockhampton
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One of the longest-running community issues on the Capricorn Coast is no closer to having a solution.
The latest chapter in the “how to improve vehicle and pedestrian safety” on the popular Farnborough Beach played out at the Livingstone Shire Council table last week.
It was there that councillors and council officers failed to see “eye-to-eye” on possible solutions to the problems that have not only troubled the Bangalee community for decades, but intensified in more recent years due to the surge in popularity of four-wheel-driving and recreational activities in the picturesque area.
Calls for a safety upgrade at the access ramp were 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 last week’s meeting, following community consultation being undertaken, council officers pushed for an upgrade of the existing beach access at Hinz Avenue, Bangalee.
They also recommended a business case be finalised for the upgrade of the existing beach access ramp for future budget considerations.
To complement those things, council officers wanted the green light to further develop a traffic management strategy to educate beach goers, reduce errant driver behaviour, and help protect the natural coastal habitat.
But the majority of councillors were not buying into that plan of attack.
What eventuated was lengthy discussion at the council table before councillors devised and approved a different course of action.
They 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.
The only councillor not present during last week’s discussions on this issue was Councillor Rhodes Watson, who left the meeting after declaring a potential conflict of interest.
Mr Watson owns property at Bangalee.
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