Palm Beach residents say temporary bollards “not enough” to deter illegal driving
It’s only a matter of time before someone is seriously injured or killed as cars, e-bikes and scooters whiz down the Oceanway, a resident has warned.
Gold Coast
Don't miss out on the headlines from Gold Coast. Followed categories will be added to My News.
PALM Beach resident Bradley Daley is urging the council to put in place a permanent block on hoons driving illegally on a popular beachfront pathway.
A slew of cars are mounting the footpath on the oceanway stretch from 27th Ave to Tallebudgera Surf Club, which teems with families and toddlers, the Bulletin revealed on Monday.
Temporary blocks have been installed but Mr Daley said: “The temporary bollards in place at each end of the section of pathway won’t stop vehicles from accessing it for long.
“There’s an access road (The Esplanade) off 27th Ave to reach beachfront homes and most vehicles could drive right over the concrete wheel stops along the street.
“While we haven’t seen any cars drive on the path since the temporary bollards were installed, we definitely need a more permanent solution to ensure it never happens again.”
The bollards are a series of large concrete blocks and were installed this month along the $3m, 670m stretch of Palm Beach Oceanway.
Division 13 Councillor Daphne McDonald, who warned reckless motorists were putting lives at risk, said there was no time frame for a permanent solution as council was experiencing delays to finishing the Oceanway.
She attributed it to the spike in Palm Beach oceanfront development.
EARLIER: PERMANENT bollards are to be installed on Palm Beach’s Oceanway stretch as residents fume about brazen motorists illegally driving along the pedestrian path in broad daylight.
The popular walkway is a haven for locals and teems with hundreds of toddlers, families and residents daily.
Gold Coast City Council is considering blocking off both ends with concrete bollards after video emerged of cars speeding down and parking on the beachfront walkway.
Temporary bollards have already been installed, with city leaders left stunned by the reckless behaviour.
Area councillor Daphne McDonald said they were putting lives at risk: “This behaviour is not acceptable and we shouldn’t have to tell motorists that driving on a shared path created for pedestrians, cyclists and other active travel is illegal.
“They are putting the lives of hundreds of people at risk every day. We have acted quickly and have installed temporary measures including bollards to stop access while we investigate permanent solutions to ensure this doesn’t happen again.”
The temporary bollards have been placed at each end of the 670m section of the $3m path.
The Bulletin obtained videos and photographs of a blue Holden Commodore speeding down the path on Sunday – going an estimated 60km/h.
The most notorious section of the Oceanway runs from 27th Ave to Tallebudgera Surf Club.
Long-time Palm Beach resident Bradley Daley said his neighbour’s young baby was playing in an unfenced yard at the time, just metres from the oncoming vehicle.
“It’s only a matter of time before someone gets seriously hurt or taken out,” he said.
Mr Daley claims the pathway was built “too wide and too straight” and the design “invites vehicles.”
“Since the walkway was recently completed, we’ve already seen cars driving down it on at least three or four occasions,” he said. “The path appears like it’s made to take trucks and there have been streetlights installed that look like they are built for a highway.
“We can’t understand why a dead straight four-metre wide walkway was built adjacent to the beach – it wouldn’t have hurt to put a few curves in.”
Mr Daley said it wasn’t just cars causing a serious threat to pedestrians.
“You’ve also got electric fun vehicles using the pathway like a racetrack,” he said.
“I see several elderly people with walkers and young children nearly get taken out by electric scooters, bikes and trikes. Some of these things are going at least 50 km/h – and nobody is policing it.
“While Daphne (McDonald) has been on our side completely with these issues, we just can’t figure out why such a large path was necessary in this part of our neighbourhood.”
On the same strip, homeowner Michael Smith says it’s not just hoons taking illegal joy rides on the Oceanway – but licensed business vehicles.
“On two separate occasions I’ve seen an Uber driver use the path and a pest control vehicle,” he said.
“Because our street runs adjacent to the Oceanway and is a narrow dead end, drivers are getting lazy and making a full U-turn onto the pedestrian path rather than reversing. It’s very concerning that hundreds of people walk the footpath every day.
“You have everyone on it from mums with prams, little kids on scooters and elderly.
“When that blue commodore sped down here there were people literally diving out of its way. Someone will get hurt or killed and something needs to be done about it immediately.”
Surfers Paradise and Mermaid Beach residents have long feared the missing sections of the Oceanway will become a defacto road in front of their pricey homes.
In April the Bulletin revealed cashed-up Surfers residents are taking state government and council to court to stop the Oceanway between Trickett Street and Broadbeach Boulevard.
More Coverage
Originally published as Palm Beach residents say temporary bollards “not enough” to deter illegal driving
State election result will be a ‘really close call’ as pre-poll begins
Labor has targeted rivals on health cuts and abortion rights as pre-polling gets underway on the Gold Coast for the October 26 state election. FIND OUT MORE
Read more
‘I’ve moved 10 times in a year because I’ve got too many kids’
A mother-of-nine has highlighted a major crisis across Queensland, revealing she has had to move house about 10 times in a year.
Read more