Beach community on idiot patrol with call to ‘dob in a donut’

Councillor Pat Eastwood has weighed into the Farnborough Beach safety issue which continues to be a migraine for Livingstone Shire Council.

Livingstone Shire Councillor Pat Eastwood.

Livingstone Councillor Pat Eastwood has called on the community to effectively be on idiot patrol as the Farnborough Beach safety issue continues to prove a migraine for the shire.

As the latest chapter in the “how to improve vehicle and pedestrian safety” on the popular stretch of coastline played out at the council table last week, Cr Eastwood called on the public to “dob in a donut.”

In informal speech or slang, the term “donut” is used to describe an individual who is extremely stupid; lacks intelligence or common sense; an idiot.

“This (issue) is really complex first, particularly for the Bangalee residents who put up with a lot of poor behaviour,” Cr Eastwood said.

“And I think we really do owe it to protect those residents as much as we can, as well as being able to maintain access to the beach.

“It’s important that we have greater education, and even, I was thinking about it before and I was scribing in my head, what could be a policy.

“And I really believe in a community policing policy, where our community get involved in say, something like a dob in a donut.

“So that we get our community assisting the police, and assisting National Parks, and even council, in keeping our roadways and our beaches safe.”

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, have evaded the council for some time.

Cr Adam Belot, Cr Pat Eastwood, Clair Fitzpatrick and friends rally for a safer alternative to the current Bangalee ramp. File photo.

Calls for a safety upgrade at the access ramp to Farnborough Beach 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.

It became evident from the July 20 council meeting this year that a permit system for motorists using Farnborough Beach has been all but thrown on the scrap heap by Livingstone Shire Council.

At that meeting, 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.

Originally published as Beach community on idiot patrol with call to ‘dob in a donut’