New signs to warn drivers off Zilzie Beach and Cocoanut Beach

Hoons and rule-breaking beach drivers will be slapped with big fines in Central Queensland where a local mayor and residents are fed up with the “detrimental” impact on their coastal paradise.

Livingstone Shire Council will soon install signage at Zilzie and Cocoanut Beach at Emu Park to deter people from illegally driving on those beaches.

Anyone caught illegally four-wheel-driving on two popular beaches at Emu Park will be fined if they ignore new signage.

Livingstone Shire Council will, in the coming weeks, install new signage in “strategic areas” along Cocoanut Beach and Zilzie Beach to “raise awareness and deter unauthorised driving”.

It comes after numerous complaints, understood to be about noise and anti-social behaviour, were made to council regarding the “detrimental” effects of illegal four-wheel-driving on a “consistent basis”.

Under the laws, vehicles are restricted from driving on any portion of the Local Government-controlled areas that are not designated as access areas, unless prior approval has been obtained.

After the signs are installed, the council will provide a “grace period” of two weeks for drivers to adapt to enforcement measures.

This will be followed by an additional two weeks where repeated offenders will be issued official warnings as a last opportunity to “rectify their behaviour”.

After the grace periods have lapsed, fines of $774 will apply to all drivers on Cocoanut Beach and Zilzie Beach.

Jeff Winter is a member and public liaison officer from the Central Queensland Offroad Club, a group of recreational four-wheel-drivers.

He said the signage and grace periods were appropriate for the two beaches.

4WD vehicle at beach generic.

“There’s rules for beach driving and the number one rule is – you’re only allowed to drive on beaches whereby they’ve been authorised to drive on and it is as simple as that,” he said.

“The educational process council is undertaking is fair and reasonable as far as I’m concerned, it can’t be a free-for-all for every single beach, it just can’t happen, beaches are designated for different outcomes … you just have to abide by the rules.”

Mr Winter said while the educational grace period was good, more needed to be done to spread the word and get it out in the community.

He said the CQ Offroad Club often spoke to the community about being safe when driving and respectful to the environment around them.

“I think the vast majority of people are good and do the right thing,” he said.

“We don’t want to see less (four-wheel-driving areas), the real big thing at this point in time is the status quo is fine, so what we have is great … what we don’t want to see is more infringement and more closures.

“One of the important things we’ve always done as a four-wheel-drive club is make sure you take out more than you take in, so if you see extra rubbish around take it with you and don’t leave it there, if you see other people doing the wrong thing go and have a conversation with them, there’s too many people that don’t speak up.

Central Queensland Offroad Club's Jeff Winter.

“As long as you do those courteous things it doesn’t give the authorities a reason to even consider closing down beaches and the challenge is it’s not even one per cent of people that do the wrong thing, it’s probably more like point one per cent and it is just about educating those people.”

It’s not the first time four-wheel-driving on the Capricorn Coasts' pristine beaches has come under the spotlight.

Last year Livingstone Shire Council introduced four-wheel-driving restrictions to Farnborough Beach at night in a three-month-trial in an aim to stop reckless hoons.

Livingstone Shire Council Deputy Mayor Adam Belot said a Southern Beaches Reference Group was being formed after the council sought feedback from the community to determine if there was support for vehicle access on the shire’s southern beaches.

Livingstone Shire councillor Adam Belot stands on Ritamada Road at Emu Park.

The beaches being looked at are between the Causeway and Joskeleigh, in particular Ritamada, Timbers Beach and Long Beach.

Mr Belot said it was important to “get the balance right” so the beaches could be enjoyed by everyone in a safe way.

“Livingstone Council is one of the few councils in Queensland that allows vehicles on beaches and we’re committed to moving forward to see whether that can occur on the southern beaches with restrictions in place so it can happen in an orderly and sustainable manner,” Mr Belot said.

“The group will be made up of a diverse range of community members and we will welcome all stakeholders from four-wheel-driving and fishing clubs and environmental groups, they may disagree on aspects but it’s important we listen to all perspectives.”

Originally published as New signs to warn drivers off Zilzie Beach and Cocoanut Beach