Wheelchair access walkway at Pirates Bay Beach has ‘significant drop-off’, upsetting advocates

A wheelchair walkway recently built at a popular Tasmanian tourism destination has upset disability advocates, who have labelled the final result “very disappointing”.

A wheelchair access walkway at a popular Tasmanian tourism destination has a “significant” drop-off at the end of the path, which a prominent disability advocate says is “like a door slammed in your face”.

The walkway, which provides access to Pirates Bay Beach at Eaglehawk Neck, was spearheaded by the Eaglehawk Neck Action Community Taskforce (ENACT), after the group received grant funds from the independently run Tasmanian Community Fund.

The project began in March this year and was completed in May. Parts of the walkway were built on land managed by the Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service (PWS).

The PWS has provided in-kind support to ENACT and now manages and maintains the sections of the walkway that are on its land.

Disability access walkway at Pirates Bay Beach has abrupt drop, upsetting advocates. Picture: Supplied

However, since its completion, the end of the walkway has deteriorated into a seemingly unusable state, abruptly dropping off to the sand.

“Due to the recent extreme weather events, there has been significant movement of sand at the Pirates Bay Beach, which has caused a significant-drop off, underneath the installed walkway,” a spokeswoman for the Natural Resources and Environment Department said.

“A recent inspection carried out by PWS has assessed the remediation works required and works will begin as soon as possible, noting that sand is already reaccumulating at the site naturally.”

Disability access walkway at Pirates Bay Beach has abrupt drop. Picture: Supplied

Tammy Milne, a disability advocate and herself a wheelchair-user, said it was “very disappointing” to see such infrastructure in a state of disrepair because “access to a beach is something that able-bodied people take for granted”.

“When you have a disability and can’t access [a place] it’s like a door is slammed in your face – like the hundreds of doors slammed in our faces every day from inaccessible venues,” she said.

“The issue is very consistent throughout Tasmania.

Tammy Milne, disability advocate. Picture: Linda Higginson

“Each council seems to work independently trying to provide access with varying degrees of success. Mostly they fail.

“There seems to be no collaboration between councils or shared knowledge of tides, erosion or other technical issues with ramping systems in an ever-changing coastal environment.”

Greens disability spokeswoman and party leader Cassy O’Connor said the “design failure” of the Pirates Bay Beach walkway would be “all too familiar for people with disability”.

“Improving access to beaches and natural spaces for people with disability is about fairness and equality, and we need to make sure it’s done properly,” she said.

“Otherwise we end up with absurd and pretty insulting results like this.”

Originally published as Wheelchair access walkway at Pirates Bay Beach has ‘significant drop-off’, upsetting advocates