Last week’s Ballina Shire Council (BSC) ordinary meeting (23 November) reviewed recreational four-wheel drive (4WD) access for Seven Mile Beach. There were two motions and two amended motions. The voting results are revealing.
The most socially- and environmentally-responsible motion was to close the beach to recreational 4WDs, which was lost. Three brave councillors voted for that motion: Crs Kiri Dicker, Simon Chate and Phillip Meehan.
The worst of the four motions was to remove short-term permits but with no plan to close the beach, also lost. This was the only motion that Crs Jeff Johnson and Nigel Buchanan supported. I thought that Cr Jeff Johnson was a bit of a greenie – apparently not.
Equal worst was the motion for a seasonal closure, during peak usage and/or turtle nesting periods, also lost. That option could be appealing to simpletons but is misguided in that it neglects that there is much more to sandy beach environments than sea turtles. This was the only motion that Crs Stephen McCarthy and Eva Ramsey supported.
The second-best motion was to remove short-term permits and close the beach by 2028, which carried on the casting vote of the mayor. This decision has the potential to reduce 4WD numbers by 84 per cent (based on FY 2022/2023 statistics) and wipe out income earned from beach driving, removing the greed motive. There is an element of political expediency in this decision, however, in that it avoids conflict with local beach drivers today and five years is a long way off. This was the only motion that Mayor Sharon Cadwallader and Cr Rodney Bruem supported.
In conclusion, it’s recommended to closely watch how our councillors vote on important matters such as beach driving (and conservation zones).
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