30-06-2025
4WD tracks closed to prevent beach erosion along WA's Mid West coast
Unofficial four-wheel drive tracks are set to be closed along Western Australia's Mid West coast, as three councils unite to limit erosion and environmental damage.
Last week the shires of Coorow, Dandaragan, and Gingin adopted a coastal recreation masterplan, after receiving "mostly positive" feedback on a draft version.
The shires announced the plan in April, saying increased beach driving had led to more environmental damage.
Off-road driving is a tourism drawcard for beachside towns from Guilderton to Leeman, about 200 kilometres north of Perth.
Dandaragan shire president Tony O'Gorman said the next step was to apply for grant funding for signage at official tracks and cameras to monitor their use.
When asked about the cost of implementing the plan, Cr O'Gorman couldn't provide an exact figure.
"How long is a piece of string?" he said.
Cr O'Gorman said the plan to regulate driving tracks would further boost the off-road driving industry.
"We have a number of operators up and down the coast that regularly do coastal tours and take visitors out there… I think it's just a positive that they know which tracks they're going to be able to use," he said.
Cr O'Gorman said education through signs and pamphlets would be a key focus.
Cr O'Gorman said while some people would find the closure of some tracks controversial, most of the 21 submissions agreed to the proposed changes.
"The majority of the submissions we got, and particularly the ones from the four-wheel drivers clubs, were very supportive," he said.
WA 4WD Association chair Elizabeth Harding previously told the ABC that people needed to "get back to" the "unwritten rule" of leaving no trace when four-wheel driving.
"By having that respect for the land and the area we're going on [I think] will increase the long-term [access] for generations to come," she said when the plan was first proposed.
Cr O'Gorman said the councils would continue to work with four-wheel driving groups to strike a balance between environmental protection and entertainment.
"[Four-wheel drivers] are the ones that are out there all the time and we want to keep them on side and we'll take advice from them as well," he said.
He said the sand dunes would begin to recover once "irreverently" forged tracks stopped being used.
"It's a very delicate environment; we have lots of flora and fauna out there that we don't want destroyed… so it's really about preserving that for our future generations."
