The camping hub along Noosa’s shore is under stricter surveillance, with local authorities cracking down on dangerous behaviour.
Local officials at a popular tourist hotspot for camping in Queensland have handed out more than 100 fines for dangerous and illegal behaviour, with some issued tallying over $4000.
In one weekend (September 19-22), police issued fines along the coastline from North Noosa Shore, through Teewah, and up to Rainbow Beach.
One 22-year-old driver was fined $4502 for passengers not wearing seatbelts, drug driving, driving a defective vehicle, and failing to display P-plates.
The beaches are where endangered turtle hatchlings are born before going out to sea, and where families with young children play on the sand over the school-holiday period.
With rows of hundreds of cars parked along the shore, issues such as speeding, reckless driving, and improper management have led to uproar from local officials.
Noosa MP Sandy Bolton told Yahoo News Australia that measures need to be taken to protect the lives and the environment.
"The stretch of beach where these fines were issued is a place where people are sunbaking, children are playing, and turtle hatchlings are making their way to the ocean," Bolton said.
"Further interim measures before the final Cooloola Recreation Area Management Plan (CRAMP) is completed would be welcomed, because these issues are long-standing and well known. The control measures in place are clearly not enough."
Speeding is by far the most prevalent concern on the beach, for both people and the wildlife.
Some vehicles have been reported to be driving at speeds exceeding 110km/h, risking the lives of sunbathers and nesting turtles alike.
The tracks left on the sand also make it difficult for the hatchlings to make it out to sea, getting trapped in the trenches, officials say.
Ilana is a Melbourne-based journalist who was previously a copywriter in the Big Apple. Having moved to Melbourne for her Master of Journalism, she has written articles about food, farm machinery, fashion, and now the fast and furious. Her dream car has been a Mini Cooper since the fifth grade, eyeing its style and petite size.
