The consultation, live now on council’s Your Say page, follows an elected member workshop in August, where councillors discussed ways to manage compliance within the existing foreshore bylaw, while balancing recreation and vehicle access.
During the workshop, councillors responded to updates from council staff about ongoing compliance issues and the benefits of vehicle access to the beach.
More than a dozen of the resulting ideas are presented on the Your Say page for community feedback – including new or updated signage, community education, additional infrastructure and CCTV cameras – while residents are also encouraged to submit their own ideas.
City of Onkaparinga Director City Operations, Kirk Richardson, said the engagement isn’t about restricting access to cars on beaches, it’s aimed at protecting sensitive areas of the coast such as sand dunes and pebble banks, which prevent erosion and provide habitat for wildlife.
“Our coastal environment is one of our most important natural assets, supporting a complex ecosystem and geology that’s unique to our area,” he explains.
“The community and social value of the coastline is also significant, with sites of Aboriginal cultural heritage, high scenic amenity and recreational activities, which includes public vehicle access on to the beach.
“Vehicles are permitted to drive on the hard sand sections of the beach at Moana, Aldinga, Silver Sands and Sellicks Beach, and while the majority of beachgoers comply with measures to protect sensitive areas, there is ongoing damage caused by the few that don’t.
“We’re asking for the community’s feedback and looking to increase awareness so we can all continue to enjoy these sensational jewels in our coastline the community has access to.
You can provide your feedback via the Your Say page until Monday 9 November, with the submissions to be included in a report to Council in December.
Council will then decide on what options to pursue, with any new measures to be implemented over summer and beyond.