thats not good news, seems like they are using the 4wd incident as an excuse. pretty sad state of affairs, we have the best coastlines in the world and cant enjoy half of it.

 It's bloody stupid. I really enjoy that area. Instead of spreading out the prwssure, with each closure they are multiplying it to give them reason to close the next and so on. 

Hooley takes you to the beach north of Boranup and reserve rd takes you onto boranup beach?
 

How many boats went down last year? May as well close all the boat ramps too 

nightfish ,,hooley road takes you to what many fishers including me have known for years[48] as boranup ... reserve road takes you onto hamelin bay ... boranup hill or sand patch is at the north east end of hamelin bay ,,,many surfers have named it boranup beach ,,, when in reality it is hamelin bay beach ,,,

due to alot of them walkign in through the boranuphill track to get the hamelin beach ,,i think locally they have sort of renamed it in the surfing crowd

hey mate do you have the actual link for news on that closure. I can’t seem to find it.

Cheers Phil 

hi phil ... no o dont have a link ,,there might be on on the DBCA website but i could not find it ... i rang the busselton regional office and spoke with there ranger who explained it is them closing the track down and the reasons why .they have not finished yet ,,,but are in the process ...so now is the time to mobilise effort to get them to reconsider and stop it

The name most know it as is South Conto and they have dumped large boulders all the way down the track to the beach and across the entrance to the track as well, leaving only the car park . Mate sent me some photos of their effort to stop access to the beach a couple of days ago.

Bloody shame, have been visiting that beach for over 50 years and only ever walked down from the car park 2-3 times

same here john we know it as boranup or south beach ,,

thing is they spend the energy to block it when they could do the same to clean it up better and safer .....stabilise the whole entry point

 Conto's is well Conto's Their is another Beach South of Conto's that is called Southh Beach and the one that ends at Hamelin Bay has been called Boranup beach for 40 years that i know of.

Could have been calling the wrong name all this time....People know where I mean.

Blocking it off is a bad idea. That track serves as a fire break and access point during emergencies...such as hikers on the  Cape to Cape  track and boating incidents.

 Conto's is well Conto's Their is another Beach South of Conto's that is called Southh Beach and the one that ends at Hamelin Bay has been called Boranup beach for 40 years that i know of.

Could have been calling the wrong name all this time....People know where I mean.

Blocking it off is a bad idea. That track serves as a fire break and access point during emergencies...such as hikers on the  Cape to Cape  track and boating incidents.

have been emailing the new minister , dbca and the premiers dept as well as recfishwest to see if we can get this decision back on the table ,,
copy of my brief email below

feel free to copy etc if you are at all keen to send email in to any of them or your local member to support it staying open

----------------------------------------------------------

dear minister the hon don punch

i am writing to you to ask if your dept can investigate the current closure of the beach access on hooley road,in the leeuwin naturaliste national park

having fished this area and used this beach access for over 48 years, i am appalled and disapointed at the lack of current community consultation by the gov dept invlolved DBCA

having contacted their busselton office i am advised the closure is part of their strategic management plan from 2015, and thus it has come to pass right on the eve of the 2021 salmon season they have without notice closed this beach access

this decision really needs to be reviewed & have current community input , there is no evidence of enviromental damage to this beach other than some very very minor leaking of vehicle oils from possibly 3 vehicles lost or drowned on this beach due to driver error and lack of information on how to use this beach safely by the gov dept invloved DBCA

access should not be closed , rather it should be redesigned and improved, with full appropriate signage advising any potential 4 wheel drive users of correct tyre pressures and safe speed limits,, and other relevant user information

the current lack of any such information leads to issues which could easily be prevented if this along with other combined strategies where put in place to keep this beach open

this beach is a an amazing place and has not had any dune or coastal damage on it in the last 48 years i have fished it .it is one of the most iconic salmon fishing beaches on this coast on its day and is used by fishers mostly , there is no user conflict with surfers or familys , kids etc ,

it is the closest to a wilderness beach fishing experience we have locally and should be kept open to take pressure of other more high impact open beaches such as hamelin bay

i have participated in other beach access groups such as joeys nose and kilcarnup beach management plans with the gov dept DBCA involved as well as being an ex board member at recfishwest and current recreational rock lobster advisory group and advisory member to the federal governments south west marine parks committee and would like to see such a stakeholder working group set up to re explore all options on the future use of this beach for the whole wa community ,with current stakeholders input before permanent closures take place .

i look forward to your reply on this matter

kind regards

 Sorry to inform you guys but this is the thin edge of a fucking big wedge.
 If you are a camper fisherman or hunter why would you vote for a socialist green leaning lefty  city loving government in the first place.
 
Only chance we had was the S&F party and hardly any fisherman voted for them. Dont complain when its gone. You asked for it.
The ALP will have 4 to 8 years to take away all of our beach accsess. And as sure as hell they will.
 
 Even now they are planning on putting up the bollards at Warroora and basically all of our  bush and even local beaches.
No more camping on the beach. Hope you guys enjoyed it because its going to be in the near  future past memories.

 Now I'm a bit confused here, is this 'Bobs track'?

no .. it is not bobs track

 So they plan to cut off 1 beach access at Boranup but leave the other one in play at  reserve road?

the track known as bushby .bobs track or reserve road into the beach at hamelin bay is not being closed ...

hooley road comes off of boranup scenic drive north end and is having the beach access closed off , the track to the car park will be kept open , but you will no longer be able to drive down the hill onto the beach , which will remove about 3 km of open surf salmon beach from being fished ,,,it will let fishers walk about 400 metrs to the ''hole '' to fish only ,,unless there hell keen to walk further ,,, which ime , people never do even the cape to cape walkers dont tackle this beach as its long and soft

Hi Hezzy,

I have sent a couple of emails to the general enquires page on DBCA website and to the specific conservation email adress. Let me know if there are other specific people/places to address.

I visited here last year with my family, while staying at Contos, and it was a grat spot. It appeared completely untouched then and I can't understand why our access to these areas is constantly taken away, it is quite frustrating.

Please keep us updated and let us know if there is more we can do.

Cheers,

Trav

you can also email Dr Steve Thomas MLC upper house member, in Margaret River and he has indicated that he will ask some questions in parliament when it resumes.

here

yes ...that all \the usual bs they throw out at any enquiry to hush people up , but enables them to say they have replied ....

ghooded plovers as per the capes study link below dont nest on that beach , but they do at deepedeen and contos etc ,, so no issues with plovers there ,,, just a smoke screen on that one ,,as for the vehicle recovery ,,, no proof ha sbeen offered on this ,,and according to their park plan pages 50-51,,and others ,,they have said they will put signage on offroad areas for vehicles to warn of hazards etc ..NEVER BEEN DONE ON THAT BEACH ,,, i would ask them to show us pics of any oil spills from drowned vehilces gear boxes or diffs etc ,,, with good seals on working vehilces id suggest it is absolutely minimal if at all leakage has occurred ,,, vehicle recovery costs would and can be charged back to the owner of any vehicle ,,, no brainer imo ,,,signage stating 4by enter beach info and enter at own risk would be good ,

, peter langridge and grame walker and myself , had local mla steve thomas attend hooley road beach access and beach as well as deepedeen beach access yesterday to have a first hand look before he raises it in parliament at next opportunity he has for us ,,,,,

the points DBCA raise for the closure dont stack up under scrutiny ,,,.. so we will continue to pursue it being re opened ..

file:///C:/Users/Owner/Desktop/SW-SShot-CS-HOODED-PLOVER-FINAL_20180720.pdf

Yeah, I did some research myself and there is no indication that the Hooded Plover has been adversely effected by access to this beach. I asked for some quantitative data on this.

I also asked the question about the amount of effluent that was discharged by the vehicles and if there were any reports to look at.

Interestingly, I just received a follow up phone call from the guy i've been emailing (based in Busselton/Margs). Good guy to chat to, didn't directly answer any of my questions though, but obviously experienced and doing the job he has been directed to do. Doesn't sound like they will be changing their stance and based on the phone call I doubt i'll get an answer to my questions.

He also mentioned the visitor numbers to the area and how that needs to be managed and access controlled while still allowing people to use the area (and bring in tourist dollars). I have a feeling that this is not the end of the restrictions?

The management plan actions reference education and I think this is a key control that is missing. Instead they just take the 'band aid' approach and block access to everyone based on the actions of a select few. He said the beach can still be accessed from the terminal car park but from my memory of the descent down to the beach this doesn't cut it for the elderly, disabled or people with restricteed mobility.

Let me know if I can help in any way.

P.S: I'm not a local but visit the area frequently. I just enjoy being able to access a beach with my kids and make the same memories that I have made with my parents.  

we have been working with matt and leyland at recfishwest

they have made some formal communication with dbca and others i believe on this

the local rangers in margaret river kane and john are good blokes, but clearly they will follow the departments protocols on this

the roughly 4 million visitors the park gets each year according to their info is massive .but it is no reason to manage by exclusion or lock outs ...

send me a pm and i can add you to the email contact for this as it moves along ..

cheers hezzy

Concern over popular salmon beach ‘boulder blockade’ four-wheel drive access closure
March 30, 2021
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Recfishwest is calling on the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) to urgently address strong concerns around a sudden and unexpected closure of the Hooley Road 4WD beach access point to South Beach, Boranup.

This a very a popular beach accessed and fished by anglers targeting snapper, mulloway, tailor and salmon.

Access has been blocked by a “boulder blockade”.
DBCA has deposited several large boulders blocking 4WD access down the track to the beach which is within the Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park.

While the soft sand may test some novice drivers – the beach is particularly popular among avid anglers, many of whom are now actively targeting this year’s salmon run and who have been accessing the beach with their 4WD trucks for decades.

Recfishwest is questioning the rationale for the closure and expressing concerns over its potential negative flow-on effects to promoting safe fishing.

Frustration over ‘boulder blockade’

“The boulder blockade dumped on the track has completely come out of the blue and we share the local fishing community’s frustration and disappointment that four-wheel drive access to this prime fishing beach used by local fishers for decades has been suddenly taken away,” Dr Andrew Rowland said.

“We can see no reason why the public is being denied ongoing access to this fishing beach.

“It seems in complete conflict with the objective of a National Park Management Plan which is to ‘fulfil so much of the demand for recreation by members of the public as is consistent with the proper conservation of the natural environment, the protection of flora and fauna and the preservation of any feature of archaeological, historic or scientific interest.’

“Moves like this, also take away safe beach fishing options that potentially drive fishers to rock fishing locations where there is much greater risk to personal safety.

“We have written to DBCA and we are pressing them to adopt a more sensible, educational approach such as installing some signage, while returning four-wheel drive access to the beach as soon as possible particularly given this year’s salmon run is just beginning.”

Dr Rowland added there was a serious principle at stake here and that fishers’ right to continue to drive on beaches should be protected and properly managed.

“We believe that vehicle access to and along beaches where there is evidence of historical access must be maintained wherever possible,” he said.

Salmon are a popular target species at Boranup, just ask Scott Coghlan.

Have been told to remedy this crap effort to close thise track, effective immediately....erosion and unnecessary damage to gain access has been a factor in this tracks closure......Rumours that a few individuals have cut some trees and shovelled away soil to gain easier access have been bandied around.....

 It will probably end up like like long point in Rockingham, with a million tracks to get around the blocked ones. Causing more damage than what would have been done if they left the one Access point as it was. Really sux.

 Hezzy you are a legend mate continually bringing this stuff to the forum here...

For those that may know it in surfing terms...

Hooley rd access's the southern end of South Beach...

As far as vehicle drownings go that is a fucking load of BS...

Tell the dopey C&*ts to go down to Boranup anytime the swell is 2m plus and see the traffic...

If it is because of vehicle drownings then surely they'll be looking at the Ham/Boranup section before the Hooley section...

Last time I camped on the beach at Boranup with the Fam was about 3 years ago on a friday night, we weren't in a hurry to leave in the morning so mucked around and packed up but by the time we left I was gob smacked at the vehicles pouring over the C*&TY track and onto the beach... The surf forcast wasn't even anything flash.

It was like a game of chicken... I was heading south and there for had right of way on the track because I couldnt go anywhere with the hill to my left but the oncoming fuckwits that hadn't bothered dropping tyre pressures would only at the last minute goto their left and off the single track which admittedly puts them in the soft semi steep beach...

I snatched 3 blokes out before I got off the beach, I passed another 20 plus cars on the C&*TY track and thought never again will I go back to that fucking beach...

From what i've heard they've now given the tracks at the Boranup/Ham end a birthday and its like a hwy now....

I'm off topic a bit here but if its vehicles on the beach they worried about they got the wrong track!!!

cheers timboon

looks like there is a petition being put together for this access to be opened up

once i have the info and link i will post it here and as many other places as possible

hezzy

received a reply back from the new fisheries minister don punch correspondence officer .. cut and paste of it below , not very helpful to say the least , other than he will do the bare min and pass it on ??
----------------------------------------------

Dear mr hezzy

Thank you for your correspondence below.

Your comments have been noted by this office. However, as this matter falls under the portfolio responsibilities of the Hon A Sanderson, Minister for Environment, we have forwarded your correspondence to her office for consideration.

Kind regard

Government of Western Australia

Correspondence Officer

Office of the Hon. Don Punch MLA
Minister for Disability Services; Fisheries;

Innovation and ICT; Seniors and Ageing

7th Floor, Dumas House, 2 Havelock Street

WESTPERTH WA 6005 Australia
Email:

Ph: 6552 6900

 There is a petition circulating at Whiteys tackle shop in Australind, Sportsmarine in Bunbury, Carbanup store and other places around Busselton, I am trying to get some forms sent up to Andy [Seakem] so that the Perth based members can get their names down. Fingers crossed I will have it in my possession today

If anyone requires a form can they contact me through this site or on 0417 467 877 and I will endeavour to get one to you.

Been informed that electronic copies are not worth the time it takes to sighn on it so paper it has to be.

yes john ,,,

peter langridge from busso has set it up .....iv been told recently though by the guys in the know that petitions generally dont have a lot of success ,,and a direct emailed letter to the minister is received with more attention ..... so with that in mind a generic letter is being drawn up for anyone who wishes to copy and use or customise to their own and send in as well to the minister for DBCA

the more contact they get the better the chances

just to follow up on this if members can take the time to use this guide below to write and email in regards to this closure and send it to the names in the bottom of the info as well as recfishwest ...even a short email is worth its weight to help prevent this from becoming permanent
here is what I would recommend be included in any letters to decision makers etc:

•To start the letter, outline the issue, introduce yourself and explain what your connection with the area is, including how often you use the beach and what activities you undertake
•These are the points the Recfishwest believe are pertinent, given what we have heard from both the community and DBCA about the issue so far: •Any of the identified risks to vehicular access to Hooley Road beach can be managed through public education (signs etc). A blanket approach that prohibits access is not the appropriate management method.
•Hooley Road beach is not suitable as a swimming or surfing location, and has been historically accessed by fishers without competing user groups
•Hooley Road beach has historically provided safe access for beach fishers, and any closure to vehicle access has the potential to redirect fishing effort onto nearby rock platforms. This is out of alignmentwith the state Governments fishing safety strategy, which encourages people to fish from the beach
•The community deserve the chance to have input into the management of Hooley Road beach. The abrupt closure without community consultation came as a shock to many. Many people in the community (fishers,fishing club members, 4x4 enthusiasts) would be happy to lend a hand to maintain access.
•Recovery of bogged vehicles is not the responsibility of DBCA and should not be used as a reason to close vehicular access

Here is a list of potential Ministers/decision makers that you should consider corresponding with:

Hon Amber Jade Sanderson

Minister for Environment

Minister.Sanderson@dpc.wa.gov.au

Mr Mark Webb

Director General, DBCA

enquiries@dbca.wa.gov.au

Ms Elizabeth (Jane) Kelsbie MLA

Member for Warren Blackwood

Jane.Kelsbie@mp.wa.gov.au

Hon Dr Steven (Steve) Thomas

Member for South West Region

steve.thomas@mp.wa.gov.au

Please also CC Recfishwest into any correspondence.

guess what...Walking access is still allowed, but on top of the rocks the Powers of the day have placed down the track, there is a Fence coupled to a sign stating that the beach access is forbidden on the gronds that a Red Capped Plover breeds here and needs protection. This little bird nests where all the flotsam and dried seagrass accumilates..This is where NO one should drive. It's time that the EGOMANIACS stopped attempting to scale every hill in their beefed up 4WD's and just went Fishing..

 Seems very strange that in the many years I have fished this beach I have never seen one of these birds and now the access to the beach is cut off they suddenly appear out of no where.   The mind boggles at the excuses they need to warrant closing the track

What a load of bullshit. Those things are everywhere they do nest at the top of the beach but certainly not specific to that area. I see them at Lancelin and it's only during their breeding season at any rate.

Hardly endangered to quote Birdlife Australia: "The Red-capped Plover is the most common and widespread of Australia’s beach-nesting shorebirds. They occur along virtually the entire Australian coastline, but they also occur in great numbers inland, especially around saltlakes"

They don't just nest on the beach either plenty on any barren ground the dunes, local cleared subdivision etc.