Vehicles on beaches

Fishing at Silver SandsVehicle access

Vehicle access is permitted on Aldinga, Moana, Sellicks and Silver Sands beaches between the hours of 5.30am and 12 midnight.

Vehicle access is restricted on all beaches between the hours of 12 midnight and 5.30 am.

A seasonal winter closure effective from 1 May to 30 September each year restricts vehicle access on Aldinga Beach south of the Aldinga Beach access ramp. View restricted area.

Vehicle access restrictions are clearly sign posted and fines of $185 apply for any breaches of these restrictions.

Extension to the Vehicle Exclusion Zone – Silver Sands Beach

On 15 November 2011 Council resolved to exclude vehicles from a section of Silver Sands beach approximately 120 metres in length, located immediately in front of Aldinga Bay Surf Life Saving Club. This exclusion is in response to concerns for the safety of volunteer beach patrols, nippers and senior club members, as highlighted by Surf Life Saving South Australia.


The new closure section will be adjacent to the existing vehicle exclusion zone, which is the main area used for all surf club and school aquatic activities.

The existing bollards (at the southern boundary of the existing vehicle exclusion zone) have been relocated in line with the northern side of the Silver Sands access ramp, to indicate the new boundary for the vehicle exclusion zone.


For further information please contact Community Safety on (08) 8384 0666 or view the new vehicle exclusion zone boundaries map.

Vehicle access restrictions are clearly sign posted and fines of $185 apply for any breaches of these restrictions.
 

Beach passes

From December to March each year when temperatures at Noarlunga are forecast to be above 26C beach access ramps will be monitored. At times when the access ramps are monitored, vehicles will only be able to access the beach if they produce a current beach pass, or if they pay the vehicle access fee of $6.

Passes for residents residing within the council area are free and available from all council offices and libraries from September each year. Residents must provide proof of residency when collecting their beach pass (eg drivers licence or rates notice).

Non-residents and those unable to produce a beach pass are required to pay a $6 beach access fee to the ramp attendants each time they wish to take their vehicle onto the beach. No other means of identification such as a drivers licence or rates notice will be accepted by our ramp attendants.

It is an offence to drive a vehicle on the beach without a pass or without paying the $6 access fee at times when the ramps are monitored. Fines of $185 apply.

Funds collected by the volunteers that monitor the ramps help support the individual community groups performing this collection service. 

Protecting our beaches

The City of Onkaparinga has approximately 31 kilometres of unique and diverse coastline featuring open beaches, reefs, dunes and cliff formations. Nearly 18 per cent of our population live within our coastal areas and these residents and many others visit our beaches. Therefore the management of our coast is extremely important.

Our coast supports a huge variety of animals and plants. Some live entirely in the water and others spend all or part of their time on land fringing the coast. A number of our coastal habitats are especially sensitive to disturbances by humans and vehicles so it is very important that we take special care in these areas.

Sand Dunes – Most beaches are backed by vegetated sand dunes. These dunes are home to a variety of plants and animals and are an effective coastal protection feature. They absorb the erosive energy of waves generated by storms and act as reservoirs of sand to nourish the beach during periods of wave erosion. Vegetation on the dunes traps and holds sand blown from the beach aiding dune build-up and stopping sand from being blown inland. This vegetation is so fragile that even footsteps can damage plants and weaken the dunes. Driving vehicles on dunes creates significantly more damage and greatly increases the chance of dune destruction.

Driving vehicles on dunes is prohibited. Fines of $185 apply for any breaches of this prohibition.

Pebble Banks – Sections of Sellicks and Aldinga Beaches are unique in that the back of these beaches often feature significant mounds of pebbles. These pebble banks (or gravel ridges) are important to the beach as they provide natural protection to the sensitive dune and wetland environments that exist in some areas at the back of the beach.

Driving on the pebble banks or removal of pebbles is prohibited. Fines of $185 apply for any breaches of this prohibition.

Environmental Tips

Please respect our beaches and those that use them by abiding by the following:

  • do not drive or park on the sand dunes, the pebble banks or high beach areas
  • drive and park on the firm sand between the waterline and high tide mark
  • respect other users of the beach and drive slowly (stick to the 10 km/hr speed limit)
  • pedestrians have the right of way
  • ensure when driving you keep an eye out for small children
  • when walking stick to designated walking trails and stay off dunes and vegetation
  • stay out of fenced areas
  • respect all wildlife as some animals are easily disturbed and disturbance can affect their survival
  • do not remove pebbles, shells, sand and seaweed etc as these provide valuable habitat for plants and animals and assist with protecting this fragile environment
  • do not litter, take your rubbish home with you. This includes cigarette butts.
  • clean up after your dog if you take your dog to the beach.

By caring for our coast and by conserving our coastal habitats we not only help protect the many plants and animals that abide there but we are also protecting an environment that we can continue to enjoy and that can be enjoyed by our future generations.

Beach patrols

Our vehicle beaches are patrolled regularly by our Beach Patrol Officers.

If you wish to report any inappropriate behaviour on the beach (ie speeding vehicles, hooning etc), please contact our office on (08) 8384 0730 between the hours of 8.30am - 5pm Monday to Friday or after hours on (08) 8384 0622.

By-law 6 – Foreshore provides a full list of the activities that are prohibited on our foreshore areas.

Vehicles on Beaches Implementation Plan

At its meeting of 20 October 2009, Council approved the Vehicles on Beaches Implementation Plan (the plan) which provides for an adaptive approach to managing vehicle access on our southern beaches with the aim of reducing the environmental impact and risk to users of our vehicle beaches.

Also at this meeting, Council resolved that an annual update be provided to Council on the outcomes of actions contained in the plan.

Please view the following related documents:

 

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