Media response - Sellicks Beach bollards
Published on 19 May 2026
Enquiry - Fleurieu Sun
- Why are the bollards being installed?
- Are they made of treated pine? If so, will this impact the environment?
- How many bollards are being put in, and where exactly?
- How does council balance giving people vehicular access to the beach and protecting the environment?
- Any other info you'd like to provide or comments you'd like to make.
Response
Comments attributed to Matt Buckell, Acting Director Operations
Work to install 29 timber bollards at Sellicks Beach was completed on Monday 18 May.
A total of 29 bollards have been installed, spaced 1.5 metres apart, covering 46 metres, extending into the tidal zone. They have been aligned with the existing sign located 700 metres south of the Sellicks Beach vehicle access ramp. A 3‑metre‑wide gate has also been installed.
Members of the community presented a deputation to Council in October 2025 raising concerns about vehicles continuing to enter the prohibited vehicle area.
The bollards are intended to prevent vehicles from entering restricted areas; maintain car-free beach areas to support safe, uninterrupted pedestrian access; improve safety for beachgoers; and protect the coastal environment. The bollards’ installation won’t impact the current drive-on section of Sellicks Beach. We have similar bollards at the southern end of nearby Moana Beach, and adjacent the Aldinga Bay Surf Life Saving Club, which have been a stable solution for years.
There are no environmental impacts anticipated from the bollards, which are made from Alkaline Copper Quaternary (ACQ) treated pine – a more environmentally friendly option for outdoor construction.
Community engagement for the proposed Sellicks Beach bollards showed strong community support (75 per cent of respondents), with safety and environmental protection among the key themes raised.
Our current controls for vehicles on the foreshore strike a careful balance between beach access – particularly for those with disabilities and to address limited on-street car parking – and the risk of harm to the environment and beachgoers safety.
We regularly evaluate our approach to vehicles on beaches, including through a 2019–20 review of management of vehicle compliance on protected foreshore areas – which included community engagement. A further review was conducted in 2024.
We remade foreshore by-laws in 2022–23, introducing Hooded Plover protection zones through new dog and vehicle-prohibited areas (prohibiting vehicles from within 20m of a sign indicating a breeding site, and requiring dogs to be on lead within 100m of a sign). We also increased fees for offenders breaching our by-laws and entering vehicle prohibited areas. The fine is now $312.50 (previously $187).
Our community safety officers (or ‘rangers’) monitor our beaches every day during peak times to provide community education and enforcement controls on a range of matters including vehicle compliance, littering, dogs on leads during prohibited times, keeping a safe distance from Hooded Plover nesting sites, as well as supporting Marine Safety SA in its regulation of personal watercrafts.
We also enforce vehicle-free areas (including temporary signage and vehicle exclusions around Hooded Plover nest sites) and a seasonal beach closure south of the Aldinga Beach vehicle access ramp from 1 May to 30 September. Other roles and responsibilities include working with Hooded Plover volunteers to protect the endangered species.
There are no current plans for further restrictions on car access at our beaches, but we’ll continue to evaluate our approach to strike the best balance between beach access, safety and protecting sensitive areas of our coastline.
END