Long-time resident calls for action on risky behaviour by off-roaders at Nanarup Beach

A long-time Nanarup resident is calling on the City of Albany to crack down on 4WDs accessing a barred stretch of her beloved beach, an activity she says is putting people’s safety at risk. Karla Kinnear, who has lived in Nanarup for 62 years, has walked or swam in the Nanarup Beach Lagoon most mornings “rain, hail or shine” until recent years. But she said what had been a safe swimming spot for families and elderly residents had become a hotbed for off-roaders who ignore the council’s warning signs. Ms Kinnear said despite the council erecting signs prohibiting vehicles driving to the west, it was common to see 4WDs tearing along the sand. Drivers are allowed to head east from the entrance towards Two Peoples Bay. “People used to obey the signs and the council always had a ranger coming out to police it,” she said. “They used to slap a reasonable fine on people who broke the rules. As the years have gone by, it has got out of control.” Mrs Kinnear is calling on the City to put more signage on the beach and allocate rangers to patrol the area in peak periods. She said she felt her concerns had not been heard, after writing her first letter to the council in 2016 and her most recent in March. “It’s dangerous for old people that used to come here regularly. We are too frightened to walk along the beach because of all the 4WDs. “You go there in summer and it’s bumper to bumper with cars.” City of Albany public health and safety manager Scott Reitsema said the City was aware of sustained vehicle access in the area. “Vehicle access to the Nanarup Beach Lagoon was historically denied due to concerns that it would cause environmental damage and pose a risk to public safety,” he said. “However, frequent aerial mapping shows longer term recovery of vegetated sand dunes in this area is continuing despite sustained vehicle access to this location and there have been no reports of incidents of public safety to the City.” He said the City was reviewing the situation “as a priority”. “As part of the City’s review of this location, patrol frequency across the year will be considered as an additional safety measure. The review of this location will entail community consultation in the coming months,” he said.