Wonga Beach residents will be allowed to use all-terrain vehicles (ATV) in an environmentally-sensitive manner on sections of the 10.5km stretch of coastline after Council adopted an interim foreshore management plan at a Council Meeting in Mossman today.

As part of the interim Wonga Beach Foreshore Management Plan, a community group will be formed to monitor the recreational ATV use and report issues to Douglas Shire Council.

Only residents of Wonga Beach can apply for approval under a permit system with strict conditions applying, including a ban on two-wheeled vehicles such as trail bikes and large four-wheel drive passenger vehicles, to ensure a balanced approach to managing the foreshore. While a southern 1.5km section of beach next to Wonga Community Park, south of Janbal St, will be an ATV-free zone.

This has been an ongoing contentious issue for many years with Wonga Beach locals having driven ATVs on the beach for decades, something which has become a part of the Wonga lifestyle.

In 2016, Council staff met onsite with a Senior Environmental Officer from the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection, whose feedback implied that he did not foresee any major environmental issues with ATVs using the hard sand to traverse Wonga Beach.

In 2018, Council conducted community consultation with Wonga Beach residents to determine support for the use of ATVs on the beach which found that 69% supported it while 28% were against, and 3% were neutral.

Douglas Shire Mayor Michael Kerr said this interim plan included clear requirements and conditions for approval.

“By working with the Wonga Beach community, Council will continually review the effectiveness of the management plan and make improvements when necessary,” he said.

“Consultation found a clear majority of residents enjoy the lifestyle that comes with being able to ride their ATVs along the Wonga Beach coastline, whether it is to find good fishing spots up towards the Daintree River, or just to take in the beautiful scenery on the weekend.

“The foreshore management plan provides a broad, transparent direction for Council staff to allow this activity and improve environmental protection by monitoring impacts to dunes and wildlife while addressing any issues that arise over the next 12 months.”

Wonga Beach resident Keith Ives said he was happy that Council had allowed locals to continue using ATVs.

“It is something that many families have been doing for many many years and we are happy that local residents can continue to enjoy it,” he said.

The interim management plan will make clear all circumstances and requirements for approval and will be reviewed after 12 months.

The plan also identifies the new dog off-leash area and provides preliminary actions for dune protection and maintenance.

Council’s Local Laws team will actively monitor the use of ATVs at Wonga Beach and work with the public to rectify any issues that may arise.