Rangers and police are ramping up their presence at a popular Sunshine Coast beach for the holidays, after already issuing more than 2000 fines there during the past 12 months.
Compliance officer Mike Devery said officials were making an all-out effort to clamp down on poor behaviour at Teewah Beach during summer.
“The safety of visitors, campers and our staff on the Cooloola Coast is our number one priority, and we make no apology for our compliance work,” he said.
“In conjunction with police, we are conducting a compliance blitz targeting antisocial and poor behaviour all through the Christmas holidays and into the new year.
“While most people who visit the Cooloola Coast do the right thing, a small minority can make camping and visiting really unpleasant and unsafe for others.
“This includes excessive drinking, dangerous driving, loud music and disruptive behaviour by people who don’t care about others camping nearby.
“They don’t care about the road rules, and they don’t care about their own safety or the safety of their passengers or others on the beach.
“Some people use social media to spread the word about bush doof parties, but rangers and police monitor social media pages and we intervene to prevent these gatherings from happening, and when they threaten to get out of hand.”
Donuts, burnouts, drink driving, directions to leave the camping area and arrests for public nuisance and obstruct police were just some of the indiscretions from December 1, 2021, to November 30, 2022, when 2070 fines for vehicle-related offences were issued on the Cooloola Coast.
Other misdeeds were driving without due care and attention, speeding, failing to wear a seat belt, driving without a vehicle access permit, taking dogs into a recreation area and not having a portaloo.
One fine was issued for acting in a manner likely to affect the safety of another person – by towing people on a skim board behind a 4WD on the sand at Double Island Point.
Police have conducted regular patrols at Teewah Beach this year, including Operation Sandstorm and Operation Sandstrike. They moved 80 campers on in October and went viral after swooping on young drivers in November.
Mr Dever said the beach was a renowned holiday hub that shouldn’t be abused.
“Teewah Beach is one of the most picturesque camping areas in Queensland, and it is a place where families and friends can get together for a relaxing experience,” he said.
“There is no place for the type of antisocial behaviour we see at Teewah, and rangers and police take a zero-tolerance approach to people who break the rules.”
Mr Devery said rangers and compliance officers would work closely with police during the holiday period to help keep people safe.
“Rangers and police can conduct covert operations at Teewah, and we can be anywhere at any time and if we observe poor behaviour we will issue fines,” he said.
“We can also issue directions to leave, and that means we can direct people to leave the recreation area immediately, or when it is safe for them to leave, regardless of whether they still hold current permits to camp or to drive in the area.
“Rangers and police have dealt with too many vehicle rollovers on the Cooloola Coast that have resulted in serious injuries or fatalities, and we don’t want to see any more.
“We’re asking people to respect the environment, respect nearby campers and have enough self-respect to drive safely and follow the rules.
“And we want people to look after your family and friends, so if you’re in a car with someone who is breaking the rules, tell them to slow down or stop.
“Safety at Teewah is everyone’s responsibility, and you are responsible for your own safety.”
