Driving On Parts Of Cable Beach Could Be Banned During Turtle Nesting Season Next Year

Car access to one of the world’s most popular beaches, Cable Beach, may be limited during peak turtle nesting season next year as part of a new initiative to limit impacts on nesting turtles on the popular Broome beach.

Last week the Shire Of Broome Council announced it supported the efforts of Yawuru Park Council (YPC) to develop better strategies to manage access to Cable Beach during turtle nesting season in 2022/23.

It follows the recent announcement that Cable Beach’s north vehicle access ramp will be closed at night to vehicles from 8pm-6am, October 1, 2021 until March 1, 2022, with failure to comply resulting in $200 fines.

If the YPC’s initiative goes through the following year, it will see vehicles prevented from driving north of the rocks, at any time of the day, from December 1, 2022 until January 31, 2023.

A report on the YPC’s findings will be prepared for June next year, giving the council enough time to gather data towards a final recommendation towards Cable Beach access for the 2022/23 nesting season.

It also gives the council more time to upgrade signage, undertake a community awareness campaign, collect additional data and continue the Turtle Monitoring Program to provide a systematic data set.

Flatback turtles are native to Broome and special to the Yawuru people of the region, and use the warmer, wetter months of December and January to nest up the beach.

Image: Shutterstock / Joppi