Thread: Anger over 4WD Access.

Access to the beach hasn't been taken away, they have just reduced the camping area, you can still drive onto the beach and drive up and down it and fish all the way along it, as far as I can tell.

I agree with the plan, after seeing the place after a weekend, I was disgusted with the amount of rubbish left behind, these people should be ashamed of themselves

Baz.

I think if the pro access groups loose this one then the number of places available to 4WD's will diminish quite quickly.

OK so idiots leave rubbish. They should be fined and perhaps loose the right to access on an individual basis. If you close the place then those idiots will only go elsewhere (en mass) and leave their rubbish there. Then guess what? Another place where closure becomes an option.

Personally I always avoided the place (Stockton), the reason being that there always seemed to be a lot of idiots either there or talking about it. Whilst I might not want to go myself (its a long way away now too) I would want to be allied with those who want to preserve the right to do so - not those who seek to take that right away.

This said, with rights come responsibilities and I think that the 4Wd community needs to better understand this. Other outdoor pursuits I undertake in seem to be far better at self policing than 4WDers are - try damaging a rock-face or littering on a mountain side and you will likely soon be called to task. Let's face it as 4WD's we're more likely to observe, shake a head, drive on past and moan about it later. It should come as no surprise that if we continue to shirk our responsibilities, both as individuals and as a group, then it won't be too long (nor much of a surprise) before we have fewer places to go and even fewer that you would want to go to.

Just my thoughts.

Well that wasn't a balanced or accurate article, was it? There is NO sandmining taking place anywhere on public land or portions of the accesible beach, it is all on freehold land. The dune areas are also freehold land down to the high water mark, it's just that some of the biggest areas have been leased by the property owners to the NPWS to be managed, which also allows public access. The NPWS DO NOT manage the area on behalf of the NSW Government, they manage it for the property owners. Why do the "4wd Community" think they have an unalienable right to access somebody's freehold land? If the Owner of the land has included terms in the lease to insist that NPWS take measures to conserve that land from abuse, what's wrong with that? It's certainly what many residential Landlords would also do in their lease conditions.

This article by John Rooth was in the "Newcastle Herald" this morning.

OPINION Great outdoors gated by bleak bureaucrats | Newcastle Herald

Originally Posted by mools

I think if the pro access groups loose this one then the number of places available to 4WD's will diminish quite quickly.

OK so idiots leave rubbish. They should be fined and perhaps loose the right to access on an individual basis. If you close the place then those idiots will only go elsewhere (en mass) and leave their rubbish there. Then guess what? Another place where closure becomes an option.

Personally I always avoided the place (Stockton), the reason being that there always seemed to be a lot of idiots either there or talking about it. Whilst I might not want to go myself (its a long way away now too) I would want to be allied with those who want to preserve the right to do so - not those who seek to take that right away.

This said, with rights come responsibilities and I think that the 4Wd community needs to better understand this. Other outdoor pursuits I undertake in seem to be far better at self policing than 4WDers are - try damaging a rock-face or littering on a mountain side and you will likely soon be called to task. Let's face it as 4WD's we're more likely to observe, shake a head, drive on past and moan about it later. It should come as no surprise that if we continue to shirk our responsibilities, both as individuals and as a group, then it won't be too long (nor much of a surprise) before we have fewer places to go and even fewer that you would want to go to.

Just my thoughts.

While I agree with most of what you say, the fact is, access to Stockton has not been taken away, only restrictions on the amount of camping, the place was never going to survive with the amount of people camping there, there were 2000 campsites at Xmas 2010?(NPWS estimate, there could have been more) the place was a mess apparently and took weeks to clean up, just imagine an average of 3 people per camp going to the toilet(remember there are no facilities at Stockton)

Restricting the camping allows NPWS record who is there and if they do the wrong thing, they can take action.

Now as far as I'm aware, you can't drive in the dunes on any beach along the east coast, Fraser Is included, I could be wrong

Originally Posted by Ausfree

This article by John Rooth was in the "Newcastle Herald" this morning.

OPINION Great outdoors gated by bleak bureaucrats | Newcastle Herald

good piece, not sure if stockton should be the main focus though.
will be interesting to see what comments its gets, seems one already into it.

Originally Posted by Ausfree

This article by John Rooth was in the "Newcastle Herald" this morning.

I just wish the 4wd movement had someone with credibility in the eyes of the authorities as the front man and did not have a conflict of interest in being the front man of a 4wd mag.

Perhaps Senators elect David Leyonhjem (NSW) of the Lib Dems or Ricky Muir (Vic) of the MEP?

We already have the NSW Shooters and Fishers MLCs on board.