Beach driving

In South Australia, we’re lucky to have some renowned and pristine beaches. A visit to the beach is part of our culture and people from everywhere come to enjoy a dip in the water, walk on the sand or soak up the sun.

Ensuring our coastline is protected in the future means finding a balance between visitor enjoyment and the need to protect our precious environment, including native flora and fauna, ecosystems and cultural sites.

There is no intention to ban all vehicles on all South Australian beaches but the state government is committed to better managing access to ensure our coastline remains sustainable.

Every beach has a unique ecosystem, and some are more fragile and prone to damage than others.

We want to ensure beachgoers are more aware of their role caring for beaches by adhering to compliance measures that respect wildlife and preserve vegetation.

The increased popularity of off-road vehicles has resulted in more of them being driven on South Australian beaches in recent years.

As vehicle numbers increase, so too do the negative effects, including:

• Disruption to wildlife, including shorebirds such as fairy tern, eastern curlew, hooded plover and red knot
• The loss of fauna habitat, including nesting, breeding and feeding sites
• Vegetation damage – sand dunes are particularly susceptible to vegetation and root system destruction – leading to sand drift
• Significant or permanent damage to cultural sites, places and artefacts
• Weed infestation brought in by vehicle tyres
• Sand compaction affecting natural movement and distribution

Access changes are part of a state government review into reducing the effect of vehicles to sensitive environments, including beaches.

Vehicle and access restrictions on South Australian beaches

Overnight camping and large camping vehicles – including caravans, campervans, motorhomes and tent trailers –are not permitted on Wauraltee Beach, including the area known as Second Beach, on Yorke Peninsula from Monday 3 February.

Daytime access for vehicles other than large campers remains for boat launching and recreation.

Wauraltee Beach’s popularity has grown exponentially in recent years to the point where holiday periods and long weekends result in hundreds of visitors camping on the beach.

Unmanaged camping on Wauraltee Beach is having negative effects on the environment and causing significant safety issues, particularly for families with young children.

Environmental effects include native vegetation damage and firewood removal, unmanaged toileting and release of grey water, disturbance of shorebird nesting grounds and erosion of the fragile dune system. This dune system is also culturally significant to the Narungga people.

There is no intention to ban all vehicles on all South Australian beaches but the state government is committed to better managing access to ensure our coastline remains sustainable.

These restrictions seek to ensure the beach’s environmental values are protected. There is not a widespread ban on vehicles accessing the beach.

Learn more

You can explore more about the effects of vehicles on our beaches, and how our coasts are managed, by visiting these resources:

• A beachgoer’s guide to hooded plover nesting season
• 6 facts about the birds on our beaches
• Managing Adelaide’s Beaches

Stay informed

To stay informed about the latest coastal news from the Department for Environment and Water, you can sign up to the Our Coast e-newsletter and text message notifications.