Tuesday, October 1st, 2013
Cable Beach: Driving restrictions to protect turtles
Cable Beach will be partly closed to vehicles for the next four months.
Photo courtesy Rod Hartvigsen
Cars will be banned between 8pm and 6am, and for two hours before and after high tides.
The shire enforces these measures to protect turtle nests and hatching baby turtles.
A newly-hatched turtle trapped in a wheel-rut on Cable Beach
You can read a shire media release here:
1 October 2013 For immediate release
Temporary beach closures protect turtles
The Shire of Broome will again limit the impact of vehicles on turtles nesting at Cable
Beach, with night-time closures now in place.
The Cable Beach North access ramp will be closed to vehicles between 8pm and 7am
each day during the turtle nesting season from 1 October 2013 to 28 February 2014.
Cable Beach will also be closed to vehicles two hours either side of high tides of 9m or
more.
Broome Shire Acting President Anne Poelina said the gate installed at the Cable Beach
Amphitheatre access ramp would be locked during the temporary closures.
“The vehicle closure times are primarily at night and during the period when the beach is
least used and turtle nesting season is underway,” Cr Poelina said.
“The main species nesting on Cable Beach is the Flatback turtle, which is threatened and
is protected under WA legislation.
“Turtles generally nest at the top of the beach just above the high tide mark, and their
nests can be damaged by vehicles compacting sand and crushing nests.
“Wheel ruts can prevent hatchlings making their way to the water’s edge, and vehicle lights
can disturb and confuse hatchlings.”
More information on vehicle access and driving techniques during turtle nesting season is
on the Shire website at www.broome.wa.gov.au/comm/tnsvc.htm.
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