The Shire of Broome is contemplating extending the closure of its tourist drawcard Cable Beach to cars to protect turtle hatchlings.
It's part of a long-running debate in the town, with locals and visitors alike flocking to West Australia's longest beach to enjoy the dying ends of the region's dry season.
The beach is also home to threatened Flatback turtles that migrate to the world-famous beach to nest in its sand dunes during the wet season.
But a report from earlier this year found there was a strong case for shutting off vehicle access to the beach to protect the hatchlings. It found three instances where cars had driven over nests and 12 instances where people had to move hatchlings out of tyre ruts.
It also reported finding 15 dead hatchlings.
The council is determining whether to revive the 2010 rules, which saw the main access point for the northern section of the beach closed from 8:00pm to 6:00am every day from October to March.
The rules being debated will see the ramp closed at all hours from December 1 to January 31, on top of already existing restrictions.
Last month the shire deferred a decision on the proposed rules, saying it hadn't been briefed properly on the evidence.
At a council meeting on Thursday, the council voted to begin a 28-day public consultation period on the proposed months-long closure.
Reports highlight risks
The decision comes nearly a year after the Yawuru Park Council (YPC) recommended the closure to protect nesting turtles on the beach.
The YPC includes Nyamba Buru Yawuru, the Broome Shire and the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA).
The council rejected the proposed changes in 2021, with shire documents noting "further assessment" was needed.
After another round of investigations during the 2021/2022 nesting season the latest YPC report reiterated the recommendations and was unequivocal:
"Vehicles are impacting on turtles through interactions with nesting sites [driving over nests] and tyre ruts have impacted on hatchlings," it said.
Public consultation to begin
Shire deputy president Desiree Male said the it would be advertising the proposal before it comes back to council in October.
"We have had advice from the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions that there are significant hatchlings during that time period, and that they are being affected by tyre ruts," she said.
Ms Male said it wasn't a decision council would make without input from the public.
"We'll be reaching out via different media revenues and advertising and, as you know, the public will get their opportunity," she said.
"We'd like them [residents] to respond and let us know what they think so that we can have a clear direction when it does come back to council."
