Eurobodalla Council are improving beach access for people with reduced mobility at Eurobodalla’s patrolled beaches and Narooma South Bar netted area. Timeframe: November 2022 to November 2023 Cost and funding: $495,000 from NSW Government’s Regional Tourism Activation Fund Council are working to install on-beach 'mobility mats' at seven patrolled beaches across Eurobodalla:
Surf Beach
Malua Bay Beach
South Broulee Beach
Moruya South Head Beach
Tuross Head Main Beach (Clive Court access)
Dalmeny Beach
Narooma Surf Beach
construct hard-surface lead-in paths at various beach locations
extend the ramp at Narooma South Bar Beach for disability access to sand level
learn from users experiences during the first summer to continue improvements for people with reduced mobility.
Benefits to the community:
Improved beach access for people with disabilities, the elderly and users of mobility scooters, wheelchairs, strollers, and trolleys.
The option to use the mats at seven different beaches across the shire.
Encouraging visitation at patrolled beaches means improved beachgoer safety and user access to other facilities like toilets and beach wheelchairs.
The mats and lead-in paths are made from recycled materials, reducing the environmental impact.
Background and purpose
Eurobodalla’s beaches are a key attraction for residents and visitors to the area. Council recognises the requests received from the community on the importance of providing beach access for everyone and is partnering with Accessible Beaches Australia to deliver this project.
As the shire consists of 83 beaches, prioritisation for the accessibility upgrades were given to seven of the eight patrolled beaches to maximise user safety.
Improvements to the existing ramp at Narooma's Bar Beach are also included in this project, as the netted area is calm and suitable for swimming.
The new heavy duty roll-up mobility mats will be linked to hard surface lead-in paths, with several new lead-in paths being constructed for this purpose. The mats will be deployed by lifeguards during the peak summer patrol period and packed up ahead of storms or large seas to avoid any damage.
Photo: ESC
While the access upgrades will improve opportunities for people of all abilities to access the beach, due to natural land formations access points may not comply with Australian Standards for wheelchair ramp gradients. This means some users may still require assistance when accessing the beach.
These access upgrades are early steps in a longer journey to improve visitor experience at our beaches. Council understands some of the locations are not yet fully accessibility compliant in terms of parking, toilets, or other facilities.
