The recent Covid lockdown was a pain for everyone. For some it was a major inconvenience. And for those reliant on tourist traffic, it was a financial disaster. But it did have some positive outcomes.
The Good Samaritans, who pick up rubbish on our roads and along our foreshores, report that during the lockdown the amount of litter thrown out reduced to just a trickle. The wildlife carers who respond to injured animal calls, report that during the Lockdown there were no reports of kangaroos or wallabies killed by speeding motorists on our roads. There were no reports either of wallabies or other wildlife being deliberately chased and run down and killed. Those wildlife carers also report there were no turtles killed by speeding jet skiers or boaties during that period. No dugongs were hit either. The residents of North Street report just how calm and quiet it was with no 4WD’s coming and going to the beach all day and all night. And beach walkers commented that in the absence of 4WD’ers on Ocean Beach, they could actually go walking on Ocean Beach without fearing for their lives.
It was almost as if life on Bribie resembled what residents thought they were buying into when they decided to move to Bribie.
Sadly, this peaceful time all came to an abrupt end within minutes of the ending of the Lockdown. North Street residents comment that traffic on North Street quickly became almost bumper-to-bumper as 4WD’ers raced to get onto Ocean Beach. And it stayed that way all night with traffic entering and leaving the beach at all hours stopping only to inflate and deflate tyres under the street-lights along North Street. Within days also, two wallabies were killed by speeding vehicles on North Street and First Avenue.
It does raise the question…….. Why do Bribie Islanders have to put up with these impositions?
Editor, MyBribieIsland