Ningaloo Station

The plan is to take the control of small private operators that actually care about the enviroment and place it under government management.
Because of lack of Gov staff the place will run down and be damaged almost beyond recovery. Unless they can get volunteers to look after it.
Big private money making concerns will step in and milk the system.
Just look at Coral Bay.

Dunworkin,
The biggest problem with Ningaloo is that it is over used, the State Government needed to do something, people that camp there are not in some cases doing the right thing by the area, you only had to be there at Easter, living locally I have over the years seen the place go slowly backwards in regards to the environment, I can take you inside an area north of Winderabandi (Ningaloo)that is administered by the Department of Defence as a Bombing Range, I work for the Department and the decision has been to close the coastal area inside the Bombing Range to camping, why? because of the thoughtless idiots that fill wells and sinkholes with rubbish, dump oil in and around sinkholes and wells, long term campers who hide their camping gear in the foothills east of the coast inside the Bombing Range, and come back the following year to use their camping gear again, needless to say when I find their camping gear it is taken and dumped at the refuse tip in Exmouth, I have also found rubbish and camping gear in the foothills east of Winderabandi (Ningaloo Station), this area also contains two wrecked trucks, hundreds of empty beers cans, empty 20 lt oil drums by the dozens, when I heard on the ABC the manager of Ningaloo Station say how they look after the environment I nearly choked, he should come with me and I can show him a few spots as mentioned on his station that are nothing but rubbish pits caused by people that he collects money from. So the upshot are those people who show a disregard for the area and there are many of them. I am not for the controls that are about to happen I love nothing better than to camp but unfortunately the ones that do the right thing suffer because of the ones that do the wrong thing.

Cheers
Mark

Thanks for the followup, I agree with you that the minority (and I hope that it is the minority) are the ones who cause the problems no matter what is being discussed. You are there so you know what is going on whereby some one like me who doesn't see that kind of behaviour is in the dark unless told about it.

Hubby and I have always loved Coral Bay but since the developers have moved in over the years it is definitely been spoiled imo.

Thanks for that information Mark, it certaintly does put another side to the discussion.

Cheers

D

Mark, have to agree with that one.

Seems to be alot of places going the same way.

Even going back two or three years ago, camped at a couple of places where there was just me and nature. Returned recently to a 'sea of canvas'.

Will never deny anyone to camp at a beautiful spot, just means I have to push on further to WoopWoop and find somewhere else to feed my soul.

Cheers.....Lionel.

this maybe a little late but we camped at winderabandi for 4 nights in early march (over the long weekend) We were the only ones camped in the bay ( from the point to the northern boundary) We saw 3 other vehicles over the weekend 1 went fishing for a few hours the other two went to the point to clean up their camp site from Xmas as the station manager had tracked them down and 'asked them' return to the camp-site and clean it up, we are led to believe they are "locals" from Exmouth.
We explored the whole length of the bay over that weekend and didn't encounter any rubbish or toilet paper.
We go to Windebrandi (we live in Carnarvon) because of the unique environment we find there. We don't want to be boxed into a fenced off camp-site with neighbours either side, such as usually found in DEC managed areas. Because we value what we find there we always remove all of our rubbish as well as taking our chemical toilet with us.
Please let common sense prevail - we love Ningaloo station just as it is - We think the management there is excellent with people who know and understand the environment - they have to, to run a successful pastoral lease. If DEC have their way it will destroy the place - probably end up with a big resort and tar sealed roads - and a few lousy boxed in camp-sites nowhere near the water - up on that hard area.

I think you’re wrong Mark, but I sincerely hope you aren’t. DEC taking control of the coastal strip on Ningaloo Station has nothing to do with whether some feral campers leave rubbish behind or not. The Government has a long term master plan of taking control of all crown and pastoral land between Exmouth and Port Gregory, with DEC at the helm, and this is just the start of it.
Alannah MacTiernan is on record as saying "We all know there's an enormous amount of money to be made out of tourism up and down the coast. The question has to be asked: Should pastoralists have the automatic first right at this development?" So is this takeover really about protecting Ningaloo, or is it about money?
The plans for developing Ningaloo included tourist nodes at Janes Bay, South and North Lefroy Bay and Winderabandi Point – some of which will have caravan parks catering for up to 200 people. And then there is the 500 bed, fully serviced node at the Ningaloo Homestead which will include shops, fuel outlets, and another caravan park. Won’t that be fun? No doubt they will also upgrade the roads so that the hordes of visitors can get there easily, and then I wonder just how pristine the area will be. So it doesn’t appear as though the takeover is really about protecting the area, but looks more like getting control, and the money that comes with all those proposed (probably International) visitors.
Cheers, Jan.

I am far from wrong, example was last week at South Lefroy Bay camper from Albany emptying the contends of his porta potti onto ground, as for DEC taking over I am definately not in favour of that, if people visiting the area cant do the right thing what is the solution?

Regards
Mark

I certainly hope they were given a piece of advice on camping etiquette. It's amazing that people can be so stupid (and filthy).
Unfortunately I don't have any solutions to the ferals either, but it still wouldn't matter if everybody was doing the right thing and the area was pristine. The State Government intends taking control of the entire coastal strip; they have been planning it for years; and it doesn't matter whether the land has been used by campers or not - it will be resumed. The morons who abuse the area just give those in power the excuse they need to justify their actions.
Regards Jan.