And once again valuable taxpayers dollars has been wasted by the Lands Department to fence the entire now fully closed entrance, a distance of 2000 metres, from where you come onto the beach to Farquhar Park camping ground. 

The fencing is regularly severely damaged by storms and minor flooding.

So far the Little Tern colony in Old Bar, has cost the Australian taxpayer considerable dollars.

With the latest closure to 4X4 access to Mud Bishops lagoon, many former holiday makers will no longer visit Old bar for that very reason. When arriving here for the Old Bar Beach Festival a huge number of families were gobsmacked to see the lagoon a no go area for their vehicles having been fenced off.

According to Lands Department should they wish to use the lagoon they must walk 500 metres carrying all their picnic gear, sun shades, folding chairs plus food and drinks for the children.

I was called down to the car park by a friend to witness eight or more 4X4s who had deflated their tyres and were understandably irate when the kids were crying because there would be no swimming  in the lagoon and no picnic on the banks as they had done in years past.

There were no nesting Little Terns fledged last year but once again the fences have been restrung with taxpayer money.

With most of us aged retirees being in our mid to late 70s,4X4  vehicle access is vital to our wellbeing. We no longer can walk many miles up and back to go fishing, nor can we enjoy social gatherings with friends and family as depicted in the photo. The lady in the photo is Roberta Pearce, multiple winner of Bream Fishing Tournaments in Australia and overseas who had a ball at Old Bar on this very enjoyable day. 

What is truly endangered here in Old Bar is the aged retirees who worked their guts out to save a quid to retire here and access the entrance to the Manning River with 4X4s safely, using the inside track of the Mud Bishop Lagoon, not risking our safety or our vehicles.