{"id":35063,"date":"2026-06-20T10:19:15","date_gmt":"2026-06-20T10:19:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/35063\/"},"modified":"2026-06-20T10:19:15","modified_gmt":"2026-06-20T10:19:15","slug":"aussies-ignore-330-fine-warning-signs-at-aussie-beach-were-locals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/35063\/","title":{"rendered":"Aussies ignore $330 fine warning signs at Aussie beach: ‘We’re locals’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dog owners are continuing to ignore pleas to keep their animals off an Australian beach known to be home to rare birds.<\/a><\/p>\n

In May, council installed signs warning that shorebirds threatened with extinction<\/a> were nesting around Newcastle’s<\/a> Cowrie Hole, an important rock platform.<\/p>\n

But the warnings mysteriously vanished.<\/p>\n

“They lasted about a week,” local birdwatcher Neal Hohnke told Yahoo News.<\/p>\n

Among the species known to frequent the area are the sooty oystercatcher, which is listed as vulnerable in NSW.<\/a><\/p>\n

The large birds can grow to 50cm, and their black colouring is unmistakable.<\/p>\n

When they’re approached by a predator, they’ll fly away, making a sharp whistling sound designed to draw the threat away from their young.<\/p>\n

The NSW government lists disturbances by dogs and the destruction of their eggs as two key threats to their survival.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Dog owners are walking past signs warning about the area’s sensitivity.<\/p>\n

(Neal Hohnke)<\/p>\n

Neal was pleased to see the signs reinstalled in June, but every day he sees dog owners walk straight past them and onto the rocks.<\/p>\n

Doing so risks both the well-being of the oystercatchers and a $330 fine.<\/p>\n

RELATED<\/p>\n

“Everyone, from young girls to elderly men, doesn’t seem to think the signs apply to them,” he said.<\/p>\n

“The day after the signs went up, I saw a woman leaning against one, throwing her ball to a dog.<\/p>\n

“When I asked her to stop, her response to me was, ‘We’re locals’.”<\/p>\n

Have you spotted someone harming wildlife? Contact newsroomau@yahoonews.com<\/a><\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Even when kept on leads, the presence of dogs can cause sooty oystercatchers (pictured) and other birds to abandon their nests.<\/p>\n

(Getty)Born-and-bred local frustrated by dog act<\/p>\n

Neal has lived in Newcastle his whole life, and seeing the Cowrie Hole’s sensitive environment trashed frustrates him.<\/p>\n

“I was born and bred here, and I grew up exploring the rock shelves,” he said.<\/p>\n

“My father was addicted to the water, and I was there all year round, racing around the pool in the summer, and fossicking in the rockpools in the winter.”<\/p>\n

Why all dogs are a problem on the sensitive beach<\/p>\n

When dogs are allowed to roam across sensitive environments, they have an impact their owners never see.<\/p>\n

Birds that are regularly disturbed will abandon their nests, leaving their chicks to die.<\/p>\n

And when they’re forced into the water or the sky, they lose precious feeding time, which can affect their health.<\/p>\n

Even when dogs are kept on a leash, their scent can cause wildlife to become stressed and flee.<\/p>\n

Council urges dog owners to ‘stick to the rules’<\/p>\n

Responding to the issue, the City of Newcastle urged dog owners to “follow the rules” and stick to designated areas, noting that even well-behaved dogs will impact the environment.<\/p>\n

“The Cowrie hole is a sensitive coastal habitat that supports several shorebird species, including the threatened sooty oystercatcher,” a spokesperson said.<\/p>\n

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