As announced at the Tassie Ham-E-Con Conference 2024, Aussie Beaches will now be added to POTA:
From today our State POTA mapping coordinators will begin to add in Beaches into the POTA system. In POTA there is a park category called “State Beach”.
The process of adding beaches will take many months so if there is a particular beach you want entered please contact your state POTA mapping rep.
Please take note of the safety concerns when activating a beach.
Definition of a park type “State Beach” for POTA in Australia is:
a “strip of land covered with sand, shingle or small stones at the edge of a body of water, especially by the sea between high and low water marks”.
The “Beach” is the Activation zone. Beaches are crown land and therefore publicly accessible. due to the popularity of some beaches, activators should setup well away from busy areas including where swimming flags are located. Activators need to be aware of others using the space including walkers, runners, beach volleyball and other activities and locate their equipment well away from such activities to reduce risk. Beach amenities such as toilets, green space and car parks are managed by local councils and therefore are not part of the beach activation zone.
For those with physical limitations that would hinder access to the beach, they may activate from the beach amenity areas. Generally beaches will not overlap with other land base parks, but there will be overlap with marine parks providing 2-fer opportunities.
For more information and guidance on activating please see this link to the document “Guidance for activators of Australian Beaches in POTA“
Seven Mile Beach, Tasmania (AU-8678)
