Published on Thursday, 8 January 2026 at 12:03:44 PM
Forrest Beach and Wonnerup Beach remain popular locations for fishing, horse riding and other recreational activities.
As Forrest Beach sits across two local government areas (City of Busselton and Shire of Capel) with different local laws, this has caused some confusion for beach visitors. Four-wheel driving is prohibited on Forrest Beach within the City of Busselton local government boundary but permitted on Wonnerup Beach between the high and low watermark east of the Wonnerup Boat Ramp to the estuary mouth (excluding dunes and vegetated areas).
A community-wide survey was conducted in March 2025, which attracted 652 responses. At its meeting on 23 April 2025, Council made an informed decision through the responses to retain the current permitted uses at both Wonnerup and Forrest beach, and to improve local infrastructure to ensure people are using these beaches appropriately. This decision has seen the City invest in works that aim to improve safety and infrastructure, as well as help protect our beaches and dune systems now and into the future.
Over the past 12 months the following works have been undertaken at Forrest Beach within the City of Busselton:
- A formal carpark for horse floats has now been installed to improve safety.
- A new beach barrier installed at the northern end of Forrest Beach (Shire of Capel boundary) to reduce vehicle access and help safeguard fragile habitats and dune systems.
- Infill to existing gravel carpark completed, reducing the risk of parking on a bend.
- New signage installed across all works to provide clear information on activities permitted in each area.
Thank you to members of the community who took the time to provide comments through the survey which helped inform these important works, ensuring an environment that is valued, conserved and able to be enjoyed by current and future generations.
To view Your Say Busselton Wonnerup and Forrest Beach Permitted Use survey visit the City's Your Say Busselton online engagement platform here.
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