THE HISTORY OF RADICAL BAY AND ITS "ROAD"
CURRENT ACCESS TO RADICAL BAY
The road to Radical Bay has been closed to public traffic since 2021. There is currently (2026) a suggestion that the State Government would repair the road to Radical Bay and open it to public vehicle access. This raises many issues, some of which are better understood with a knowledge of the history. A potted summary and a detailed history are shown below on this page.
There is also the bigger picture of what Magnetic Island can offer its visitors and residents. Magnetic Island offers a wide range of coastal experiences. Beautiful beaches that are accessible by public transport include Picnic, Nelly, Geoffrey, Alma and Horseshoe Bays, while private vehicles can get to West Point and Cockle Bay as well. Those seeking wilderness coast have the remote beaches of Five Beach Bay, Huntingfield and Rollingstone.
For those who seek remote beaches but prefer using marked walking tracks there are Balding, Radical, Florence and Arthur Bays. These north-eastern beaches are unique on the island for such walkers and are an important part of the island's ecotourism offerings. They are also unique destinations for our boat tour and charter businesses. The re-opening of the Radical Bay road would reduce these unique walk-in options to one beach, Balding Bay, and greatly reduce the enjoyment of the outstanding loop walk it currently provides, a loop that is serviced at both ends by public transport.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
The Radical Bay track not only traverses the most beautiful corner of Magnetic island, it passes through a wide variety of ecosystems and is home to threatened plants and animals. At present there are very few weeds along the road.
The coastal dunes include beach oak woodlands and endangered vine thickets, while the alluvial plains behind the dunes support a different endangered ecosystem. The vine thickets are particularly important for fruit pigeons. The extensive boulder fields behind Radical and Florence Bays also support healthy populations of rock wallabies that feed on the figs that dot the hillsides, and come down to feed on the flats.
Uncontrolled vehicular access to this area in the past has led to road kill, as well as increasing management challenges including dog control, fires, illegal camping, vehicles on beaches, vegetation destruction, firewood collection, weed spread and increasing erosion. Closing the track to private vehicles has reduced or avoids all of these issues, as well as otherwise ongoing costs of road maintenance, compliance and legal dealings.
A return to uncontrolled vehicular access would inevitably re-introduce these problems and lead to increasing demands for further road upgrades and expanded parking areas. Impacts on this beautiful area would become increasingly difficult and costly to manage, both financially and environmentally.
A MAP OF THE NORTH EAST CORNER
THE HISTORY OF RADICAL BAY AND ITS ROAD
A very potted history of the ongoing Radical Bay development saga is followed by a detailed history in a pdf attachment and then an image of the current legal title:
- 1950s - Land at Radical Bay is made freehold with a publicly owned "street" running through the middle of the freehold land to the beach.
- 1960s - The freehold land was purchased by Bob and Jen Wake. A basic resort was constructed and operated. The State gave Bob Wake permission to construct a "track" as a private driveway to the resort. The track was made by bulldozer and had a layer of bitumen. In practice, public access seems to have been generally available.
- 1984 - The publicly owned "street" was added to the private freehold and a public access pathway (5m wide) was drawn on a map along the Eastern side of the freehold.
- 1987 - The freehold land was sold to Kern Corporation which was later granted approval for a tourist resort and condominiums
- 1992 - Trinity Radical Bay Pty Ltd bought the freehold and continued to run the resort, aiming at the backpacker market
- 2001 - Juniper Property Holdings ("Juniper") purchased Radical Bay. Initially proposed an upmarket resort with 111 units, cabins and resort facilities. They wanted government support to construct road access.
- 2005 - Junipers obtained approval for a "Sea Temple" concept of 100 apartments and 12 large mansions along the beachfront, separated from the public by screens and fences, similar to a gated community.
- 2008 - Junipers changed plans and applied for a 24-lot residential subdivision. This was rejected by Townsville City Council which also stated it would not accept ownership of the track (aka Radical Bay Road) unless constructed to Council standards.
- 2010s - The application lapsed and the State Government withdrew Juniper's Right to Occupy the track which has the legal status of Unallocated State Land.
- 2021 - The State installed a locked gate at the Forts Car Park and another at Arthur Bay to restrict vehicle access to the track. The road has now become impassable to vehicle traffic near Radical Bay where there is a major wash out.
RADICAL BAY - A DETAILED HISTORY
A MAP OF RADICAL BAY LAND TITLES
