Locals, tourists urged to keep out or face fines as trespassers delay William Bay National Park reopening

Trespassers are threatening to derail the reopening of one of the jewels in the crown of south coast tourism.

The tourists hotspots of Greens Pool and Elephant Rocks have been off-limits since February, as William Bay National Park undergoes a major revamp, including road sealing, the creation of additional parking bays, paths and toilets.

The park will remain closed throughout the first two stages of the work, which were originally scheduled to be complete by June.

In May, the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions announced that completion date had been pushed back to the end of July.

This week, Shire of Denmark chief executive David Schober said trespassers had contributed to delays, with the park expected to be closed throughout August.

“A number of breaches by the public have hindered progress, unfortunately,” he said.

He said the COVID-19 crisis had also delayed access to essential materials and poor weather conditions had halted works.

Mr Schober said Parks and Wildlife staff had noticed an increase in the number of unauthorised people at the site in the past fortnight.

But locals and tourists had been ignoring the signs “from the beginning”.

Fines can be issued for unauthorised entry to the national park.

“I would ask the public to be patient,” he said.

“The Shire, along with DBCA, would like to see the park open for the September school holidays.

“This behaviour will put this in jeopardy.

“Please obey all directions for safety and the project.”

Planning for the project’s final stage is under way, which will focus on upgrading pedestrian access to Greens Pool and Elephant Rocks.

The park will remain open through the next phase of works, but there could be minor detours in place.