Council rules make life a beach
Randwick Council has announced its eastern beaches will be hit with dawn patrols this summer to help enforce new laws on backpacker campsites in the region.
Beaches from Clovelly to La Perouse will be patrolled targeting backpackers found living in campervans at beachside car parks.
“In the past few years we’ve witnessed an increase in the number of backpackers setting up makeshift camp sites in our beachside car parks, leaving rubbish and toilet paper behind and partying late into the night,” said Randwick Mayor Tony Bowen.
“We’ve written to backpacker hostels, campervan rental companies and tourist associations asking them to advise their customers about parking restrictions at Randwick City beachside car parks.”
Mr Bowen said the laws are timed to coincide with the summer season.
“More than three million people are expected to visit our golden beaches this summer and our lifeguard and beach-cleaning services will be at full capacity,” he said.
“It’s not fair that ratepayers should have to pay to clean up their mess or have to put up with the noise and anti-social behaviour we have seen in recent years.”
English backpacker staying in Coogee, Matt Holland said the backpacker stereotype is unfair.
“I currently live in a hostel and agree with the perception that backpackers should seek out accommodation other than beachside campsites,” he said.
“But it’s the generalisation against backpackers as a category that seems almost patronising, especially when backpacker tourism puts so much into the economy, and when local mess and noise pollution isn’t caused solely by us.”
Backpacker restrictions join the list of other bans enforced along eastern beaches, which include bans on smoking, drinking and letting dogs off leashes.
Clovelly resident and dog owner, Rachel Nelson said the laws are going too far.
“I had been visiting the beach with my dog for 20 years,” she said. “He would run and play with fellow beachgoers … I can understand a ban on smoking which is harmful to the environment, but my dog posed no threat to the safety or ambience of the beach – it’s just ridiculous.”
Silver Beach, Greenhills Beach and Hordens Beach along the Botany Bay peninsular are among the beaches still allowing dogs off leashes.
Ms Nelson said: “If you know your dog is well trained, you will let it off it’s leash; if you don’t, you keep your dog on the leash … but that decision should be up to the discretion of the owner.”
