Waverley Council Cracks Down On Bronte Beach ‘Orphan Christmas’

After months of community feedback, Waverley Council has issued a multi-pronged strategy to manage the annual unsanctioned Christmas party at Bronte Beach.

Dubbed “Orphan Christmas”, the beach has seen more than 15,000 visitors flock to it come December 25, the event especially popular with backpackers away from their family for the holiday season.

Previous years have seen displays of anti-social behaviour, intense crowds, and extensive piles of rubbish left by revellers by the following morning, with 2024 seeing a massive 20% increase in visitors compared to 2023.

“What we saw last year, particularly the mess our community was confronted with on Boxing Day morning, was unacceptable,” said Waverley Mayor Will Nemesh.

“This is not an approved or managed Council event and while we strongly discourage crowds from attending, we cannot ban people from the beach. That said, we are committed to mitigating the impacts on the community as much as possible.”

After a series of community engagement activities hosted by Waverley Council in April and May, a $250,000 comprehensive management plan has been developed to prevent similar scenes.

This includes an increased police and security presence, including checkpoints, to help manage alcohol and glass bans, enhanced traffic management, with extra buses to reduce congestion on local streets, and dedicated emergency services area for quicker response times.

More toilet facilities and water stations will be added to enhance safety and protect amenity, as will crowd management and supervision measures.

Professional cleaning services will have also been employed throughout the day and overnight, and will work to get the park “back to normal” before sunrise on Boxing Day.

“From our consultation with residents and the broader community, as well as police, businesses and local groups, we know rubbish was a major concern last year,” Cr Nemesh said.

“We cannot stop people from gathering but Council expects this strategy will go a long way to mitigate concerns raised following 2024 Christmas Day at Bronte Beach.”

Council urging revellers to make other plans

Local community members have been calling for the end of the celebrations for years, although the council remained conscious they would be unable to ban the event entirely.

Alternative proposals included fencing off the park and requiring paid entry, though it came with an estimated expense of at least $360,000, and carried the risk of disorderly behaviour from partygoers potentially toppling the barriers.

Another suggestion to relocate the event and repackage it as a ticketed festival elsewhere in the eastern suburbs was dismissed as impractical, with officials noting it would not prevent crowds from gathering at Bronte.

“Community safety and amenity are our main priorities and everyone visiting Waverley beaches, for whatever reason, should do so in a responsible, respectful and safe manner,” said Cr Nemesh.

“While this gathering is not authorised, Council will continue to work closely with police, transport operators, our Rangers and Parks staff, Lifeguards and surf clubs and other key stakeholders to ensure we have the most robust response in place to protect community safety, amenity and the environment.”