Woollahra Bans Beach-Drinking On Australia Day, As Christmas Revellers Swarm Coogee
Image: Randwick City Council / Facebook
Woollahra Council will prohibit drinking at beaches and parks on Australia Day, with the clampdown announced days before a rowdy Christmas bash at nearby Coogee Beach.
“To safeguard the enjoyment of our public open spaces by all members of the community, our parks and beaches have been declared as alcohol free for Australia Day,” a bulletin from the council reads.
Various locations across its jurisdiction will be designated Alcohol Prohibited Areas from 12:01am on Monday 26 January (Australia Day) until midday on Tuesday. As well as beaches, the Rose Bay foreshore and 12 other places are affected. Those who violate the order will be liable to having their alcohol confiscated and receiving a fine.
Signage will be erected at each affected area to inform the public of the prohibition.
Backpackers flock to Coogee, leaving plentitude of rubbish
Meanwhile, thousands of backpackers revelled on the grass at Coogee Beach on Christmas Day, rather than in Bronte as per usual.
A staggering 20 tonnes of rubbish was collected afterwards, including shattered glass, plastic and bottle caps. Randwick mayor Dylan Parker told the Daily Telegraph that the event was not appropriate.
“While we absolutely recognise how important it is for people to have a fun and enjoyable Christmas, we want it to be respectful.”
“We don’t believe that this was a respectful enjoyment of our host country, which we all love.”
All possible measures to avoid a repeat will be considered, including fencing off the vicinity.
The decision of partygoers to relocate to Coogee this year was influenced by construction work at the Bronte Surf Club, and Waverley mayor Will Nemesh’s urging for backpackers to go elsewhere following the recent terrorist attack nearby in Bondi.
Bronte event a recurrent headache for council
Dubbed ‘Orphan’s Christmas’ and having previously drawn more than 15,000, the longstanding event at Bronte Beach is an annual headache for Waverley Council. In early December, it unveiled a strategy to deter the crowd and associated antisocial behaviour.
Measures were to include an increased police presence (helping to enforce alcohol bans), a greater focus on traffic management (including extra bus services) and a dedicated emergency services area. The addition of public toilets and bubblers was endorsed. A cleaning blitz through the day and overnight was to restore the beach before sunrise on Boxing Day.
The council warned revellers to avoid the beach, citing “serious safety concerns” related to construction.
Works at the club meant that there was “a drastic reduction in open space and only narrow channels available to move around,” the council warned. Such constraints are “a safety concern on any day, let alone one that is prone to significant overcrowding.”
“Do not come,” the notice emphasised. In the end, the revellers went elsewhere.
Locals have long derided the chaotic event.
