Jim Nutter, Main Arm.
I can sympathise with Jennifer Innes of Tyagarah re the problem of sexual predation at her local beach.
In her letter she reiterates many of the points covered already in the discussion. However, she says ‘many of the letter writers criticising efforts to address the safety issues at the clothes optional beach at Tyagarah appear to believe in their own entitlement to be nude in public more than the entitlement of others to be safe’. She provides no evidence for this statement which is patently untrue. No-one is safe on a lonely beach anywhere.
She also blames the council, NPWS, the police and the ‘naturists’. She says that ‘If nudity were not legal at the beach policing it would be less complex’. Also, ‘the sex-pests have become an ugly and dangerous by-product of Byron’s free and easy lifestyle’. Que?
And she finishes with ‘A council initiative to address sex offences taking place in isolated hard-to-police locations is an urgent matter for council’. She is correct on this point. Main Beach to Clarkes Beach is the obvious answer. Great for the tourist industry.
In the meantime I suggest she drive the extra mile to Coolangatta or Ballina as others have had to drive to Tyagarah.
In passing, as one who lives naked (except when it is cold), I have not swum at Tyagarah for fear of being classified as a ‘dirty old man’ – a fate that we all face.
Tyagarah beach is a mistake. It’s difficult to get to, in a national park and difficult to Police. Bite the bullet and make Bilongil the nude beach, and you won’t have any of the aforementioned problems. The majority of nudists are responsible and sensible people who don’t want or need the “dirty” tag. Bilongil had been unofficially nude for years, my wife and I have skinny dipped there for the past 35 years and the proximity to town makes it easy to police. I believe that you would not get any complaint from nudists regarding a regular Police Patrol there. I’m sure the women in particular, would welcome it.
well said Ron and Jim
We ALL face being classified as dirty old men..Que?
half of us will never face that….or did you forget about THAT 51% of the population?!
YES, sex pests are a byproduct of byrons free and easy lifestyle. Have lived in Australia since i was 27 and been groped 3 times…once on the gold coast (actually before i arrived to live… was over for expo in 88), once at the spirit festival in mullum 2012, once at Byron NYE 2014. So twice in the Byron Shire. Yes, it IS something to do with the free and easy lifestyle as this has never happened to me in London, Auckland, Wellington, Dunedin, Ireland Sydney or any other place i have lived or visited.
But interestingly NOT at the nudist beach the one time I visited.