Wayne Penn, Binna Burra.
Dogs and horses have more beach set aside for them in Byron Shire than naturists.
With more than 40 kilometres of coastline, the council has designated just 800 metres for naturists – and with the nearest car park now 200 metres away, accessibility is denied all but the able bodied.
The riding schools and Elements resort appear hell-bent on closing down the naturist beach – and why wouldn’t they? They have a financial interest to look after.
The quite reasonable desire to control sexual predators on our beaches has turned into an open season on naturists – and not all of us are going to sit by and let that happen.
Naturists care for the beach and pick up after others while horses trample the dunes and poop on the beach.
Signage is ludicrously lacking in most areas but the police use it in justifying their actions and fining people $500, even when there are no notices for many kilometres.
This so-called ‘zero tolerance’ approach, announced by chief inspector Luke Arthurs, has resulted in bullying and humiliation by police officers of people who were caught (almost certainly inadvertently) ‘out of bounds’.
The police need to call off their attack dogs and start talking to naturists like human beings.
We (husband and wife) have been visiting Tyagarah yearly for over 10 years from New Zealand. No more! We were bullied and humiliated by the police last visit. I believe we have spent 5,000 hours each on the beach and never had the issue with creeps they talk about. On the odd occasion its suspicious (quite rare) you just say can you move away and they do. You have got to be dreaming, drive to the middle of nowhere, down several kms of gravel road, pay $7 to park your car – what to do your shopping. It was a nude hang out, what do you expect!
The only time we have felt unsafe was in the presence of the police. So Byron will not be getting or 2-3 weeks spending any more. Australia you are a backward country.
No Wayne zero tolerance is being enforced to stop the bullying and humiliation exerted by sex pests over many years. Well done Byron Police and Council for your success in bringing sanity and safety to the beaches and particularly for protecting women.
Jennifer, of the 17 people we know have been ticketed in the past 2 weeks, 7 were males who happened to be naked outside the signposted area and six were females who happened to be naked outside the signposted area.
In addition one heterosexual couple and one same sex couple were ticketed for having consensual sex.
Not one person was charged with soliciting for sex.
Quite how you justify this as a win over the ‘sexual predators’ I’m not quite sure – unless of course you equate all nudity with predatory sexual behaviour…
Do the horses have there genitalia covered? Good heavens, one of those sex pests might be into beastiality, or might be attracted to it by seeing uncovered animal genitalia. Or maybe antagonizing nudists is as dumb as antagonizing shoppers and closing stores for the actions of shoplifters or purse snatchers. Arrest the bad actors, and protect the innocent (nudists). That is the way a gov’t should take care of its citizens.
I have been visiting Tyagarah for more than six years. I know I am a little myopic, however I regarded the “sex pests” as a minor problem; compared to issues like the atrocious road condition, the inadequate toilets and the over crowded parking area for which we pay $8 a day to use. Issues which I consider more important to most normal visitors, than the “sex pests” issue. I always regarded the previously designated area of 1.3 kms south from the car park, as a safe space for legitimate naturists. North of the car park was considered best left to chiefly a handful of single males, who may or may not wish to bath and sunbake safely.
When did things change? About the time Elements of Byron resort was being constructed and the “word”was out” that the designated clothing optional area would be reduced in size to keep nudists further away from the resort. Well, it has happened, but not by Council simply moving the southern boundary a couple of hundred metres north, using the Section 633 provisions. Instead many folk with their own ‘agendas’ have inflamed what would have been a simple local government exercise. Now we are faced with the issuance of substantial fines as well as a 200 metre walk to and from the crowded car park; and consequent delay if medical issues arise or we need quick assess to our vehicles.
Byron Council – in your 3 months review (due out now), please reinstate the area so that it begins at the car park. It would be one small thing you can do right now to support the local and visiting public.