Dean Jeffreys, Mullumbimby.
News that police are fining people $500 for naked sunbathing at an isolated beach area show how much the police are wasting resources instead of looking after the community’s real needs.
This victimisation is what happened 20 years ago at Belongil so we organised a nude rally which brought 600 people out in the nude to say the naked body is not offensive.
We pushed then to get the council to take no nude bathing off the council signs, which would prevent them giving an on the spot fine and they would have to then prove they were offended in court.
When the cops were arresting me a person did an armed robbery in a Byron shop and got away because the cops were occupied arresting me. Go figure.
This is so last century. I challenged my fine in the district court and if people are fined I recommend challenging it and continue to waste police and court resources to show what a waste of time and money this out-dated policy is. And if the court still says the fines and court cost stick don’t pay it and instead do a WDO at the local community centre.
Twenty years ago we wanted all the beaches not in the main areas to be clothes optional. Instead we got a small isolated area at Tyagarah that can attract weirdos and be unsafe for women, which I and many have boycotted ever since. Do we need another nude rally? This time in front of the cop shop or council chambers.
So council just remove the no nude bathing signs council and move on. And police just get over yourselves a do what we pay you to do and that is deal with real criminals.
Genesis 3 v8 claims god walked in the Garden of Eden but it doesn’t tell us if he were naked or clothed. He’d better watch his step if he strolls on Belongil in the altogether, Isn’t it strange that those who subscribe to these fairy stories tend to be puritanical about the body yet they fail to realise that in the Genesis story clothing and work were the result of sin and yet both are highly esteemed?
Community called on action to ensure our Clothing Optional Beaches were again family friendly and safe for all to enjoy.
To ridicule all the work that has gone into this in the last 12 months by concerned naturist/nudists, Police, Byron Council, NPWS and others.
Please don’t denigrate all the work that has gone on for months now cleaning up Lewd Behaviour on our beaches.
Now is the time to thank those involved in providing a safe haven where many can now enjoy, perhaps you should also offer support rather than whinging.
Is there not a difference between lewd behaviour and two people on a deserted strip of sand minding their own business with their kit off just enjoying nature.
To Dean Jeffrey’s and those who criticize the efforts of the police to make our beaches safe, healthy and enjoyable for all, I would like to draw your attention to some current wonders of the beach, migratory seabirds resting and nesting, beach hyacinth in bloom on undisturbed dunes. It is much easier to appreciate this nature without the constant threat of sex perverts appearing in sight. Could your efforts perhaps address the threats to real nature on the beach.