Len Bates, Mullumbimby
I’ve seen some low decisions made at Council but the Tyagarah Beach continuing as a nude beach was about as low as you can go. The decision by the three female councillors Ndiaye, Martin and Coorey to not support the local women residents who used to use the beach every day but can’t now safely was totally unforgivable.
The overwhelming evidence is there that the beach is no longer safe to use and cannot be protected adequately by the police or anyone else. By declaring it no longer a nudist beach at least it will stop the international websites promoting it as a pickup place and sleaze area. More work will still need to be done but without that it will be hopeless.
I can’t believe the women on Council could let other women down so badly and Simon Richardson saying against his extremely strong conviction that as the vote was tied he had by convention to support Councillor Martin’s point of view (who wasn’t at the meeting) was probably one of the most politically immoral acts I have ever seen. Pathetic really.
Debated three times with the same outcome.
Over 2000 people signed petition to keep neach as CO.
Safe beaches a year ago wrote that beach was now safe and woman and families had returned.
Cant have it both ways.
Mr Bates,
I would truly suggest you find factual evidence before commenting on issues you plainly know nothing about.
If you had properly researched Police CAD and all other evidence you would realise the scaremongering and adverse media attention was brought on by a minority of Grays Lane Residents who are put on record as stating ‘We just want the Clothing Optional Beach Closed’, this reply was over 2 years ago now.
Why when asked many times since they were not helping Tyagarah Naturist Community to eradicate the pre-existing Lewd Inappropriate Behaviour that they they did nothing absolutely nothing about for 20 years.
Why was it only when a small local group of Naturists came forward 18 months ago noting the fears of sexualised behaviour.
It was this group Byron Naturists who were the original founders of Safe Beaches Committee being formed to deal with eradicating the sexual behaviour which was the cause of women feeling unsafe, feeling unsafe for many many years under the watchful eye of the very same Grays Lane Residents.
I am a woman and truly have to ask why was Tyagarah Clothing Optional Beach neglected for so many years, for so long that Residents allowed the past sexual activity to flourish.
Grays Lane Residents have 4km of Beach north of Grays Lane if they don’t wish to mix with the Clothing Optional users. It’s clothing optional not nude, there is no exclusiveness.
I’d ask all to applaud majority Councillors in voting 3 times in 3 months to maintain the Tyagarah Clothing Optional Beach, it’s not rocket science to work out if you take away the Naturists who are obeying the law, by closing the beach as Clothing Optional, who again will then takeover the beach.
Do we really want all past lewd indecent behaviour returning.
We now have families returning to Tyagarah, couples and yes even singles who are both male and female ‘genuine naturists’ unlike stated by minority Grays Lane Residents.
I’d ask anyone who does not believe that for 20 years of sexualised behaviour that we now have after only 12 months of lobbying, have rid the beach of lewd illegal behaviour.
I ask you to come to Tyagarah, come and see for yourself what a beautiful place it has now become.
Debra Conomy
Byron Naturist Group
This is such a terribly biased and untruthful article! For a start, as a woman who participated in the initial “Nude not Lewd ” rally that got the CO beach in the first place, and who has continued to go to the CO beach since, I wish to say that I have never seen any inappropriate behaviour at the nude beach itself and I have never felt unsafe there. I have however heard that such behaviour was commonplace at the lakes and the beach to the north of Grays Lane carpark which are the two areas advertised on swinger and gay sex sites. Naturists are the solution and NOT the cause of this unacceptable behaviour. Byron Bay Naturists have worked hard with police over the past 18 months to get rid of sexually predatory males and make the area safe for women and families. Let them continue their excellent efforts. Bring in CCTV and lifesavers. If you take away the CO status of the beach then there will be nobody trying to make the beach safe and the perverts will flood the region. Is that what locals want? As a woman I applaud the councillors who saw through the lies of the vocal minority whose motives I question.
To Mr Bates, you don’t understand that removing the naturist status will do nothing to change the environment and nothing will change. Removing the naturists will render the beach less busy and these deviants will have greater licence to practice their sick behaviour. I can guarantee that the empty car park spaces left by naturists if the beach was Revoked will be taken up by deviants.
Shooting from the hip with outdated information and false assumptions. It is in everybody’s interests to make all beaches as safe as possible as has been achieved to date by effective collaboration between the Byron Bay Naturists and Police. I understand the Safe Beaches Program is to have a constitution which is in the process of development and review. Council has also agreed to implement further safety benefits by the installation of cameras in consultation with Parks and Wildlife and other interested government departments.
The Clothing Optional section of Tyagarah is precisely that, Clothing Optional. In no way is it exclusive for use by nudists and naturists but is there for everyone to use and enjoy should they wish to do so. There is always safety in numbers on any beach.
Three times in three months the majority of Councillors have voted to maintain the Clothing Optional status of Tyagarah Beach. The Councillors are in possession of all the current and timeline facts, have debated the issues, and made a rational, progressive decision to benefit the Shire.
Clearly Mr. Bates has never spent any time on this beach.
If he had, he would know it is not what he thinks it is. My wife has never felt threatened, has never been propositioned has never seen a “lewd” act within the 800m confines of the legally clothing optional area.
Lots of people are morally offended by naked people. Lots aren’t too. If you’d don’t like it, stay away from the 800m CO zone. It’s not difficult, the beach is over 10k long! Just turn left when you reach the beach.