Local police shut down illegal doof parties at Tallows Beach and Goonengerry National Park over the Australia Day weekend, and were forced to search for one of the revellers who they were told was lost in the bush.
Detective Inspector Matt Kehoe of Byron Police said he and other officers arrived at the Goonengerry doof the morning after a night of partying had taken place to discover around 150 patrons who were drug and/or alcohol affected, 50 cars and a significant amount of rubbish.
‘Patrons were directed to leave the area and a generator was confiscated,’ Get Insp Kehoe said.
‘Police also spent significant resources trying to locate a missing patron including the recall of a Land Search and Rescue Coordinator, Brunswick Valley Rescue Squad, the dog squad and the Westpac Rescue Helicopter.
‘The missing Korean female was later located safe and well in Byron Bay.
‘Given the dangerous and isolated locations, illicit drug use and no access to support or medical care, it will only be a matter of time until we have a patron serious hurt or killed at such an event.
This is obviously a concern to Police.’
Det Insp Kehoe said were working closely with the National Parks and Wildlife Service to disrupt and target the events, which caused ‘significant ecological damage to pristine native forest areas and cause noise issues with neighbouring properties’.
‘I have spoken with my National Parks colleagues to commence a coordinated response to target the organisers and prevent future events in our Shire,’ he said.
can’t believe that these people don’t care about the damage caused to the bush or wildlife. It’s simply arrogant to take your electronic music & drugs into the bush and not consider the environmentally damaging consequences of that. Yet I have a feeling that the very people doing this would consider themselves to be “environmentally aware”. Just selfish and pathetic really.
Well said and couldn’t agree more Annette, no one wants to be the fun police but if people can’t realise how detrimental that is to an environment that is already struggling, well..
Annette, I highly doubt that they consider themselves to be environmentally aware.
There are people putting on doofs who are not experienced at doing so and they seem to care very little about anything. They are the ones leaving rubbish and putting them on in ecological sensitive areas. I have noticed a lot of backpackers finding out about these events.
There are more experienced party people putting them on in better locations and not leaving any rubbish or having any dramas, their mantra is “leave no trace”. They attract more of a local crew, often with small kids attending and a peaceful, calm vibe. The inexperienced and careless party people are ruining things for them too, because it affects laws and the police and people like you assume that theyre all the same crew.
Lets hope they target the continuous doof parties that are held in the Nature Reserve in Brunswick Heads, down past the surf club.