Around 150 people rallied in support of a clothing-optional section of beach in the Byron Shire on Sunday, many of them nude.
The beach strip near Tyagarah’s Grays Lane has been the subject of controversy and national headlines in recent years owing to sexual assault reports and accusations of overly heavy-handed policing.
Advocates of the beach’s clothing-optional status have traditionally focused on the Byron Shire Council, which has liaised with police and NSW Parks and Wildlife Services to ensure signs outlining where nudity is and isn’t allowed are clear.
But NSWPWS has written to the council saying it has jurisdiction over the beach rather than the council and plans to revoke the clothing optional status as of 8 April.
Mapping showed the clothing-optional area determined by the council included areas of dunes that fell into the Tyagarah Nature Reserve, the agency wrote.
‘Maintaining a clothes optional area in a nature reserve is not consistent with the values the reserve is managed under,’ read the letter, tabled in this week’s council meeting.
‘For example, people are accessing not only the beach but also the dune and hind-dune which is creating environmental issues,’ the letter continued.
‘The continuation of a clothes optional area in Tyagarah Nature Reserve is not supported by NPWS.’
The land also falls under native title, with the Arakwal Corporation granted the legal claim in recent years.
The council is due to discuss the matter at this week’s ordinary meeting on Thursday.
No other nude beaches until central NSW coast
Naturists say they’ve been blindsided by the decision and last week reignited earlier campaigns in support of keeping the clothing-optional status.
Byron Naturist Community member Bradley Benham launched a change.org petition to ‘Save Tyagarah Beach, Byron Bay from closure’ that had attracted nearly 3,000 signatures by Monday morning.
The petition was addressed to NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe.
Mr Benham wrote in petition notes, ‘legal outdoor spaces for the naturist community are rare in NSW (and Australia) and this beach is highly valued by both committed and casual naturists throughout the Northern Rivers and SE Queensland’.
Nude recreation was a legitimate way of life, Mr Benham wrote, and the local community, interstate and international visitors had the right to some public space ‘where this freedom can be expressed’.
‘The Tyagarah clothing-optional beach has been a place of fun and freedom since it was created by community activism over 25 years ago,’ he wrote.
Mr Benham’s petition called on the NSWPWS to immediately reverse their decision and speak with stakeholders ‘to ensure there is a legal clothing-optional beach in Byron Shire for us and future generations’.
Organisers of Sunday’s protest said Byron’s reputation as a free-spirited and relaxed community was at risk.
Revoking Tyagarah’s clothing-optional status would result in a dearth of official clothing-optional beaches across Queensland and the northern rivers region of NSW, leaving naturists to travel to Samurai Beach in One Mile on the central coast of NSW, protestors said.
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