PHOTOS: For doof's sake, make them stop

BYRON residents fed up with doofs up the ante to can 'Moonrise' rave.

Another recent illegal doof on the beach at Byron Bay. Picture: Contributed

BYRON residents and police have banded together to up the ante on illegal music festival 'doofs' been held in bushland following the first court conviction of a doof holder last week.

A party organiser was fined $8,000 for a November Tallow Beach party, with at least six doofs occurring in the last six months around the Tallow, Suffolk and Broken Head areas.

Those affected by the nuisance, such as Suffolk Residents' Association president Donald Maughan, said the doofs destroy ecologically sensitive dunes and leave behind a trail of garbage and human excrement.

"The November Tallows Beach doof set up fires on the edge of a national park, showing complete disrespect for members of the community and the environment," Mr Maughan said.

Residents have set up a 'phone tree' network feeding information to police and National Parks and Wildlife; posted mail-outs and commenced social media monitoring.

At one doof, National Parks and Wildlife collected over five cubic metres of garbage from ecologically sensitive dunes. Picture: Contributed

"We have capabilities of following these things up ... we've proven it with that last conviction," Mr Maughan said.

"We want to encourage respect of our environment and our community but if they won't react we'll go at them with full strength of the law."

Friends of Tallow Creek ecologist Dailan Pugh said doofs 'trample the nests of bee-eaters and pardalotes in the dunes, scare away the migratory shorebirds, pollute the estuary, and leave broken glass and cigarette butts buried in the sand'.

"Friends of Tallow Creek call upon tourist and student accommodation providers to provide an induction for their customers to stop this continuing.

"Tourists and overseas students trashing our national parks for their fun can not be tolerated any longer."

Tweed Byron Local Area Command crime manager Brendon Cullen warned party-goers face heavy fines of up to $3,000, just for littering.

While organisers face multiple fines from multiple agencies including Byron Shire Council and will also have all their DJ equipment confiscated as investigation exhibits or been forfeited for being used in the commission of an offence.

"Because of the damage that these people do to the environment, the safety risk they pose to people who go (to doofs) these events are a great concern.

"The consequences of going can be fatal - you can injure yourself, overdose in your car - and people do die.

"Organisers are in it as a money-making venture and do not provide First Aid or hygiene facilities.

"What they're doing is illegal and it's not going to be tolerated, it's not something we're going to sit by and watch."

A NPWS spokesperson said parties will be prosecuted under the National Parks and Wildlife Act.

"Illegal doof parties impact areas with rubbish, including broken glass, human excrement and illegal camping, all damaging the environment.

"Removing rubbish and human excrement after illegal parties places an unnecessary drain on resources."

Originally published as PHOTOS: For doof's sake, make them stop