North Narrabeen Beach: ‘Locals only’ coronavirus graffiti and sign campaign slammed
Some surfers at North Narrabeen are using the COVID-19 crisis to continue their intimidating campaign to keep the beach for ‘locals only’.
Manly
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Territorial surfers at a popular Sydney surf break are using intimidating graffiti messaging linked to the COVID-19 crisis to keep so-called outsiders off the beach.
But the unofficial “go home – locals only” campaign centred on North Narrabeen Beach has split the community.
Some locals say they are “ashamed” that some surfers, and other beach users, are using foul and blunt language in an effort to keep people who don’t live on the northern beaches away from “their beach”.
An unofficial sign saying “The local community respectfully asks if you do not live on the Northern Beaches DO NOT surf here” was hung on a fence at the North Narrabeen Beach carpark.
Nearby a message — “Locals only, go home, f*** off” was sprayed on to fence posts on a walkway leading to the beach.
At a nearby car park on Narrabeen Lagoon another blunt message was painted on the ground — “Locals only, go home”.
The “go home” campaign comes a month after the council removed a piece of graffiti – Locals Only #COVID-19 – scrawled on a seawall along the entrance to Narrabeen Lagoon, close to the surf beach.
Since the late 1960s “Northy” has had a reputation for “localism” with some surfers who live in the 2101 postcode using intimidation to force so-called “blow-ins” out of the water.
North Narrabeen was named by surfing magazine, Tracks, in 2003 as the worst place for an outsider to visit.
After photographs of the latest sign and graffiti were posted on a community Facebook page, locals took to social media to say they were “disgusted” at the attitudes of some of their neighbours.
One resident wrote: “This sign has an ugly heart. It doesn’t come from concern about health. It comes from a ‘I don’t want to share my beach’. We locals do not own the beach.”
Elanora Heights resident Matt Champion saw the sign while out jogging with his father on Monday was so angered at its message that he cut it down.”
“The beach is open space and surfing is an isolation sport,’ Mr Champion said.
“It’s everyone’s prerogative to go to a beach and not be told by people they are not allowed to be there.
“I find it incredible that a minority can attempt to represent the ‘community’, as their sign stated.”
But some North Narrabeen locals defended the messages saying it was about protecting the community from coronavirus.
“I actually agree with the sign,” a resident wrote. “People from not in the northern beaches shouldn’t come over this way at the moment. We are trying to stop the virus.”
Another who agreed with the messaging wrote: “We’re in a pandemic. Go train in your local park for exercise. It’s not a holiday.”
One local pointed out that Waverley Council was only allowing local residents to swim at beaches including Bondi and Bronte.
Northern Beaches Council CEO Ray Brownlee said the council was removing the signage and graffiti.
Mr Brownlee also encouraged people to report any further incidences “so they can be quickly dealt with.”