Sydney mayor pledges ‘never again’ after ‘insane’ Christmas beach bash
Residents of a stunning seaside suburb were left furious after 15,000 people flocked to a tiny beach to celebrate Christmas Day with an ‘insane’ party.
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The mayor of a picturesque beach community has vowed to make changes to ensure locals are not left furious after 15,000 people attended “insane” Christmas Day beach party and left piles of rubbish in their wake.
Photographs taken early Boxing Day morning revealed the huge amounts of rubbish left behind in the wake of the annual Christmas Day party at Bronte Beach.
Bin bags full of rubbish, empty cooler bags, and scores of beer and wine bottles were among the trash seen strewn across the usually idyllic Beach Park.
Local Waverley City Council mayor Will Nemesh said as many 15,000 people attended the event, which last year sparked controversy because of the waste left behind.
Despite instituting a “Summer Safe” program, with more police and crowd control deployed, Mr Nemesh said it was “disappointing that despite our best efforts, so much rubbish and waste was still left behind.”
“I was personally at Bronte Beach from 7pm to 12:30am assisting our waste and cleaning team clean up,” he said.
“The majority of the rubbish was cleaned up last night with the beach and park fully cleaned by 9am this morning.
“I acknowledge our residents’ concerns over the level of rubbish and waste, and we will be making changes so that this does not happen again into the future.”
One resident took to Facebook to share concerns about glass across the path from Bronte to Bondi, urging others – especially those with dogs – to “please be careful”.
More than 250 additional garbage bins were placed at Bronte Beach by the local council in anticipation of the enormous event, after the rubbish and huge clean-up effort made headlines last year, but they appeared to have little effect.
On Christmas Day, Mr Nemesh said staff had been out in “full force” about 8pm Wednesday as clean-up got underway, with a garbage truck also operating throughout the day.
“I have been and will continue to work directly with Council staff to ensure the area is cleaned as fast as possible,” Mr Nemesh said in a Facebook post late on Wednesday night.
Those sentiments were echoed by local business owner Fern Coop, who said the council had implemented new measures after last year’s event was slammed by locals.
“(More than) 250 extra bins and a lot more council workers in the area as we speak cleaning the rubbish. Huge efforts from the council,” Ms Coop said on Christmas Day.
By 8am on Boxing Day, the site was clean with Mr Nemesh praising staff for “working through the night to get this done”.
Mr Nemesh told residents in a Facebook post on Boxing Day “that we will be making changes so that this does not happen again into the future”.
He assured locals that Waverley City Council “is committed to ensuring that whoever comes and visits our stunning beaches and parks treats it with respect.”
Some locals praised the event, commenting “it was wonderful to see so many people enjoying themselves.”
“I’m sure they’ll take home some lasting memories of our beautiful beach and the warm hospitality they experienced,” one said.
“I took the dog down and was met by countless incredibly friendly and polite people having a great time,” another local shared.
“It’s sad that Aussies don’t seem to be able to enjoy Bronte in the same way, I’ve certainly never seen a free DJ there before.”
However, the extra measures implemented by Waverley City Council have garnered backlash from some residents online, who slammed the cost of the event to ratepayers.
“Who paid for this? Probably us ratepayers. Next time charge each person $20 for the clean up. That’s a cheap day out at an amazing beach,” one commenter said.
Another nearby resident urged council not to focus just on clean-up after the event but also prevention, claiming many attendees were drinking despite an alcohol ban.
“I witnessed groups openly carrying cases of alcohol, cooler boxes, and bags of bottles and cans … Many sat on our road drunk, and some even vomited outside our house,” he said.
“While the measures may have reduced some issues compared to previous years, the persistent public drinking and its associated behaviour are deeply concerning.
“It detracts from the enjoyment and safety of the area for locals. I urge the council to consider stricter enforcement of the no-drinking rules to prevent such problems rather than just addressing them afterwards.”
Another local claimed Bronte Beach was “absolutely covered in litter” while on the way back to her apartment about 7pm on Christmas Day, with intoxicated people still around.
Mr Nemesh said reports from police and council rangers from the day had been positive, with “very minimal anti-social behaviour and the extra measures introduced this year have had a positive result compared to previous years”.
Police at the Bronte Beach event rushed to assist a man who suffered serious head injuries after he reportedly slipped while trying to jump off a cliff into the ocean pool.
A medical team was dispatched by helicopter and the man in his 20s was rushed to St Vincent’s hospital. The man is in a serious but stable condition.
Police have also attended the scene of an alleged assault that left a man unconscious,no charges have been laid in relation to the incident.
Attendees have taken to social media to call the Sydney beach party “mental” and “insane”, with one tourist comparing it to Rio’s Carnival.
Industrious DJs set up their decks and speakers on the parkland, playing music for the crowds of sunbaking beachgoers.
Bondi Lines, a platform for real-time information on night-life, reported that the event is “a staple” of Sydney’s Christmas offerings, particularly for expats.
The platform’s co-founder Callum Weatherall said the party has been around for years, and is predominantly attended by expats and backpackers.
“They don’t have family over here, and I think it’s pretty special for them to be able to come down to one of the nicest beaches here in Sydney to celebrate together, so we’re really supportive of it,” he said.
“They don’t have the privilege of sitting around having Christmas lunch with everyone and still want to have a good time with other people.”
Attendees have been flowing to the spot all day in buses and cars, with local residents sharing views of the packed attraction from their scenic apartments.
Partygoers filmed festively-attired police horses patrolling the crowds as the festivities stretched into the evening.
Police have been on site to monitor the crowds and ensure there isn’t any replication of the bad behaviour at last year’s event that left the beach and surrounding area covered in broken glass, rubbish and human waste.
Local business owner Fern Coop supported the Christmas Day party, saying that the council should work to “reduce the harm these parties add on our beaches”, including introducing additional toilet facilities, food trucks, rubbish collection and crowd control.
“We actually can’t stop all these people getting there and I do think it’s a beautiful park for these guys to enjoy their Christmases,” she said.
However, the business owner remained concerned about the amount of litter the event produces, saying she “can only assume there’s going to be a lot of rubbish” on Boxing Day.
Fears after ‘disgusting’ bash last year
It comes after councils warned revellers planning to hit the beaches to act responsibly after huge crowds left Sydney’s Bronte Beach covered in trash last year.
The raucous Christmas party was slammed as the “worst ever” and “disgusting” by some residents, one of whom said it was “worse than a third world country”.
Another said they felt “in danger” being near the event and it had made them want to move away from the pristine beach.
The celebrations have long been a mecca for thousands of tourists and backpackers travelling to Australia for a summer Christmas, but often draws the ire of locals.
Waverley Councillor Joshua Spicer took to social media to assure furious locals the council has taken action to ensure last year’s wild scenes are not replicated.
“This includes extra rangers, security, and police, a dedicated cleaning crew with more bins and waste trucks, extended lifeguard patrols, and specific measures for Bronte Park, such as crowd control pathways and temporary toilets,” he wrote on Facebook.
“This has been a key priority for us, and we’re confident these steps will make a big difference this year.”
Locals remained sceptical, with one commenting “council and police won’t do anything about it”.
In a statement, Waverley Council said it would not tolerate anti-social behaviour and had taken “a number of significant proactive measures to ensure our community can relax and enjoy the summer”.
“The safe enjoyment of our public and recreational spaces is our number one priority,” a spokesperson said.
“We encourage everyone to enjoy our beaches responsibly and safely, ensuring they remain a welcoming space for all.”
NSW Police said they would conduct high visibility patrols of Bondi, Tamarama and Bronte Beaches “due to significant crowd numbers expected over the holiday period.”
A spokesperson said they were aware of a party planned at Bronte Beach for Christmas Day and have been working with organisers.
“There will be officers from Eastern Suburbs Police Area Command, assisted by specialist police, tasked to patrol the area to ensure the safety of visitors and manage crowd numbers,” they said.
“People are reminded to check and abide by designated alcohol-prohibited and/or alcohol-free zones in the area. Alcohol and water don’t mix.”
Police reminded people not to swim or drive boats when intoxicated and said they would have a “significant presence” on the roads and in the water over the holiday period.
Northern Beaches Mayor Sue Heins said up to 100,000 visitors could be expected to flock to the council’s 40 picturesque beaches on Christmas Day, depending on the conditions.
“We are fortunate that the majority of our beachgoers are well behaved,” she said.
“Council has rostered additional lifeguards across the festive season to assist and protect the beachgoers.
The various lifesaving clubs also roster additional volunteers to patrol the beaches.”
Ms Heins reminded beachgoers to be careful when swimming, hydrate on the beach, and protect the environment by disposing of rubbish.
“Your safety and enjoyment are our top priorities. Our goal is for everyone to return home safely after a memorable day on the Northern Beaches,” she said.
Originally published as Sydney mayor pledges ‘never again’ after ‘insane’ Christmas beach bash
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