Council told to pay private security bill to stop drunk fans invading Main Beach apartments
Angry Main Beach residents want to bill the council for private security for Spit concerts after drunken fans broke into units, urinated and defecated in the grounds of their beachfront tower.
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Angry Main Beach residents want to bill the council for private security for Spit concerts after drunken fans broke into units and urinated and defecated in the grounds of their beachfront tower.
Council has been sent shocking details in the aftermath of a 2023 concert, where frightened older residents of the Pintari building witnessed drunken fans:
* use their driveways and gardens to urinate and “leave their faeces”.
* leave sanitary products in bushes and vomit throughout the grounds.
* force entry to the lobby area to use bathrooms in a community room, which could not be locked due to fire regulations.
The Bulletin has obtained an email from Pintari resident Ann Fitzjohn, who has lived in Main Beach for 25 years, to area councillor Darren Taylor outlining a disgraceful aftermath to a Spit concert in October 2023.
On one incident with a drunk male in the building, she wrote: “When confronted he became very violent, was escorted out and promptly passed out in the garden.”
Another drunk fan forced his way into a ground floor unit while the owner was showering.
Residents have obtained quotes for two security guards to cover midnight to dawn shifts when the three-day Promiseland festival kicks off next month. They have asked Mr Taylor to reimburse them from his area funding.
“So this year we will be employing private security during this event – costs detailed below. As the Council approved this event please advise as a matter of priority reimbursement of these costs,” Ms Fitzjohn wrote.
The security cost is $5557.
Mr Taylor has urged residents to contact police about any concerns with next month’s Promiseland three-day festival. He has forwarded their emails to promoters.
“With regard to the proposed Promiseland event at Doug Jennings Park, the Entertainment Venue Licence application and draft Traffic Management Plan are currently being assessed,” he said.
“Although Stafford Ave (location for Pintari) is outside the event footprint, every effort will be made to reduce community impact.
Mr Taylor said he had spoken to the Gold Coast Waterways Authority, the event organisers and City officers to ensure averse experiences for residents would be significantly reduced.
“I’m aware there was an issue with barrier control at one of the previous events, resulting in a very large number of people leaving the event simultaneously,” he said.
“Buses engaged by the event organiser to transfer patrons from the event were then unable to safely access SeaWorld Drive.
“Given what previously transpired including the significant effect on residents and businesses in the vicinity, the GCWA, City officers in conjunction with the Queensland Police Service will be applying more stringent standards including an improved Traffic Management Plan.”
Main Beach Association leader Sue Donovan said the GCWA had assured the group that the October weekend festival would have less impact with fans arriving at different times.
‘The (earlier) unpleasant incidents experienced by Pintari residents were widespread throughout the northern part of Main Beach, including the Southport Yacht Club which was forced to close its doors,” Ms Donovan said.
“Approval and management of events at Doug Jennings Park at the top of The Spit are the joint responsibility of the Gold Coast Waterways Authority, the council and Queensland Police. All admit that there were “learnings to take” from the debacle – official words for a stuff up.
“There were many reasons for the Fred Again debacle in early March, but the main one was that it was a pop up event where the location was kept secret until almost the last moment. “This meant that many of the over 30,000 concert goers were unfamiliar with The Spit and its limitations as a location for large events.”
“Certainly a well publicised music event that occurred a few weeks later did not encounter the same problems with traffic and anti social behaviour.”
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