Northern Rivers Naturists Inc react to definitive closure of Tyagarah clothing-optional beach, Byron Shire
The Northern Rivers naturist community plans to stick a final decision to close one of the state’s last nude beaches where the sun don’t shine by rallying naked with abandon one last time.
NSW
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The Northern Rivers naturist community plans to stick a final decision to close one of the state’s last nude beaches where the sun don’t shine by rallying naked with abandon one last time.
On Wednesday, naturists from northern NSW all the way to north Queensland were left feeling caught with their pants down after NSW Parks and Wildlife Service issued a statement out of the blue confirming Tyagarah clothing-optional beach near Byron Bay would close by August 30.
The decision came after what Northern Rivers Naturists Inc president Bradley Benham called an “insufficient consultation period”.
The 800 metre stretch of sand, 20 minutes north of Byron Bay, was deemed a legally designated clothing-optional area by Byron Shire Council in 1998.
Earlier this year, the parks service, superseding the council as land owners, sought to close the beach by April 30 due to “environmental and ongoing safety concerns”.
Complaints around safety relate to “historical incidents at the tea tree lake more than 1km away from the actual beach”, rather than any recent behaviour, Mr Benham said.
After push-back, the department allowed the naturist community more time to appeal the decision by engaging in consultation, but Mr Benham said the result was a “single two-hour round table in March.”
On Wednesday, the department issued a statement saying “no viable alternative locations had been found for a clothing-optional area” in the Byron Shire.
“NPWS has requested that Byron Shire Council extend the permissibility of the clothing-optional area from 30 June to 30 August, which will allow appropriate notification for the naturist community.”
Mr Benham expressed his devastation over the closure.
“Concerns regarding public safety are not supported by police statistics,” Mr Benham said.
“I will be addressing council at public access on Thursday to request that the section of beach from the south boundary of the Tyagarah Nature Reserve to 200m north of Bayshore Dr be reinstated as a legal, clothing-optional beach,” he said.
“This section was part of the legal clothing optional beach designated in 1998 and is still under council management and not affected by the jurisdictional error of who manages the beach.”
Naturist John Matthews said: “There are three dog beaches in the Byron Shire. Dogs have more rights and area to enjoy than nudists.
“This is discrimination. Australia’s coastline is 34,000kms long. All we want is 800 metres, which is 0.0023%.”
Mr Benham said the naturist group would hold one last nude rally on Sunday at 10am as a last-ditch effort to stop the closure.
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Originally published as Northern Rivers Naturists Inc react to definitive closure of Tyagarah clothing-optional beach, Byron Shire
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