Mornington Peninsula motels preparing for the worst when 9000 teens hit Rye

Businesses are taking extreme steps to prepare for up to 9000 teens heading for the Mornington Peninsula.

Thousands of schoolies planning to party on the Mornington Peninsula this year are being slapped with hefty bonds as wary operators prepare for the worst.

The three-week party kicks off on November 19 and a two-day music festival is expected to draw up to 9000 schoolies across the weekend of November 26 and 27.

Accommodation in the region is limited and some operators aren’t prepared to host teens for fear of being left with big damage bills from wild parties.

One operator, who asked not to be named, said while he was willing to “give the schoolies a go”, he feared losing significant revenue if “rooms were trashed”.

“Last year rooms were trashed at other venues. If that happens to us this year it basically means we lose that room for the peak season because it’s so hard to get trades out at short notice to repair the damage,” he said.

In 2021 rowdy schoolies wreaked havoc with private parties, leaving one AirBnB with $40,000 damage after the Rye property was advertised as a party place on social media.

The operator worried that pubs and bars from Rosebud to Portsea would refuse entry to schoolies, even those aged 18.

“A lot of venues did that last year and that left the teenagers with nowhere to go to party except the beach or their motel room.”

To reduce the risk the operator has slapped a big bond on schoolies’ bookings.

The operator wouldn’t reveal the amount but said it was “a lot, more than $500”.

“I’m not the only one doing it,” he said.

Despite the bond the venue is booked out with about 50 schoolies for the final week of the celebrations.

Another operator, who has accepted schoolies bookings for years, was booked solid for the celebration.

Despite saying the business had not experienced any “major issues” with teens in the past the operator did not want to reveal his name or that of the venue.

Not all operators wanted to keep their schoolies involvement at arm’s length.

Kanasta Caravan Park manager Sue Sanford was proud to host teens at the Rye park.

“They’re all great kids,” she said.

“We’ve never had a problem.

“I think sometimes people forget what it is to be young.”

Ms Sanford said the park was fully booked for the second week of the celebrations, from November 26 to December 11.

However, there were still spots available in the first and second weeks.

Mornington Peninsula mayor Anthony Marsh said after years of a “no entertainment, no nonsense” approach the local council now embraced Schoolies Week.

“In the past, the thinking was that holding events would only encourage schoolies to come here,” Mr Marsh said.

“The attitude now is they’re coming anyway, so why not give them something to do.”

In 2021 it held a two-day music festival on Rye foreshore that drew 7000 teens across the weekend.

Police preparing to step up their response to 2022 schoolies

A bigger festival will be held this year, catering to up to 7000 teens each day.

It will again include an underage area for minors and a licensed area for those 18 and over.

Mr Marsh said making the event licenced increased its appeal and discouraged pre-loading and drug-taking.

The council is also supporting smaller events and activities around Rye in the week after the festival.

A council report revealed that the 2021 festival reduced parties at houses, in car parks and on the beach and limited the number of teens hanging out at Rye Pier and the foreshore on festival days.

The percentage of schoolies going to hospital was also slashed.

In 2020, when there was no festival, 2500 schoolies partied on the peninsula with 108 (4 per cent) attending Frankston and Rosebud hospitals.

The following year 141 (two per cent) of the 7000 teens attending Rye Schoolies Week went to hospital.

Some of those suffered seriours injuires, including three teens who were hit with bricks.