Section of Rye beach shut off to public for week in bid to stop repeat of last year’s wild parties
A stretch of Rye beach will be shut off under a plan to keep schoolies under control after hordes of young partygoers ran riot across the popular holiday area last year. Here’s how it will work.
South East
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A stretch of Rye beach will be closed to the public and turned into a designated schoolies hangout as hordes of teenagers descend on the region next week.
In a bid to keep the young partygoers under control, Mornington Peninsula Shire has decided to give them their own section of foreshore.
Victoria Police, Red Frogs Youth Support Program and the council have said they plan to ramp up their services for schoolies week which is from November 23 to 30.
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Last year hundreds of school leavers, many drunk and some taking drugs in front of police, took to the streets, transforming the main foreshore into a wild party zone.
Groups clashed with police in Rye, with officers pelted with bottles and capsicum spray used on the revellers.
On November 30 police responded to out-of-control parties in Rye and Blairgowrie before the groups of schoolies, aged in their late teens to early 20s, then moved to Rye pier where a fight broke out and several people sustained minor injuries.
Mornington Peninsula Ratepayers and Residents’ Association president John Cain said closing part of the beach for schoolies’ use would “contain and control” the school leavers who chose the peninsula as their destination to let their hair down in.
“We fully support it, as they will be confined to one area and maybe it’s a means of controlling them, rather than have them running riot around the place like they always seem to,” Mr Cain said.
The exclusion zone will be much of the main stretch of foreshore from the carpark to the playground but the playground and public toilets will remain open to the public during the schoolies week.
Mr Cain said while the designated area for the partying school leavers was a good idea, their behaviour could still be threatening, particularly to older residents.
“It’s all very well to still have access to the public conveniences but people can still be threatened coming in to areas with drunken youths,” he said.
Councillor David Gill, whose term as mayor ended on Tuesday, said the increase of police and youth support agencies was necessary to address the influx of visitors and associated community concerns raised last year.
“While the shire is not promoting the Mornington Peninsula as a schoolies destination, we know that school leavers will visit and therefore we have a duty of care to those young people while they are here,” Cr Gill said.
“Based on feedback from our community, this year the shire has increased our services in partnership with police and Red Frogs to help keep everyone safe.
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“This year we’ll have additional Youth Services staff on the ground day and night working closely with local police and support staff from Red Frogs, DanceWize and many others.
“Our main priority is creating a safe environment for residents and school leavers,” Cr Gill said.
School leavers are encouraged to register their attendance at popular schoolies locations at Good Times Great Breaks, supported by the State Government.
Details: goodtimesgreatbreaks.wordpress.com