‘If we’re going to end up with all of Victoria’s nudists, that might cause a problem’: Surf Coast faces nudist influx

Nudists could soon flock to a pair of Surf Coast ‘clothing optional’ beaches, as a council across the Bay explores closing Victoria’s only other nudist beach.

Nudists could soon flock to a pair of Surf Coast ‘clothing optional’ beaches, as a council across the Bay explores closing Victoria’s only other nudist beach.

A Surf Coast Shire councillor also warned the shire would look at taking its own action if local nudists caused problems in the municipality, revealing her own recent run-in with a Torquay nudist “intentionally exhibiting” his erection to her and a friend.

Mornington Peninsula Shire council will on Tuesday vote on a recommendation to launch community consultation regarding its own nudist beach, following a councillor motion asking for “a course of action for community consultation on a proposal that asks the State Government to remove the clothing optional status of Sunnyside Beach in Mount Eliza”.

Surf Coast could soon become the home to the state’s only nudist beaches

Sunnyside is one of just three nudist beaches in Victoria, with both remaining beaches located in the Surf Coast Shire – “Nudies” at Point Impossible in Torquay and Southside Beach near Bells.

Despite historic opposition to the Surf Coast Shire’s pair of nudist beaches, Torquay Ward councillor Rose Hodge confirmed the council was not considering any current moves to copy their Mornington Peninsula colleagues.

“There is history there,” Cr Hodge said on Friday. “Over a decade ago [the Shire considered banning nudists from ‘Nudies’], but it just didn’t go ahead and it stayed as a nudist beach.”

Winchelsea Ward councillor Heather Wellington said the council group would need to consider taking fresh action if nudists caused community concerns, detailing her own experience with an exhibitionist nudist.

Cr Wellington said she had been walking along the beach with a female friend earlier this year when a naked man emerged from the surf in front of them with an erection.

“He was intentionally exhibiting himself to us,” she said, noting she wasn’t frightened by the experience.

“I have seen that offensive behaviour, and I do think there should be a clearer warning for others, and there should be a buffer zone before you get to the nude beach,” she said.

“[The nude beaches] don’t seem to be causing a community problem that I’m aware of at the moment, but if we’re going to end up with all of Victoria’s nudists, that might cause a problem.

“If the community is concerned about it, and if the Mornington Peninsula decision impacts us, we absolutely should look at [taking action].”

Cr Hodge said the only action currently being taken by the council regarding nudist beaches was a submission to the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority (GORCAPA) draft Point Impossible to Jan Juc Master Plan, supporting a potential move of ‘Nudies’ further east to “avoid conflict between beach users”.

Originally published as ‘If we’re going to end up with all of Victoria’s nudists, that might cause a problem’: Surf Coast faces nudist influx