Should bars and music festivals be allowed to operate on Australian beaches?
It’s a debate that heats up every summer in some parts of the country.
Those in favour say banning business on the beach is a missed opportunity to unlock the untapped potential of our country’s most valuable tourism asset.
But critics argue free and open access to the beach is fundamental to our way of life, and the very idea of commercialising it is un-Australian.
A polarising topic
Many music lovers on the Gold Coast seem to think beach festivals can work in Australia.
Last week, electronic music festival Out 2 Lunch on Coolangatta Beach sold out its 30,000 tickets within hours.
The event in May will be headlined by Gold Coast artist Fisher, and will coincide with a World Surf League event being held at neighbouring Snapper Rocks.
The man behind the festival, promoter and nightlife impresario Billy Cross, estimates it will inject $5 million into the local economy.
He said it was time Australia had a serious conversation about whether more well-regulated, pop-up venues and events should be permitted on the sand.
“Everyone will have their opinion but we are not trying to take over whole beaches, we are talking about little pockets where we can create some amazing hospitality venues,” he said.
In 2019, Mr Cross planned a two-day festival at the same location, which was scrapped after backlash from local business owners and environmental groups.
He is adamant beach events have widespread backing and believes supporters are drowned out by a vocal minority of “anti-progress associations”.
“Everything is conditional, it’s not like, ‘Hey, we will give you a beachfront restaurant and a bar and you can knock yourself out and do what you want’ — there’s going to be provisions and you abide by it,” Mr Cross said.
Greenmount Surf Club general manager Marty Damjanoski said attracting tens of thousands of people to the area could only be a good thing.
“I’m a capitalist, obviously, but anything that can bring [people] to the area, drive the area and make it grow and prosper has got to be good for everyone,” Mr Damjanoski said.
Mayor on a mission
Travel to Bali, Barcelona, Brazil, or the Bahamas and you will find bustling bars and restaurants on the water’s edge.
Many Australians enjoy it when they are overseas, but it is rarely allowed at home.
Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate wants that to change.
“It’s good for tourism and good advertising — I don’t see a problem with it,” Cr Tate said.
Surfers Paradise beach is already home to major events like Schoolies, the Pacific Air Show and the Magic Millions barrier draw.
But in 2022, a bar at Broadbeach — approved by the city to operate over summer on a trial basis — was shut down by the state government after complaints from environmental groups.
While councils pay to maintain and manage Queensland beaches, the state retains ownership.
The Gold Coast relied on local laws to authorise the bar at Broadbeach, which ran successfully during the 202122 Christmas school holidays.
The city then granted the Kurrawa Beach Club a three-year extension, but that was blocked by the Department of Resources.
“If the council wishes to continue the beach club long-term, an application for a trustee lease would be required and it would need to develop a land management plan for the reserve involving extensive community consultation,” a spokesperson for the department said.
Cr Tate insists the city’s 60 kilometres of coastline means there’s plenty of space to go round and is doubling down on beach bars.
“We only wanted a small piece. Now we have got to submit [an application for a trustee lease], we want a whole heap,” he said.
Zero tolerance policy
Sydney’s Waverley Council last year banned “commercial activities on any beach involving the service of alcohol” for longer than two days, after a proposal for a bar on Bondi started to gather steam.
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Source: abc.net.au
George Barham, an accomplished journalist and avid gambling enthusiast, serves as the esteemed Editor-in-Chief at fly-to-australia.com, Australia’s leading source for comprehensive gambling news and insights. With an unwavering passion for both the written word and the ever-evolving world of betting and gaming, George brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the helm of our editorial team.
