A Sydney council which compared the mess left in the wake of a Christmas Day beach party to attendees ‘sh***ing on our doorstep’ will spend $220,000 on waste management, security and toilets for this year’s event.
Waverley Council considered a variety of new rules for the festive gathering at Bronte Beach during a meeting of councillors on Tuesday night.
These measures included a stronger enforcement of the glass and booze ban with a strengthened police presence to crackdown on anti-social behaviour this year.
Up to 15,000 people, including a large number of tourists, gather at the iconic beach to celebrate Christmas Day every year.
But the event came under fire in 2023 when the council complained that crowds had left large amounts of rubbish and glass behind.
‘It’s basically people sh***ing on our doorstep,’ local councillor Leon Goltsman told NewsWire on Boxing Day in 2023.
‘The fact there is still broken glass there, people are cutting their feet, the fact people are still having illegal parties… the fact if anyone gets injured or hurt, we can’t even get an ambulance to them because it is all blocked, it’s unacceptable.’
Waverley Mayor Will Nemesh told Newswire that the council didn’t want to restrict access to the beach and surrounds by making it a fenced or ticketed event.
The council on Tuesday will consider a strict glass bottle ban and increased police attendance
Waverley Council will consider new rules for the annual Christmas Day party at Bronte Beach
Locals were outraged by the large amount of rubbish and glass left behind in 2023 (pictured)
An online survey commissioned by the council found fencing off the park was only supported by 25 per cent of locals.
‘We heard the community loud and clear after Christmas in 2024,’ Mayor Nemesh told 702 ABC Radio Sydney.
‘Bronte is an absolutely spectacular part of the world. We want to ensure by implementing option three, all people can enjoy the public open spaces, but do so responsibly and respectfully.
While alcohol is already banned on Bronte Beach and the surrounding park, the large number of people on Christmas Day means it is often smuggled in.
Councillors is optimistic that a strict ban on glass and an increased police presence would deter people from drinking alcohol and engaging in anti-social behaviour.
Waverley Council said the 15,000 people who visited the beach on Christmas Day last year was a 20 per cent increase on the previous years.
