Jaw dropping vision shows thousands of Christmas revellers descend on Bronte beach in Sydney – and locals left to clean up the mess are furious
Former England Test cricket captain Michael Vaughan is among a group of revelers crammed into Sydney’s Bronte Beach on Christmas Day amid fears the beach and surrounding parkland will be destroyed again, as it was last year.
Although Bronte is one of Sydney’s smaller beaches, it is overwhelmingly popular – especially among the thousands of backpackers who call the city’s eastern suburbs home – and never more so than at this time of year.
Last year, local residents were outraged after plastic bottles, broken glass, food scraps, clothing and human waste were left scattered across the park after as many as 10,000 people attended.
Amid concerns that the bad behavior could be repeated, Waverley Council has issued a warning to people planning to spend money at Bronte Park and beach.
Councilor Joshua Spicer tried to allay local concerns by saying the council planned to implement new cleaning measures this year.
“This includes additional rangers, security and police, a dedicated cleaning crew with more trash bins and garbage trucks,” he posted online Tuesday.
But locals’ fears have not calmed on Christmas Day as both dozens of people posted images of an area full of revelers as police patrol on horseback.
Thousands of revelers have descended on Bronte Beach for an annual Christmas party (pictured), which locals fear will leave the area devastated as in previous years.
The event has become a mecca for tourists and backpackers who celebrate the holiday away from home and is affectionately known as ‘orphan Christmas’ (photo, revelers)
As people arrive by foot, car and bus, visitors and locals fight for limited space on Sydney’s eastern beach.
Last year’s party atmosphere was followed by the hangover of tonnes of rubbish being spread across the beach by people who didn’t mind cleaning up after themselves.
But Spicer said he is confident the steps the council has taken “will make a big difference this year.”
He added that Bronte Park will receive ‘crowd control paths and temporary toilets’ under the council’s Summer Safe programme.
The annual event is affectionately known as “Orphans Christmas” by backpackers and tourists who celebrate the holiday away from home.
Last year Waverley Council said the amount of waste was ‘disappointing’.
“Our rangers were on site yesterday along with police to ensure the beach remained a safe environment for everyone,” a spokesperson said at the time.
Some locals said last year’s party was the ‘worst ever’ and left the suburb like ‘a third world country’.
Others said they felt “in danger” due to the extent of the misconduct and wanted to leave the area.
Despite Spicer’s assurances, many locals believe a repeat of what happened last year is inevitable.
“The municipality and the police are not doing anything about it,” one resident wrote online.
Some locals have given up looking for a spot and have instead started documenting the busy park and beach from the balconies of their apartments
It was a stark contrast at 8am on Christmas morning, but some had already reserved huts and set up gazebos in Bronte Park to get in early on the long day ahead
New cleaning measures will be introduced this year after rubbish was left in Bronte Park last Christmas Day, leaving council workers and local groups to clear up the mess (pictured)
Revelers still flocked to the beach despite the warning of more council rangers and police patrolling the beach in a bid to combat unruly visitors
But Waverley Council said it would not tolerate any bad behavior and had taken ‘a number of important proactive measures to ensure our community can relax and enjoy the summer’.
“The safe enjoyment of our public and recreational spaces is our first priority,” a spokesperson said.
“We encourage everyone to enjoy our beaches responsibly and safely so that they remain a welcoming place for all.”
NSW Police said officers are conducting patrols at Bronte, Bondi and Tamarama beaches ‘due to expected large numbers of people over the holiday period’.
Partygoers were seen wrestling with each other while riding on the shoulders of their friends
Others took to the water at Bronte Beach to escape the crowds and high temperatures
Ladies in red, festive swimwear were a popular choice among those celebrating the holiday
Police said they were aware of a party planned for Christmas Day in Bronte and had been working with organisers.
“There will be officers from the Eastern Suburbs Police Area Command, assisted by specialist police, who will be tasked with patrolling the area to ensure the safety of visitors and control crowd numbers,” said a spokesperson.
‘People are reminded to check and adhere to designated alcohol bans and/or alcohol-free zones in the area. Alcohol and water don’t go together.’
Beachgoers were also warned not to swim or operate boats if drunk and said they would have a ‘significant presence’ on the roads and in the water over the next day.