Calls to ban Cool Cabanas from beaches as Australian invention takes over popular spots

There are calls to ban cabanas on some of the country’s busiest beaches and some angry Australians say they take up too much space.

The popularity of cabanas is booming as Australians shelter more from the sun, but some complain that beach shelters are hard on the eyes and block views of the ocean.

The creation of the CoolCabanas brand by Queensland architect Mark Fraser is seen as the catalyst for the boom, as sales also take off in the US and Europe.

Sydney’s Waverley and Northern Beaches councils say while a ban is not yet necessary, they will monitor safety and the effect on ocean views.

Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce admitted he was not a fan of shelters, saying Australians should instead only spend a short period of time in the sun.

“I just think about wearing a shirt, wearing a hat, and once you’ve gotten enough sun, get off the beach,” he told Sunrise on Monday morning.

“They just turn into debris, they’re all over the beach and they’re spoiling it for other people.

‘Once you’ve had enough, get out of the sun and go.’

Environment and Water Minister Tanya Plibersek disagreed with Joyce, saying she would not like to see cabanas banned, but urged beachgoers to be considerate of others.

“I think it’s fantastic that people are sensitive to the sun, Australia still has some of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world,” he told the Channel 7 programme.

“You have to be considerate, you obviously have to leave enough space for people around you to use the beach as well, you have to make sure lifeguards can see the water to keep us safe.”

As long as you’re sensible, I tell you to do it.

Myrtle Beach, in the US state of South Carolina, banned beach cabanas in 2014 after the tents became so popular that a “virtual wall” was seen along the shoreline.

The beach’s public information officer, Mark Kruea, said lifeguards were concerned they would not be able to respond quickly to an emergency when they had to navigate through all the tops.

“They were so abundant at peak times and in locations that they blocked access and visibility to the water’s edge, impacting public safety and everyone’s enjoyment of our beautiful beach,” Mr. Kruea told the Sydney Morning Herald.

A spokesman for Waverley Council, which includes Sydney’s eastern suburbs, said no restrictions would be imposed but the council would oversee safety and access to water.

The Northern Beaches council said it would “kindly ask” people to relocate their cabins if they blocked ocean views.

Mr Fraser’s CoolCabanas range has turned up on every Australian beach, but not everyone is on board.

Some social media users have complained that the cabins are “annoying” and “take up a lot of space.”

‘Remove them from the shoreline so we can see our children in the water!’ one said.

Another person said, ‘I think they’re dumb, better with something with sides’.

But most Australians are in favor of the hut, with some calling it “the greatest invention of all time”, taking less than a minute to assemble and disassemble.

Fraser came up with the idea for an easy-to-wear shade while on holiday with his wife and children in Noosa on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast in 2014.

He saw that people had a hard time putting up umbrellas and he thought he could design something much better.

His clever hack for one of life’s little annoyances has turned CoolCabanas into a multi-billion dollar global empire.

“I spent a fortune on marketing and branding, set up and sat under a CoolCabana countless times for half an hour and then moved along the beach using this as an opportunity to demonstrate the product and generate interest,” said earlier. he Sunday Mail.

The basic plan was that it should be windproof, easy to use, and comfortable enough for families to spend all day under.

He sketched out the design options there and then while sitting on the beach and came up with the core idea of ​​a center post and corner arms supported by sandbags.

In response to whether or not they take up too much space, Mr Fraser said: ‘actually, we have the most efficient footprint on the beach.

“A square area of ​​shade is much more efficient for a human body to lie down or sit under than the circle of shade provided by an umbrella.”

It commissioned a study comparing umbrellas and CoolCabanas set up socially distanced on a beach at 1.5 meters and 2 meters.

“What this showed is that the CoolCabanas were 20 per cent more efficient and have the benefit that other bathers can see through them,” Mr Fraser said.