Bronte Beach Christmas party: Business owners slam Waverley Council and ‘entitled’ locals after Christmas party caused chaos
Small business owners have blasted Sydney's 'entitled' beach dwellers 'into their $5 million homes' after a Christmas Day backpacker beach party angered residents.
On Christmas Day, 10,000 revelers filled Sydney's Bronte Beach for the annual event, affectionately known as Orphans' Christmas, which involved the community cleaning up rubbish left on nearby streets.
But pub owners in the eastern suburbs told NCA NewsWire the day would be a great way to help local businesses' bottom lines if it were better managed by local councils.
In recent years the event was held in the nearby suburb of Coogee before Randwick City Council clamped down on partygoers after the beach was vandalized with similar scenes in 2016.
About 10,000 revelers flocked to Bronte Beach on Christmas Day, leaving locals to clean up the mess
As soon as the sun rose, many people gathered on the beaches on Christmas Day
Longtime Coogee Courtyard pub owner Dave Martin said locals should embrace the celebrations.
“All these people in Bronte are all entitled to their $5 million homes and they don't want anyone there,” he said.
“Just embrace it, it's something travelers want to do. They want to spend a warm Christmas Day at the beach, because most people can't do that.'
He said December 25 was one of the busiest days of the year with “quadruple” revenues, but he can't be bothered to open now.
“I feel like Australia is the only country that is trying to suppress an international streak rather than embrace it,” he said.
'Considering that an estimated 10,000 people were present, the amount of waste was not too bad.
“Rather than flood the local economy with money, we're trying to shut it down.”
Dave Martin, owner of Coogee Courtyard, described Bronte locals as 'entitled'
Waverley Mayor Paula Masselos said residents' anger was not due to their entitlement, but to the 'total lack of respect for the park itself and the community'.
“If anyone had a right to do that, it was the backpackers who entered a public place that belongs to everyone and showed a total lack of respect,” she said.
“If the place is trashed the way it was, people are right to be upset because it's taxpayers' money that pays for the extra staff on board to clean up.”
She confirmed that Waverley Council has made more waste containers available for the event, with two waste compactors rotating.
She said extra council staff were also hired during the day, with crews clearing rubble until 11pm on Christmas Day before continuing on Boxing Day.
Revelers were later beaten for vandalizing the nearby park. Pictured is trash and throwing away belongings the morning after
Coop cafe in Bronte co-owner Fern Coops said she believed businesses should “get in step with the Christmas celebration”.
“I think we need to look at the party positively, rather than just saying these people are destroying our beaches and being disrespectful. Instead, we should say, 'We welcome you, let's encourage this,'” she said.
She called for more support from the municipality, including extra portaloos and changes to the rules on consuming alcohol.
“What I've heard now is that because there are (limited) restrooms on the beach, (visitors) can come into businesses and vandalize the buildings,” she said.
“If the event was managed properly, there would be more incentive for businesses to open.”
Fern Coop (centre) believed the celebration could be turned into an official event that would benefit local businesses.
Allowing businesses to operate things like food trucks in Bronte Park would also ease pressure on the small cafes and eateries along Bronte Rd, she said.
Ms Masselos said although the council had explored options to host ticketed events in Bronte Park, geography made this 'unfeasible'.
Due to the 'large periphery' and the multiple 'access points', fencing and closing off the area would quickly become 'extremely expensive'.
With New Year's Eve just days away, Ms Masselos said the council would continue its 'zero tolerance for alcohol' in public places and warned punters that extra policing has been arranged.
“We have a user pay police force, and we will have more rangers and beach ambassadors, so there will be more staff patrolling and we will be keeping a close eye on it,” she said.