Perth council in hot water after enforcing ban at City Beach
Residents and tourists are furious after hot water was turned off at public showers at a popular beach.
Cambridge City Council in Perth’s west announced the decision two days before warm water was cut off at City Beach on Monday.
The unpopular decision was an attempt to deter visitors from staying overnight illegally without a permit and leaving rubbish on the beach.
A post on the council’s Facebook page states that they are trying to combat the problem with daily waste collection, extra waste bins, CCTV and regular supervision.
But the justification has sparked outrage among the community, amid claims from locals that they were not consulted and are now calling for the decision to be reversed.
‘I am both disappointed and shocked by this decision; families, taxpayers, community groups and beachgoers all use these showers,” one resident fumed.
‘You are punishing all the people who are quietly enjoying the city beach, in an attempt to deter a few campers.
‘Please explain how the community was consulted on this decision and how it can be appealed.’
Cambridge City Council has turned off the hot water in public showers at Perth’s City Beach (pictured) to combat overnight campers
Another said the change was one of the reasons they “regretted” the council.
“I swim in the ocean at City Beach all year round and the thought of a hot shower after a winter swim is something I also really look forward to,” they wrote.
A third commented: ‘Make life as difficult and uncomfortable as possible for those who have nowhere to sleep but their vans and cars.’
“Young budget travelers and the poor are such a thorn in the side of the bourgeois aesthetic sensibilities of your taxpayers.”
Others pointed out that the ban will make it harder for homeless people to find a place to wash.
Locals claim they were not consulted about the council’s decision to cut off the hot water (stock image)
“If there is a problem with the existing homeless population, maybe provide state-funded housing and ‘support,’” another local wrote.
‘Just basic help with organizing things for those who really need it – they don’t have to be six-bedroom townhouses and they don’t have to have a sea view.’
Kelton Hicks, acting CEO of the City of Cambridge, said the measure “aims to keep City Beach clean and safe for all beachgoers.
“This was an administrative decision to address the problem of illegal camping at City Beach,” he told Yahoo.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Cambridge City Council for further comment.