Mayor puts foot down over rude behavior ruining public beach: ‘Common courtesy’

A local council in Australia has been forced to ban people from securing public beachside huts with plastic wrap, in a new trend that has infuriated residents.

Beachgoers were securing beachside gazebos at North Wollongong’s beach by wrapping plastic wrap around them, with Wollongong Council putting up new signs to rid of the practice.

“This is a shared public space,” the signs along Cliff Road read.

“The use of cling wrap or any material to enclose picnic shelters is prohibited.” 

Lord Mayor of Wollongong Tania Brown told news.com.au she was disappointed that council had to erect the signs.

The local government in Wollongong, Australia has had to warn residents to not reserve beach cabanas by covering them in plastic wrap. Netfalls – stock.adobe.com

Brown also said council rangers have been ordered to “remove” the wrapping if they find it. 

“It is unfortunate that we have had to erect signage to remind people of this, but I would hope people show common courtesy to one another when it comes to shared spaces and facilities,” she said. 

“The beauty [of the beaches] lies in the fact that these are public spaces for everyone to enjoy, and the vast majority of people do enjoy them as such.” 

Wollongong resident Cath Lea said the practice has been going on for the 23 years she has lived in the area. 

“This has been happening along the main beach area in city beach for as long as I can remember,” she wrote online in response to the council’s move.

“This is very, very common.”

A sign telling beachgoers that using “cling wrap” on cabanas is prohibitied. Reddit/jiggly-rock

The move from the council comes as debate rages over beachgoers securing spots on the beach with cabanas. 

Even Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese weighed in on the cabana drama last week, saying the behavior was “not on” when asked on the “Today” show. 

“Prime Minister, you are the leader of the nation and I want to ask you this very, very important question,” host Alex Cullen began.

“There’s been fierce online debate about beachgoers arriving at the beach early and using their cabanas to reserve their spots.

“So, essentially setting up the cabana, going away, leaving the beach and then coming back and coming back later in the day. So, you’re reserving your spot, basically. Where do you sit, Prime Minister, on this burning question that is today dividing the nation?”

In response, Albanese said the beach should be a place where every Australian is “equal.”

“And that’s a breach of that principle, really, to think that you can reserve a little spot as just yours.”

It was a response that raised the eyebrows of some, including Senator McKenzie, who shared a Daily Mail op-ed by Peter van Onselen to X and captioned it: “Albo the beachfront mansion owner’s divisive view on Cool Cabanas.”

“The PM looks down on SunSmart Australians who can’t afford a home with an ocean view but still want to enjoy the beach this summer #unaustralian #snob,” Sen McKenzie’s post continued.

The “mansion” in question is the four-bedroom, three-bathroom home in Copacabana, on NSW’s Central Coast, that was purchased by Albanese for $2.68 million in October and offers unobstructed ocean views and a peek of the distant Sydney skyline.

While beach authorities in parts of the United States have taken action against cabana users to prevent “beach spreading,” coastal councils in Australia have ruled out following suit.

Last week, almost 11,000 readers responded to a news.com.au poll asking whether it is “okay to reserve a spot on the beach with a cabana” after reports that some people pop up their tent simple to grab a coveted spot, and then don’t even use it.

The no vote garnered a whopping 82 percent of the vote. Just 15 percent said it was OK and 3 percent were undecided.