Latest news with #LeonGoltsman
Daily Mail
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
The huge changes coming to annual Christmas Day party on Bronte Beach after spirited revellers left behind a trail of glass and rubbish two years in a row
A Sydney council which compared the mess left in the wake of a Christmas Day beach party to attendees 'sh***ing on our doorstep' will spend $220,000 on waste management, security and toilets for this year's event. Waverley Council considered a variety of new rules for the festive gathering at Bronte Beach during a meeting of councillors on Tuesday night. These measures included a stronger enforcement of the glass and booze ban with a strengthened police presence to crackdown on anti-social behaviour this year. Up to 15,000 people, including a large number of tourists, gather at the iconic beach to celebrate Christmas Day every year. But the event came under fire in 2023 when the council complained that crowds had left large amounts of rubbish and glass behind. 'It's basically people sh***ing on our doorstep,' local councillor Leon Goltsman told NewsWire on Boxing Day in 2023. 'The fact there is still broken glass there, people are cutting their feet, the fact people are still having illegal parties… the fact if anyone gets injured or hurt, we can't even get an ambulance to them because it is all blocked, it's unacceptable.' Waverley Mayor Will Nemesh told Newswire that the council didn't want to restrict access to the beach and surrounds by making it a fenced or ticketed event. The council on Tuesday will consider a strict glass bottle ban and increased police attendance An online survey commissioned by the council found fencing off the park was only supported by 25 per cent of locals. 'We heard the community loud and clear after Christmas in 2024,' Mayor Nemesh told 702 ABC Radio Sydney. 'Bronte is an absolutely spectacular part of the world. We want to ensure by implementing option three, all people can enjoy the public open spaces, but do so responsibly and respectfully. While alcohol is already banned on Bronte Beach and the surrounding park, the large number of people on Christmas Day means it is often smuggled in. Councillors is optimistic that a strict ban on glass and an increased police presence would deter people from drinking alcohol and engaging in anti-social behaviour. Waverley Council said the 15,000 people who visited the beach on Christmas Day last year was a 20 per cent increase on the previous years.
News.com.au
17-06-2025
- Politics
- News.com.au
Waverely Council set to vote for glass bottle ban ahead of 2025 Bronte Beach Christmas Day party
A strictly enforced booze ban and a greater police presence could be on the way for the legendary Christmas Day bash at Sydney's Bronte Beach. Waverley Council, which takes in the iconic beach and Bronte Park along with Bondi Beach, is expected to vote on Tuesday night for a sweep of new enforcement measures to reduce the scale of rowdiness and rubbish that has marked the beloved celebration in recent years. Thousands of tourists from around the world descend on the beach to soak up the day, often donning red bathing suits. But tensions between residents and visitors boiled over in 2023, when the park the park was left littered with rubbish and broken glass. 'It's basically people sh***ing on our doorstep,' Waverley Bondi Ward Councillor Leon Goltsman told NewsWire on Boxing Day that year. 'The fact there is still broken glass there, people are cutting their feet, the fact people are still having illegal parties … the fact if anyone gets injured or hurt, we can't even get an ambulance to them because it is all blocked, it's unacceptable.' But from Tuesday night, the council will likely entrench new rules to control the party, including a prohibition on all glass bottles and additional crowd management officers. 'Enhancements following community consultation are recommended, with additional focus on police presence to address anti-social behaviour and preserve public safety, including the implementation of alcohol bans or other alcohol checkpoints, depending on what is most practical given the unfenced location,' the council's June 17 agenda document states. 'Further enhancements include a comprehensive communications campaign to deter attendance and promote positive behaviour. 'Further, in this option, council officers will collaborate with various stakeholders including ride share operators, emergency services, traffic management and waste and cleansing services to improve outcomes across those areas.' The 'option three' model was one of five considered by the council to reorganise the Christmas Day event. Other options included putting on a fenced, ticketed event or leaving the park as an open slather with no enforcement mechanisms in place. Waverley Mayor Will Nemesh, speaking with NewsWire ahead of the vote, said he backed option three and said it was 'highly likely' other councillors would too. 'It's basically an evolving strategy, over two years, to make sure we get the balance right between community expectations and people having fun,' he said. Alcohol is already prohibited on the beach and in the park, Mayor Nemesh noted, but the vast numbers of attendees meant liquor usually slipped through. The councillors hope a strict ban on glass coupled with a larger police presence will suppress alcohol consumption. 'We want everyone to have fun,' he said. 'Bronte is an absolutely spectacular part of the world. We want to ensure by implementing option three, all people can enjoy the public open spaces, but do so responsibly and respectfully.' 'Option three is sensible and reasonable and a measured approach to dealing with this ongoing issue we have each year at Christmas in Bronte.'
