Why A-Bay will be a no-go for nude bathers
Return to DiscussionsNew article from Sunshine Coast Daily May 5th
ATTEMPTS to make Noosa's unofficial nude beach, Alexandria Bay, legal have been dealt a bitter blow.Queensland Police Minister Bill Byrne has rejected a request for Queensland to legalise clothing optional beaches.Australian Sex Party representative Robin Bristow, who lives in Noosa, slammed Mr Byrne's announcement."Our state is 40 years behind the rest of Australia in legalising nude beaches," Mr Bristow said."We are the last state in Australia to make this simple change to legislation."How can we call ourselves the Smart State if our politicians can't even move into the 21st Century?"Mr Byrne rejected two attempts - a paper petition with 527 signatures and an online petition bearing 946 names - to create a "clothing optional beach" in Queensland.He said the state's Public Safety Business Agency advised Queensland's wilful exposure laws were designed to protect citizens and keep them safe."As such, I can advise that the Queensland Government has no plans to change the current legislation dealing with wilful exposure," Mr Byrne said."Therefore, the designation of a clothing optional beach is not supported at this time."Mr Bristow said Mr Byrne's argument that it was designed for the "protection and safety of Queenslanders" was pathetic."What are the people in Queensland being protected from? It is their choice to be on a nude beach and making such a claim is complete rubbish when we see that the rest of Australia has the freedom to visit the many clothing optional beaches up and down the coast."Queensland is making criminals out of decent folk who are making adult decisions about their lifestyle, decisions that do not affect anyone else."We are tired of being seen as the backward state and we need the Queensland government to show that we have moved on from the Joe Bjelke-Petersen era."Mr Bristow claimed Noosa councillors, in a majority show of hands, had expressed their desire to see Alexandria Bay in Noosa National Park be designated as a legal nude beach and Townsville Council has also recently commissioned their staff to start public consultations in anticipation of changes being made to the law."This change to the law will cost the Queensland government absolutely nothing and will boost tourism, jobs and the economy. The people of Queensland are waiting for their government to grow up and to start treating them like adults."