MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire Council wants public opinion about nude bathing continuing at Sunnyside Beach, Mount Eliza, but a state government MP says his private polling has already provided the answer: going without clothes is all right.
Nepean MP Chris Brayne said voting on his Facebook poll gave unanimous support to “optional clothing” rules to continue at the secluded bayside beach between Mount Eliza and Mornington.
Late last year, the council flagged that it would seek public opinion before approaching the government over the issue (“Call for fresh look at nude beach” The News 22/11/21).
Since the beach was gazetted as a nude bathing beach in 1986, there have been reports of lewd behaviour and drug taking on and around the beach, in the car park and on the foreshore.
Cr Steve Holland told the Tuesday 8 February council meeting that the survey issue had been largely “misunderstood”, as council was not indicating it wanted to change the nude bathing status of Sunnyside North Beach, but to open the debate up to the community.
He said that another beach “on the other side of the bay” had its clothing optional status removed at one point as it was now considered to be a built-up area, and that Mount Eliza’s population and demographic was also changing.
Mr Brayne said that 413 of the 415 responses to his online poll gave nude bathing the thumbs up and the other two responses were a sad emoji and a heart symbol.
“In a time with businesses struggling with staffing issues and the ongoing effects of the pandemic, is another public consultation really that necessary on this issue?” Mr Brayne, whose electorate does not cover the Sunnyside area, said on Wednesday, the day after councillors decided to approach the public.
“The overwhelming response [to his Facebook poll] was supportive of the retention of the beach as clothing optional.”
Cr Debra Mar said she thought the move was about the “victimisation” of people who chose to “do this” [wear no clothes], and there should be other strategies considered to address negative behaviour in the area, which could not be linked to the clothing optional status.
“They’re [nude bathers] having to defend themselves…,” she said.
Cr Mar said the removal of the clothing optional status would not solve the problem of undesirable behaviour near the beach, and that it would be better to get police involved in managing the issues.
Cr Holland successfully moved that residents living near Sunnyside be surveyed via email and a survey on the shire’s website be open to all.
Results from the surveys in May would be used by council when deciding if the optional clothing status at the beach should change.
Cr Holland said it was important the survey results distinguished between non-residents and Mornington Peninsula Shire residents, as well as residents living close to the beaches, and each should be weighted differently.
For the motion were the mayor Cr Anthony Marsh and Crs Holland, David Gill, Lisa Dixon, Mar, and Kerri McCafferty. Against: Crs Antonella Celi, Paul Mercurio and Susan Bissinger.
With Liz Bell
First published in the Mornington News – 15 February 2022
