The Mayor's Column
That’s it! We have had enough! Obelisk Beach should be closed as a nudist beach and returned to the community.
There has been anti-social behaviour there and in the environs for years, but when we get people committing lewd acts in front of children playing sport on the nearby oval and taking photos of our kids, I believe the community will back me to the hilt in a campaign to get this place cleaned up. Literally, because besides the undesirable customers, there is a disgusting pile of rubbish, as no one has the responsibility of cleaning up after these individuals. There are no toilets and you can imagine the state of the bushland area with condoms and other detritus fouling the place.
Although within the boundary of Mosman, both beaches are under the control of the National Parks and Wildlife Services. The surrounding area, in which the sporting oval is located, is under the jurisdiction of the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust.
I surmise that these organizations are as unhappy about the situation as Mosman Council and most residents.
So who does have responsibility?
The State Government does.
In the early 1990s there was a huge campaign to close Reef Beach, a nudist beach in Manly.
The campaign was successful and overnight, with no consultation with Mosman Council or residents, two beautiful beaches within our precinct were declared “clothing optional.” These were Obelisk and Cobblers Beaches.
Over the intervening 20 years, distinctive cultures have grown up in both. Obelisk became a hangout for gay people, with fairly explicit invitations on the Internet to come there to meet there for sex.
Cobblers is a cleaner environment with a mixture of ages and I was relieved to say on the day I visited that all children present were wearing costumes. I do not know if this is always the case.
These beaches were fairly inaccessible 20 years ago. Now they are publicised internationally on the Internet and very accessible. Unfortunately, they are being accessed by people we do not want in our suburb, particularly on Obelisk. This is not because of its reputation as a gay beach. Not at all. But this is the one causing the trouble.
I am calling on all residents who feel as I do to support a call to the NSW Premier to return Obelisk Beach to the wider community.
Cr Denise Wilton, Mayor of Mosman