We delayed posting this information while we waited for comments/outcry’s from the various councils, but since none has been forthcoming, we assume this information is now safe to release. This letter was received by one our our representatives on 22 March, from DSE South West Region in Ballarat - this is an official response given by DSE on behalf of the Minister for Planning, and therefore is about as official a response as we’ll ever see!!

Thank you for your letter dated 5th March 2007 to the Minister for Planning in respect of the Point Impossible clothing optional beach. I have been asked to reply to you on the Minister’s behalf.

The department (DSE) appreciates your interest and participation in the January 2007 workshop held by Surf Coast Shire. The contribution of stakeholders in such processes is very important, and brings many benefits including informed and balanced decision making.

I am pleased to note your endorsement of the outcomes of the workshop. I understand that the Shire in conjunction with the Great Ocean Road Coast Committee (GORCC) have commenced to implement the workshop’s recommendations for improved management. I am advised that works include widening of access paths, revegetation of disturbed dunes, installation of pedestrian barrier fencing to protect dune vegetation and installation of upgraded signs including interpretative signs encouraging dune conservation, are proposed or underway. I am also pleased to hear that your Association has been working with and supporting GORCC with its land management responsibilities at Point Impossible.

I am advised that the other councils who have raised similar concerns in respect to the locations and management of clothing optional beaches in their municipalities are being encouraged to run similar workshops to review their concerns and identify the management options. Any changes to the status of any of the currently designated clothing optional beaches will be based on a thorough understanding of the issues and options and through consultation with stakeholders.

At this stage, I understand that no change to the status of any of these beaches is proposed.

Thank you for your interest in this matter.

HURRAH!!!! Well done to everyone involved, but in particular to Rob, who relentlessly wrote letters, made phone calls, and generally hassled anyone who would listen - perhaps the State Government simply gave in to stop the flood of letters and calls?!?

It’s also important to note that last sentence before the sign-off - no change to the status of any beach is proposed!!! Now that the heat is slightly reduced, we can use the coming winter months to work on our strategy for next summer, when we hope to show we can keep our part of the bargain and get real interest from beach users in looking after their facilities.

We’re proud of our efforts, and we’re pleased that so many people were able to support us along the way. Thanks to everyone who got involved and did their bit to help save our beaches.

We’re also pleased to note that Cr Humphrey, the one person who started this whole roller-coaster ride, has now moved on to something new - opposition to parking meters being installed in beach carparks… and so it goes….

There’s a poll showing currently on the front page of the online Geelong Advertiser, posing the question “Should nude beaches be banned?”. We’re going to ignore the obvious generalisation of the topic on the grounds that there must have been a limited number of words the Addy could fit in that little box!!

Please get along to the poll and show your support for keeping nude beaches open for the enjoyment of thousands of users from all over Victoria, nationally and even around the world

http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/

Update: 27/1/07 1.45pm - 68 voters say no to banning CO beaches, from 76 respondents that’s 89% for keeping them open!!

Update: 28/1/07 10.00am - 187 votes are in, with 91% in favour of not banning nude beaches!!

Update: 30/1/07 11.40pm - 602 votes are in, with 92% saying nude beaches should not be banned!! Support for keeping the beaches open is clearly there

Update: 31/1/07 11.50pm - 662 votes are in, with 92% still saying nude beaches should not be banned!! After 4 days of running, it looks like slightly more than 9 in 10 people want to keep nude beaches open. That’s a very interesting result indeed!!

According to this article in the Gellong Advertiser (Click here to read), support for the poll has gone international!! Just think, lots of potential international nudist tourists now know Torquay and Pt Impossible exist!! Nudism is good for tourism, we say!!

An article appeared in the Werribee/Hoppers Crossing today, by Kirsty Ross, titled “City must face” (Click here to read). Kirsty has written some nicely balanced stories in the past, and this one sticks to the facts - Wyndham has spent some money cleaning up the access and improving the general area, and may have done so on the assumption that they wouldn’t get any resistance to revocation of the clothing optional status.

Interestingly, Wyndham CC’s motivation appears to be related to tourism and redevelopment opportunities - both areas that the nudist community supports, and can integrate into, if there had been some consultation!! This holds true for all the beaches and the three responsible councils - all you had to do was talk to us and we could have actually worked on achieving mutually beneficial objectives!!

One day we hope the councils will realise that clothing optional beaches are identical in their requirements to the clothed beaches, the only difference between the two is the smallest amount of fabric. And a piece of clothing does not change the requirement for well maintained and managed facilities, appropriate monitoring and responses processes, and the protection of the legitimate users from the undesireable behaviour that occurs on ALL beaches, in beach carparks and toilet blocks.

Thanks to Rob for his comments, you’re right on the money as usual - check out the article if you haven’t done so already!!

Today we received our first official communication from the State Government, in the form of a status letter from Ian Voigt, Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) Regional Director South West. Ian states that councils responsible for all 4 Victorian beaches have asked for either revocation or review, and that DSE “is currently preparing advice for the Minister for his consideration and a decision on the way forward.” You can read the full letter here (Click here to read)

It was nice to get official communication, after all these months of wondering if our cries were being heard. But it’s not nice to get confirmation that all the beaches are under attack!!

We’re surprised that councils and the State Government think revocation of clothing optional beaches is a step forward in our current society. Cape D’Agde in France brings in 300,000 visitors every year from all over the world, because they have invested in infrastructure and facilities for a booming nudist tourist industry. In Europe more beaches are clothing optional than not (and even some parks in some town centres). Nudists are willing to spend their hard earned dollars where quality facilities are located - does Surf Coast Shire want to lose those tourist dollars to people willing to travel to Sydney or Adelaide because Victoria is heading backwards towards where Queensland is currently??? Does Mornington realise that inappropriate activity in the carpark won’t go away if you ban the nudists from the beach 300 meters away!!

All it would take is the realisation that nudists on the beaches are in the best position to improve the situation. Ban the nudists, and there’ll be nothing stopping the inappropriate behaviour at poorly used beaches if there aren’t any crowds.

We commend the efforts of the team over at NakedAustralians for their great article regarding the fight against the reclassification of some Victorian beaches.

The post shows Councillor Ron Humphrey’s speach trying to justify a change in the clothing optional status of Pt Impossible and Southside. Read the speach carefully - one commentor on the site pointed out this interesting throw-away line from Mr Humphrey, perhaps suggesting he has his own personal feelings about nude bathing that are not quite so aligned with other aspects of his speach:

“It’s not the aspect of nude bathing that necessitates this response; although I’m not sure how this activity fits in today’s society of political correctness particularly on public land.”

The post also lists the names and email addresses of all the Surfcoast shire representatives involved, so that we can send appropriate (and respectful!) letters and emails. It is also important to note that the minutes of the meeting indicate two councillers voted against the motion to revoke clothing optional status (Cr Beth Davidson of Anglesea and Cr Libby Mears Mayor of Airey’s Inlet) - in all cases, please be professional and respectful if you do send any communication, and please cc: either this site or the Melbourne Regional Director of the Free Beach Association (contact details for Sue are on the Contacts page).

Here’s the link to the NakedAustralians.com post with all the details -> Click here

Here’s the posting of the meeting minutes again -> Click here