PHOTO: Byron Bay nude beach – Tyagarah Beach. ABC
Naturists may soon lose the opportunity to enjoy Tyagarah Beach in its unclothed glory, as the NSW Parks and Wildlife Service (NWPS) intends to abolish its ‘clothing-optional’ status. Once dubbed a ‘swingers and doggers paradise’ by a local councillor, the beach near Byron Bay on the NSW far north coast has hosted nudists since 1998.
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In a recent letter to the Byron Bay Shire Council, NWPS expressed its intention to end the clothing-optional provision, citing inconsistencies with the reserve’s values. They requested the removal of all signage indicating the beach’s clothing-optional status by April 8.
The council will vote on this matter at a forthcoming public meeting. NWPS highlighted concerns about naturists straying beyond designated areas, causing environmental damage to dunes and hind-dunes. However, a final decision is pending, with NWPS expressing willingness to explore alternative options in collaboration with the community.
Tyagarah Beach, which is near the northern NSW coastal town of Byron Bay, has been a ‘clothing-optional’ area since 1998
Bradley Benham from Byron Naturists has initiated a petition urging NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe to preserve the beach for naturists, emphasizing the scarcity of legal outdoor spaces for nudists in NSW and Australia. The petition calls for reconsideration of NWPS’s decision, stressing the beach’s significance to naturists in the region.
A petition pleading for Tyagarah Beach to be kept open for ‘future generations’ of naturists has is being prepared to send to the NSW Environment Minister
Despite previous controversies surrounding the beach, including allegations of inappropriate behavior and breaches of COVID-19 restrictions, the fate of Tyagarah Beach as a nudist haven hangs in the balance. The council’s installation of CCTV cameras in 2018 aimed to address concerns about misconduct, while disagreements persist regarding the beach’s management between local authorities and naturist advocates.
The NSW Parks and Wildlife Service has claimed naturists are not sticking to the area designated for them
SOURCE: THE DAILY MAIL