Plea for patrols at nudist beach

Rockingham Mayor Barry Sammels says he would like a greater police presence at Port Kennedy nudist beach after receiving more complaints about indecent behaviour in the nearby sand dunes.

Cr Sammels said recent media reports that the council had not received any reports of inappropriate behaviour in the sand dunes were incorrect.

He said that as reported in the Sound Telegraph on December 29, the council had received two complaints from the public and since then had received about a dozen more.

And a nudist group has claimed members who used to visit the nudist beach say they no longer take children there because of the risk of seeing men engaging in homosexual activity in the sand dunes.

Sunseekers Inc president Helen Black said men having sex at the Port Kennedy nudist beach gave nudists a bad name, which they did not deserve.

Ms Black said members had complained r e g u l a r l y about inappropriate behaviour at the Port Kennedy beach over a number of years.

She blamed the council and police for not doing enough to patrol in the area.

‘‘It’s Rockingham council’s fault because they don’t have any beach inspectors down there,’’ she said.

‘‘Our members are saying the police don’t go there either.’’

She said when the beach was first established, people had to use fourwheel- drive vehicles to get there and there were few residents nearby.

But now complaints about indecent behaviour, which had gone on for ‘‘donkey’s years’’, were being echoed by residents whose properties back on to the beach.

She said the problem was not restricted to the Port Kennedy nudist beach. Similar behaviour had been seen at Perth’s popular nudist beach at Swanbourne.

‘‘It is a well-known fact that if you go to Port Kennedy or Swanbourne beaches, don’t go anywhere near the sand hills because you might see something you don’t want to see,’’ she said.