Sporting Disharmony !

 Two of Sydney's most famous beaches are in the news because someone has launched a complaint with Waverley Council, objecting to beachgoers playing volleyball on Bondi and Tamarama.  This is a game where a net is involved and two teams of players compete to keep a ball from landing anywhere on the surface of the court area.

This is amateur sport, open to players of both gender and all ages and it usually draws big crowds of interested spectators.  On an average weekend it involves three courts at Bondi and four at Tamarama and players bring their own equipment.

Waverley Council is responsible for both beaches and has promised to investigate this complaint.  Beaches are what is termed "Crown land " and so the investigation will probably take the form of a consultation to determine what beachgoers think.

The complainant claims that playing volleyball poses a risk to small children who may be struck by a wayward ball.  It is not unusual for the ball to land thirty feet out of the playing area, but it is a " soft " ball and there is no evidence of damage to the public in the years volleyball has been played on beaches.

Beaches are a place of public relaxation.  People go there to enjoy sitting on the sand in the fresh air and " sunning " themselves.  Many take a swim in the ocean and are watched over by the Sure Lifesaving movement.  The fact that volleyball games draw crowds does illustrate that these crowds welcome some sort of entertainment.

It is also a fact that these games are spontaneous.  No fees are involved and the public is free to congregate and watch play, or wander to other parts of the beach once their interest has been satisfied.  A fast game of volleyball is considered good exercise and that is something that the medical fraternity encourage.

There have been suggestions that a fee should be charged for playing what is clearly a competitive sport on a public beach, but that introduces a commercial aspect that could impinge on all manner of beach freedoms.  We would never want to see the day the public must pay to use a public beach.

This complainant may be a naysayer who objects to any form of competition on public space or someone who has a genuine concern that harm may befall a child.  The objection is clearly unwelcome.  It is something Waverley Council can not ignore and now it will divide public opinion.   Some who enjoy playing volleyball on the beach at the weekend may feel uncomfortable knowing their enjoyment is creating a backlash of public opinion.

Hopefully, the issue will be allowed to subside without the need for by-laws to be proclaimed. This is a harmless sport that most people welcome !