Messy Pups !

This year, Christmas Day was a scorcher - and so the holiday crowds did what is traditional in Sydney.  They went to the beach !   What they left behind when they went home from Coogee beach
 has so infuriated Randwick council that they slapped a complete alcohol ban on Coogee for the rest of this summer.

Coogee was already under a partial restriction on alcohol.  It was perfectly legal to have a drink from mid morning through the lunch break, but alcohol was barred from late afternoon to avoid drunken night parties and the danger of the inebriated drowning in the surf.   This was an ordinance that was lightly enforced.

There is no doubt that the Christmas Day beachgoers left Coogee in an unsightly mess.  Empty food containers.  The wrapping paper from presents. Bottles and cans, from all sorts of drinks were left littering the sand and piled up around disposal points.   Council  workmen carted away fifteen tonnes of rubbish and the council adopted a total alcohol ban to appease public fury.

In a few days time, Sydney will host another event for which it is famous on the world scene.  On the stroke of midnight huge crowds at vantage points around Sydney harbour will enjoy a fireworks display to bring in the new year.  By tradition, this will be the breaking news picture on television screens in most countries.

There is also an inevitable scene that the television channels will feature the next morning.  Council workers will move in to remove the incredible amount of rubbish those crowds left behind when they finally ended the new year celebrations.   Parks and beaches that were viewing points will be littered with rubbish and no doubt councils will tot up the tonnage collected and estimate what that cleanup cost council coffers.

There is a certain inevitability about this - year after year - but little changes.   The litter bins provided to service parks and beaches are designed to serve the average crowd numbers present throughout the year.,  They are totally inadequate for these big events and so crowd behaviour becomes very predictable.   The moment the refuse bins become full and overflowing people drop their rubbish in the near vicinity - and when that becomes a mountain all restraint is abandoned. In most instances, there is no attempt by councils to empty those rubbish bins in an orderly fashion throughout the day.

Some people are natural slobs, but the greater majority would respond if facilities were available. Councils know when large crowds are expected - and should plan accordingly.   The placement of those bulk bins that service apartment blocks strategically placed where crowds can deposit their rubbish would alleviate the situations - but they would need to be quickly replaced when reaching capacity to be effective.  Rubbish management is an ongoing need rather than something to be accommodated within the usual council work hours structure.

Unfortunately, the council reaction to a very predictable inability to contain rubbish on Christmas day will see the end of many folk enjoying a civilized lunch on the sand, accompanied with a moderate glass of alcohol.   Police and rangers will be seizing and tipping out any alcohol found and our image as a cosmopolitan city will be tarnished.

When will councils learn that rubbish control is an ongoing thing that must meet the need of both time and place.   With the right planning, these sort of messes can be avoided.