My email to Council to help save my nude beach.

Nudist Activism

Feb 16

a candid share, from my heart TO COUNCIL, to TRY AND HELP save my local nude beach.

On Thursday 22 February, Byron Shire Council will meet to discuss New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Services’ (NSW NPWS) recent and very sudden push to revoke Tyagarah’s clothing-optional status by 8 April 2024.

It’s always disheartening to hear about nude beaches being shut down…and even more so when it’s your own.

Along with many other Tyagarah beach-goers and naturists in our community…I sent an email to Council to urge them to reconsider a different course of action…

And this comes straight from my heart…

Dear Councillors,

My name is Jessa and I am writing to you about Report No. 13.15 pertaining to ‘Tyagarah Clothing-Optional Beach’.

As a regular visitor of Tyagarah clothing-optional beach, I am deeply saddened and utterly disappointed to discover NSW NPWS’ very sudden request to have the clothing-optional status of the beach revoked. The lack of transparency on NSW NPWS’ behalf and their omission of community consultation is unfair, undemocratic and unjust. I urge Council to propose a different course of action to NSW NPWS in which there is community consultation and a collaborative effort between themselves, Council and the naturist community.

I have been regularly visiting Tyagarah’s clothing-optional beach since 2017. During the summer, I am there most weeks and have had the pleasure and opportunity of becoming a part of a fantastic community. And that’s the thing about these clothing-optional beaches…unlike most other ‘regular’ beaches, our CO beaches have a very strong and very REAL sense of community. For many of us, Tyagarah is our happy place. A place we go to find peace, to gather with like-minded people, to find community, meet with friends, admire the environment and be at one with nature. A place to experience freedom, liberation and empowerment.

As a 35 year old woman who has been involved in the naturist lifestyle for over 10 years now, I, personally, know just how significant a role these clothing-optional beaches play in our community. My introduction to the naturist lifestyle began at a clothing-optional beach, and what I found was an accepting and non-judgemental community who represent camaraderie and solidarity. As a female living in a world that upholds unrealistic body image standards where the human body is also hyper-sexualised, getting involved with the naturist community and having the opportunity to experience non-sexual social nudity at a clothing-optional beach has been a healing experience, as well as the absolute best thing for my body image and self-acceptance journey; and I have many friends (men and women) who can also attest to a similar experience/journey. I mean, where else are you exposed to a DIVERSITY of real bodies of ALL different ages, shapes, colours and sizes?

I share this because I am unsure whether the Council realises just how far-reaching the implications of shutting down clothing-optional beaches can be. As a female especially, I have been on the receiving end of constantly feeling sexualised/objectified in society…mostly when I am clothed, I’ll have you know. On the contrary to what the general public (and even yourself) may assume, the irony is that I feel less sexualised/objectified at a clothing-optional beach when I am stark naked than I do when I am walking down the street with my clothes on…and a clothing-optional beach was the first time I had this profound experience and realisation that nudity, in and of itself, is not inherently sexual. The problem lies in our societal and cultural conditioning…and clothing-optional beaches actually provide us the very rare and tangible opportunity to experience our bodies, and nudity, in a very wholesome and healing way. So, no, nude beaches are not just a haven for nudists; they have the potential to play a much more critical role within society. If you shut down this beach, you are robbing the community of this same opportunity that has changed my life (and countless others) for the better. And in today’s age of the internet and social media, our society needs these spaces and opportunities now more than ever. Revoking the clothing-optional status of Tyagarah not only disappoints the naturist community, but fails a wider portion of society and our community’s future generations.

SAFETY IS OUR PRIORITY:

Most times, I visit as a solo female (although, because I’m now a regular, I’ve made many friends at Tyagarah that I’m always bumping into someone!), some times with my partner, other times with a small group of female friends, and other times with a group of male and female friends. And the fact that I feel safe enough to frequently go to Tyagarah as a solo female says A LOT. This has especially been the case since Council, alongside the Byron Naturist Community, back in 2018, reasserted its commitment to keeping our beach, the community and visitors safe by implementing further safety measures, such as the installation of surveillance in the area. There has been a remarkable and noticeable POSITIVE shift in the ambience and environment at Tyagarah. I see more and more solo females like myself, groups of women and families enjoying the beach…and this is all symbolic of the restored and improved reputation of Tyagarah’s clothing-optional Beach…and all thanks to a joint community effort.

The naturist community would like nothing more than to continue working with Council, NSW NPWS and local police to keep our beach safe from ‘anti-social’, lewd or indecent behaviour. Given that we have NO other legal stretch of nude beach (nothing in QLD) and nothing until the central coast of NSW, we have the most to lose here; and so WE, the naturists, are the most motivated and determined to keep our beaches safe, not only for ourselves…but also for newcomers and first timers. Given we understand the life-changing and empowering impacts that this lifestyle has to offer, we also want this for those experiencing a nude beach for the first time. The last thing we want is for them to have an undesirable or negative experience.

As a naturist, I do not condone or tolerate ‘anti-social’, lewd or inappropriate behaviour at Tyagarah…and this is a sentiment shared amongst the naturist community. So, we do not stand in opposition of NSW NPWS ‘values’…on the contrary, we share them!

WE VALUE ENVIRONMENTAL VALUES:

As with NSW NPWS, we, too, feel that the environmental conservation and cultural significance of the area are important matters that must be respected and addressed; and so I believe that NSW NPWS should be in consultation with the naturist community on this matter so that we can more informedly, confidently and cohesively manage the beach and nature reserve in a joint effort.

Naturists are called naturists because we desire to live IN HARMONY WITH NATURE. It’s one of the foundational pillars of the naturist lifestyle. As the ‘International Naturist Federation’ (INF) outlines, ‘Naturism is a way of life in harmony with nature characterised by the practice of communal nudity with the intention of encouraging self-respect, respect for others and for the environment’.

As most of the genuine naturists that frequent Tyagarah believe, no one should be walking around in the dunes or hind-dunes; and this is something that regulars are frequently policing. I believe that, along with NSW NPWS, we (the naturist community) can work together to, not only maintain Tyagarah beach and the nature reserve but, improve it and leave it better off than how we found it.

With regard to the environmental aspect specifically, I truly believe that this beach is in MUCH better hands with the naturist community than it would be if it were left to the general public who may or may not care for the environment, and who do not have something to lose here as a consequence of their actions. At the very least, we have a stake in this. We have something to lose. Unlike the regular beach-goer, we can’t just go to the next beach. Tyagarah is our only option…and so we are beyond motivated to act in accordance with measures that help to protect the beach and its surrounding environment.

So, again, as you can see, contradictory to the NSW NPWS insinuating that the CO beach is ‘inconsistent with values of the reserve that it manages’…on the contrary, we DO share the same values as them.

LET’S WORK TOGETHER:

If the CO beach is to close on 8 April, us naturists have NO other stretch of beach to enjoy in the nude. This significantly impacts the lives of the hundreds of beach goers who frequent Tyagarah. Please urge NSW NPWS to consider this. At the very least, if Byron Shire Council is to no longer have any jurisdiction over this matter, I believe that this is something that NSW NPWS must consult with the naturist community on. So, I urge you, in the very least, to recommend this to them. This is only fair given how sudden and inconsiderate this decision is.

At the end of the day, us naturists share the common values and sentiments that the NSW NPWS, Byron Shire Council and police do…we all want to ensure safety on our beach and promote cultural and environmental conservation of the land that we all share and love.

This is about managing expectations and moving forward COHESIVELY, with transparency. I truly believe that, if we can make this a COLLABORATIVE effort, just like some of the wins and improvements we’ve had since 2018…we can only continue to build and improve upon these so that EVERYBODY wins.

I really hope that we can show the world that Byron is still that progressive little coastal town it’s always been famed for…the world is watching.

Regards,

(a very hopeful) Jessa