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Would SEQ beach clubs be such a bad thing?
By Matt Shea
On the beach in Koh Samui one afternoon in early 2017, I got chatting to a young Russian couple.
“The beaches here,” one of them said in clipped but otherwise near-perfect English, “they’re so beautiful. We can’t believe it.”
I looked towards the beach, back to the Russians. To the beach. Then back to the Russians. And I tried not to laugh.
Beach clubs are once again being proposed for the Gold Coast by Mayor Tom Tate.Credit: iStock
Sure, the beaches in Samui were lovely enough. But I lived in Brisbane, less than an hour from the Gold and Sunshine coasts. It was a sudden reminder of how good we have it here. And yet, many international tourists would be baffled by how little we utilise these wide, golden strips of sand.
That could change if Tom Tate has his way, with the Gold Coast mayor earlier this week reviving talk of the introduction of beach clubs (or bars) to the city’s beaches. And Queensland Premier David Crisafulli has now publicly supported the idea.
Beach clubs, beach bars, beach restaurants – whatever they are, or you want to call them – are found throughout the world, from Samui to Bali, to Italy and France, to Mexico and Brazil. If you’ve been to a beach in these countries, you’ll know the general score: a bunch of umbrellas on or overlooking the beach, maybe some sun loungers, a bloke shaking cocktails and pouring spritzes.
Queenslanders love them as much as anyone else (check your Instagram and there’s a reasonable chance one of your mates has recently posted about one on a northern summer adventure) and yet, we don’t have them at our own beaches, except for maybe the odd pop-up or event. Why? The general arguments range from the risk of pollution and privatisation of beaches (fair), to fears of anti-social behaviour (more on that in a bit).
“Honestly, I don’t think we [make enough use of our beaches],” says Nick Woodward, co-owner of Rick Shores in Burleigh Heads, which boasts arguably the best beach frontage of any restaurant in Australia.
“We’ve got the most beautiful beaches, not just visually, but in terms of accessibility and lifestyle. But compared to places like the Mediterranean, South-East Asia or Central America, we’ve been pretty conservative when it comes to embracing our coastline as part of our hospitality culture.
“There’s definitely room, and appetite, for more beach-adjacent venues … without overdeveloping or overcomplicating it.”
Rick Shores in Burleigh Heads boasts one of the best outlooks in the country.
Kirra Beach House owner David Galvin agrees.
“In Asia, even some places in the States, but particularly Europe, you get to enjoy the beaches, but also this great hospitality,” Galvin says. “It’s really beautifully integrated into the coastal lifestyle when done well.”
Tate has been pursuing the idea for ages, and you can understand the mayor of a city reliant on tourism being right behind the idea – particularly after a successful trial at Broadbeach during the 2021-22 summer, before an extension was blocked by the Department of Natural Resources.
But environmental and resident groups have been pushing back since at least 2021, and this latest initiative comes as the city continues to rebuild its beaches after extensive damage caused by ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred.
Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred devastated Gold Coast beaches in March.Credit: AAP
Those wary of the idea rightly want our beaches to reflect our egalitarian, democratic culture. Beaches are for everyone, the argument goes, and keeping them free of food and beverage operators trying to peddle wine and cocktails upholds that ideal.
But you could repackage that argument the other way. Want to eat and drink on (or nearly on) the beach on the Gold Coast? You need to either opt for a surf club, where mileage may vary, or nab a front-row spot at somewhere like Rick Shores or Kirra Beach Club – easier said than done.
Beach clubs would open up that experience to more people – in particular tourists, who are often here for a good time, not a long time – and that wouldn’t be a bad thing. They would offer a new way to enjoy our beaches (the Russians were quite upfront about not being able to swim, but that’s not why they would go to a beach), in a sense making them more inclusive, more democratic.
The environmental questions are more complex, and maybe Tate should have kept his powder dry until more work was done to rebuild the Gold Coast beaches post-Alfred.
Kirra Beach House in Coolangatta.
But take a look at Copacabana in Rio de Janeiro on Google Street View. You could almost be at the main entrance to Surfers Paradise beach, but with a bunch of shaded food stalls, or quiosques, semi-built into the corso, with minimal impact on the beach itself, which is about as wide as Surfers or Broadbeach.
I’ve never been, but a colleague eagerly sung its praises when I asked about his experiences there during the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Yes, there are food vendors who wander out across the beach, but I don’t think anyone is proposing that for the Gold Coast.
Finally, we come to the “anti-social” aspect, and this is my bugbear. For a country that isn’t afraid of a drink, we sure treat it as a zero-to-100 pastime. Either we’re supposed to drink at home, at a restaurant, or be herded into a crowded club or bar. And then in said crowded club or bar, we’re surprised when the aggro kicks off.
Think of the transformation the proliferation of small bars has had on our food and beverage scene. A beach club could and should be an extension of that culture, which lends itself to a more considered style of drinking, just as people are becoming more conscious of how much booze they put in their body.
Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro.Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto
Sure, the idea of beachside day drinking spots comes with all sorts of concerns, from those already raised above to the government handing out the licences to their best and biggest pals.
But, a couple of wines in the late afternoon or early evening, watching the breakers roll in, before peeling off to your next destination? Done right, that sounds pretty civilised.
“Tommy Tate says he wants to jump out of the surf and come and grab a XXXX,” Galvin says. “In reality, I don’t think the council is going to be charging that kind of rent. It’s got to be something that’s approachable, that appeals to everyone.”
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