Hulls asks shire: Did you do your talks on nudists?

Hamish Heard
State Government wants to know whether Surf Coast Shire did its homework before councillors voted to try stripping Point Impossible of its nudists.
Councillors voted to ask Planning Minister Rob Hulls to revoke the Torquay beach’s “clothing optional status” in July amid residents’ complaints of lewd behaviour.
But Mr Hulls has written to Mayor Libby Mears demanding to know whether the community really wanted nudists banished from the beach.
“I believe that it would be imprudent to proceed further without appropriate local consultation being undertaken,” Mr Hulls wrote in the letter.
Mr Hulls’ said his demands followed submissions to his office from “a number” of groups and individuals that opposed “any changes to the status quo”.
The request to ban nudity followed similar requests from Wyndham and Mornington Peninsula councils.
Torquay would have Victoria’s only two nude beaches, Point Impossible and South-side, if the other municipalities’ requests were successful.
Earlier this year the Independent reported several complaints of obscene behaviour from Torquay residents.
The residents came forward with their complaints after reports that obscene behaviour was not a problem at Point Impossible.
Cr Mears, who voted against banning nudists at Point Impossible, failed to return the Independent’s call for comment before the paper went to press yesterday.
Torquay councillor Ron Humphrey, who has led the charge for a ban, said residents close to the beach were “overwhelmingly” in favour of his proposal.
“We’ve had several people come out in the local media to report being accosted by perverts in and around Point Impossible, we’ve had families come out and say they don’t feel safe letting their kids play anywhere near the area,” Cr Humphrey said.
“Every second neighbour of mine has their story, so how much more indication do we need that people just don’t find it acceptable?”