“Just like the Bra Boys”

Jane Emerick
Torquay surfers are acting like Sydney’s infamous Bra Boys gang with threats to vandalise surf beach parking meters, according to MP Michael Crutchfield.
The Member for South Barwon said the surfers were “on the verge” of criminal activity.
“They’re not far from the Bra Boys,” he said.
“They’re portraying surfers as a law unto themselves. They want to destroy property and they’re giving recreational surfers a bad name.
“They should be writing letters, asking for meetings and involving themselves in some sort of community consultation.”
Surfers spoke out in last week’s Independent against Great Ocean Road Coast Committee’s decision to install parking meters at Torquay and Jan Juc surf beaches.
The surfers threatened to vandalise the meters.
The committee plans to install the meters at Torquay’s back beach and Surf Beach Drive and Jan Juc’s threetier car park by December 1. The meters would operate each year until April 30 at a cost of $1 an hour or $5 for allday tickets.
Mr Crutchfield said he “preferred” no parking meters at the beaches but could not influence the coast committee, which manages foreshore areas along the Surf Coast.
“This is an operational decision of GORCC. They will take account everyone’s views.”
The surfers featured in last week’s Independent, who did not want to be identified, said likening them to the Bra Boys was “a stretch”.
They said their protests in the Independent were an attempt to express their anger at the meters.
“Everyone is angry about the parking meters and we were just trying to get our point across,” said one of the surfers, who wanted to be called Shorty.
He would welcome community consultation on the meters.
“Locals should be asked whether they want them,” he said.
“It would be good for the community to have its say.”
But coast committee executive officer David Clarke said the organisation would not meet with the public to discuss the meters.
Mr Clarke said he had received about 10 phone calls and letters from people concerned about the meters.