Police bust beach parties
BEACH parties from the eastern suburbs of Sydney to Byron Bay are causing headaches for police who are rounding up drunk revellers by the hundreds.
Fifteen $1000 public health fines were issued since Christmas Eve, including to 11 people at a noisy Bondi house party in Sydney’s east.
It comes after NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said an out-of-control party at Bronte on Christmas Day had the potential to become a superspreader event.
Cops busted 40 people partying at the Blair St home after receiving a noise complaint just before 11pm on Boxing Day.
They were in breach of the COVID Christmas restrictions that allowed only 10 adult visitors. Most of the attendees ran from the home.
The remaining two women and nine men in their 20s were fined. The residents were also issued a 28-day noise abatement order.
A 22-year-old man who was moved on from the Bronte shenanigans was fined after police spotted him at another huge gathering at Centennial Park about 8pm on Christmas. Another man who failed to move on was also fined.
Police in Byron Bay broke up parties of about 300 people on Sunday at Main Beach and Belongil Beach. An illegally organised party was also broken up in the National Park in Tyagarah on Boxing Day.
Two businesses and a northern beaches resident have been fined since Christmas Eve.
The owner of a crowded Newtown restaurant on King St, with people standing around the footpath, was fined $5000 for having 27 more people at the premises than allowed with COVID rules.
Police allege the 45-yearold man told them he did not have a COVID Safe plan, which has since been created.
The owner was given an opportunity to reduce the number of people within the restaurant on Wednesday night, but there were still too many. He was fined next day.
A Campbelltown restaurant was also fined $5000 for having 15 people over capacity on Thursday night.
Further inquiries revealed the restaurant had been given a formal warning earlier in the month for exceeding capacity by more than 65 people.
And a 32-year-old from Collaroy in the northern beaches breached an isolation order by travelling to Bligh Park on Christmas Eve. She was fined $1000.