The Australian Sex Party’s Queensland Branch today implored Queensland Attorney General Yvette D’Ath to allow clothing-optional beaches in our state. Queensland is the only mainland state without such beaches, although multiple unofficial nude beaches exist. Alexandria Bay, within Noosa National Park, has been an unofficial clothing-optional beach for some 70 years, and has hosted an annual Nude Olympics event, every March for 30 years, an event that is now under threat.

Bizarrely the Noosa Police, in their current effort to clamp down on the nude beach, have been engaged in an ongoing and ridiculously sexist campaign, a campaign which is obviously in breach of the Queensland Anti-Discrimination Act. Noosa Police have decided to target only men for “wilful exposure” – because only male genitalia hang out! By doing so police are clearly guilty of “direct sex discrimination” under Section 10 and “discrimination in administration of state laws” under Section 101 of the Discrimination Act. When asked about the forthcoming Nude Olympics at Alexandria Bay on Sunday, March 6 they described it as “interesting,” threatening massive male arrests and further breaches of anti-discrimination law. The Queensland Branch of the Australian Sex Party will be an active participant in the forthcoming Nude Olympics, and it encourages your attendance.

In an effort to stop this discriminatory prosecution of wilful exposure laws, the Sex Party has sent a letter to Noosa Officer in Charge Senior Sergeant Hardy Wirth, Sunshine Coast Superintendent Darryl Johnson, Police Commissioner Ian Stewart and Police Minister Bill Byrne. The letter is designed to warn police that knowingly and recklessly violating anti-discrimination laws in this way could void the limited immunity from prosecution that police normally enjoy while carrying out their duties. This will, in turn, render arresting officers and their superiors liable to personal prosecution under the Anti-Discrimination Act.

In the letter police are respectfully requested to refrain from further sexually discriminatory arrests, until the Attorney General has had time to consider the Sex Party's submission. In particular, police assurance that Alexandria Bay and the Nude Olympics will not be targeted is sought.

The Sex Party submitted its case to the Attorney General showing the profound social and cultural benefits of naturism and the significant economic benefits that could come from the niche tourism. Attached were letters of support from the Noosa Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland (CCIQ). The Sex Party suggested a simple amendment to the Queensland Summary Offences Act is all that would be required. The amendment would give local councils the power to exempt an area from the “wilful exposure” provisions of the Act. In allowing nude beaches in Queensland the Sex Party estimated that the immediate economic benefit to the Noosa region alone would be up to $50 million per annum.

Numerous surveys show significant community support for nude beaches in Queensland and the simple legislative amendment proposed by the Sex Party is the best way to provide them. Local councils are in the best position to gage the support for these beaches in their communities. Let them decide where and when clothing-optional beaches should be created.  The Australian Sex Party once again urges the Palaszczuk Labour government to bring Queensland up to speed with the rest of Australia, and into the twenty-first century…

Dr. Mark McGovern,

Queensland President, Australian Sex Party,

17/37 The Esplanade, Maroochydore, 4558.

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