NEWS
ABOVE:It'spretty,butdoesit feelrighttocallit a beach?
INANAUSTRALIANfirst,aninland
‘beach’hasbeenjudgedamong
Australia’sbestaspartof theTop 20
Beachesfor2020,cominginat number
nine.
TheWaggaRiversideBeach,onthe
edgeof theMurrumbidgeeRiver,has
beenchristenedasAustralia’sfirstever
officiallyrecognisedinland,freshwater
‘ b e a c h’.
TourismAustraliaBeachAmbassador,
What makes a
beach?
Brad Farmer, examined most of the
accessible and inaccessible of Australia’s
11,761 beaches to devise the list and
believes this was a necessary change.
“It’s time we extended the meaning of
a beach given there are so many aquatic
environments across Australia’s interior,”
he said.
“These water spaces, which often rely
on rain and f low, are significant as they
socially connect rural and remotecommunities in often dusty and dry,
drought conditions.”
Tourism Australia’s Managing
Director Phillipa Harrison supported
this move.
“Beaches are part of our DNA and the
beach lifestyle is such as fundamental
part of the way we enjoy life Down
Under,” she said.
Though the move has been seen as
controversial, it follows examples of lake
and river beaches in Canada, the USA
and Europe.
To make the annual list, beaches were
assessed against a number of criteria.
These included: environment, water-
quality, cleanliness, visual amenity,
carrying capacity, social history,
facilities, international suitability, beach
safety, engagement with ‘authentic’
Aussies and more.
Farmer’s research will be used in his
drafting of a National Coastal Act, based
on the Californian model, which he
hopes to introduce to Federal Parliament
as a Private Members Bill this year to
ensure Australian beaches can be
enjoyed for generations to come. — CL26 / Outdoor